If you're going to be flying over the Christmas week, you can connect with loved ones more easily thanks to Skype. The VOIP service is offering one free hour of wi-fi at over 50 US airports between December 21 and December 27. You can use Skype WiFi to make voice and video calls to computers for free and to landlines and mobile phones using Skype credit.
You can take advantage of the offer if you've got a PC, Mac or iOS device (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and a Skype account, which is free. Make sure you have the
latest version of Skype, then sign in using a wireless connection in a supported hotspot, and you're good to go.
The offer is available in more than 50 major airports, including JFK, LaGuardia and Newark in the New York City area, Boston's Logan
Aiport, Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, Jackson Hole, and
Miami. For a full list, see the interactive map.
'Tis the season for shopping and school concerts and holiday parties and frazzled nerves. If the crazies have hit and you're dreaming about an escape, listen up: Hilton Hotels is running The December Sale, which promises savings of up to 33% at participating Hilton properties around the globe when you book by New Year's Day and stay before January 8, 2012.
Turns out that "savings of up to 33%" doesn't mean you'll always be able to chop a third off your hotel bill. When we test-booked the offer at two family-friendly properties, we found actual savings hovering closer to 20%. At the Embassy Suites Washington D.C. at the Chevy Chase Pavilion, which boasts a location directly on the Metro Red Line, a two-bedroom suite runs $127 a night, which is a savings of 20% off the best available nightly rate of $159. Want something warmer? Take a look at the Grand Vacation Suites at Sea World. At that all-suite resort, we found December Sale nightly rates that were also 20% less than the best available rate: $119 for a one-bedroom suite and $199 for a two-bedroom suite (compared to best available rates of $149 and $249, respectively).
As always, there's plenty of fine print. The rates are non-refundable, full payment is due at the time of booking, there's a seven-day advance purchase requirement, and blackout dates may apply. Book online or call 800/HILTONS.
Racking your brain for the perfect present for a special family? Consider giving the gift of travel.
We're giving away a $500 gift certificate for Tauck Bridges, the leader in guided family travel. Tauck is known for putting together inclusive, fun family vacations for every age to enjoy together in the
United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Africa. Tauck Bridges family
travel adventures are all about shared enrichment and inclusive value,
meticulously planned and seamlessly orchestrated so all vacation plans
and details are handled for you so your family enjoys ease of family
travel.
To enter, visit our Facebook page. You can enter through December 17, 2011.
On your marks, get set, shop! While you're online today, take advantage of the great travel sales to land a great deal on a family vacation for 2012. Here's a round-up
of great Cyber Monday sales:
What's better in the Bahamas? Savings, for starters. Save $450 on an air-inclusive package when you visit Bahamas.com, select the resort of your choice and use the promo code CYBER450 to receive an instant savings on an air-and-hotel package. Travel must be completed by February 29, 2012.
Frontier Airlines is slashing 10% off every airfare today. Use promo code CYBER10.
Alaska Airlines is offering fares as low as $40 each way for travel December through February.
Orbitz's weekend sale is still on, offering 50% savings at popular hotels in destinations such as Orlando, San Diego, New York, Miami and Hawaii.
Marriott is holding a Cyber Monday sale for savings of 25% at select Florida resorts for stays through January 8, 2012.
Shell Vacations Hospitality's Black Friday sale continues, promising up to 50% in savings at its 23 family resorts in the US, Canada and Mexico.
DirectAir is having a BOGO sale through today: Buy one ticket, get one free! Good for airfare through September 2012.
Funjet's
weekend sale showcases the 10 best deals of the season,
promising big savings on vacations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and
Las Vegas when you travel through February 6, 2012.
In Southern California, save 35% through today at the plush Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Like to ski? Liftopia.com's sale runs through today and offers up to 81% off lift ticket packages for your next ski vacation.
Today between 9am and 9pm EST, there will be a new deal every three hours at Yuupon.com,
with savings of up to 90% (no, that's not a typo) on vacations to
destinations all over the world. Sign up for their e-mail alerts for an
advance schedule of the sales.
CheapCaribbean.com's Cyber Monday sale promises up to $100 per person in instant savings on trips to Mexico and the Caribbean.
Santa, baby, how about sticking a family vacation under the tree? We've rounded up a selection of great Black Friday travel sales that can help the big guy score a great deal.
CheapCaribbean.com is offering discounts of up to $500 per person on Caribbean packages that include airfare. Sale ends Sunday.
Orbitz is offering 50% savings at popular hotels in destinations such as Orlando, San Diego, New York, Miami and Hawaii. Sale runs through Monday.
Shell Vacations Hospitality's Black Friday special lets you save 50% on vacations at its 23 family resorts in the US, Canada and Mexico.
DirectAir is having a BOGO sale for Black Friday: Buy one ticket, get one free! Good for airfare through September 2012.
BookIt.com's Black Friday specials promise savings of up to 70% on vacations to Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Funjet's Black Friday weekend sale showcases the 10 best deals of the season, promising big savings on vacations in Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Las Vegas when you travel through February 6, 2012.
Sterling Resorts is holding its annual blowout sale, with savings of up to 60% on condos at popular beach resorts along Florida's Gulf Coast.
Heading off on a Disney vacation next year? Buy your souvenirs now at the Disney Store and save 50% on top of 20%! Use promo code THANKS.
In Southern California, save 35% through Monday at the plush Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Like to ski? Liftopia.com's sale runs through Monday and offers up to 81% off lift ticket packages for your next ski vacation.
There will be a new deal every hour at Yuupon.com, with savings of up to 90% (no, that's not a typo) on vacations to destinations all over the world. Sign up for their e-mail alerts for an advance schedule of the hourly sales.
We’re excited to be giving away a four-night stay for a family of four in a suite at the beautiful Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain, recently ranked the No. 2 resort in the United States by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler.
The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa is located in the heart of
Colorado’s magnificent Vail Valley and features 230 finely appointed
guest residences ranging from studio suites to three-bedroom
condominiums, all featuring custom kitchens, five-piece bathrooms and
gas fireplaces. Nestled on the banks of the Eagle River, The Westin
Riverfront is connected to Beaver Creek’s spectacular ski terrain via
the Riverfront Express Gondola. Amenities at the dog-friendly resort
include a ski valet; on-site ski and snowboard rentals; a Westin Kids
Club; the state-of-the-art Athletic Club at The Westin; Spa Anjali;
Cima, a restaurant by Chef Richard Sandoval; a year-round outdoor pool;
and three riverside hot tubs.
For a chance to win this family getaway,
just head to our giveaway page. You can enter once a day through December 14, 2011. So come back again tomorrow!
What's better than a family movie night while you're on vacation? A family movie night when the movie is absolutely free! To make a whole lot of family getaways more fun, we're giving away free DVD movie or game rentals from Redbox to 25 (count 'em, 25!) of our Facebook fans.
Step 2. Visit WeJustGotBack.com's wall and click 'share' below our Facebook update about this Redbox giveaway. Share the update on your own Facebook wall.
Step 3.Check in after 5pm EST on Monday, October 31, to see if you're one of our 25 lucky winners. [Note that giveaway period has been extended.]
This giveaway ends at 5pm EST on Monday, October 31, 2011. Winners will be chosen at random using random.org. After the contest period ends, winners will be announced on WeJustGotBack.com's Facebook wall and in an updated version of this post.
Good luck!
-----------------
Update: Congratulations to our winners!
Winners will be contacted on Facebook. Winners, please also email blog@wejustgotback.com so that we can forward your promotion code.
A hot deal at a ski resort always sounds great, until you get to the fine print and discover the blackout dates coincide with the only dates that families can travel: the holidays. That's why we thought Christmas had come early when we saw the Holidays on Us offer at RockResorts' properties in Beaver Creek, Colorado, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Book a three-night-or longer stay by end of October, and you can get one free night during anyof the following US holiday breaks:
Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day,
Valentine's Day, President's Day and Easter Sunday. They'll even let you count one night each week during the
peak Spring Break period—from March 10 through April 3, 2012—as a holiday.
The offers vary only slightly between the two locations. At Snake River Lodge in Jackson Hole—a ski-in/ski-out property that also has an indoor heated pool, a spa and a fitness center—the offer promises rates starting at $131 a night. When we checked Thanskgiving weekend dates, we found special rates starting at $150 a night from Friday though Monday morning, down from the usual $225 a night, for a clean 33% savings (you can’t book Thanksgiving Day itself at Snake Creek—good news for your mother-in-law). The
offer at Snake River ups the ante with a daily free breakfast
for each person, as well as a one-time $50 resort gift card.
At Beaver Creek, we
found special hotel rates that started at $150, and a two-bedroom
condo for $196 a night in a new property, Chapel Square. (The special rate is
supposed to start at $117 in Beaver Creek, but we didn’t see anything
that low.) You have a selection of hotel and condo options, including units with family-friendly full kitchens and laundry.
Best of all at both locations: you don’t have to stay during a holiday to get the same deal. The 33% savings is also available with the resorts’ Early Bird Savings package. You even get the same $50 gift card and free breakfast at Snake River, and that deal doesn’t require a three-day minimum .
To take advantage of either offer, you must book by October 31. The holiday deal is good for travel between November 25 and April 8, 2012. A minimum three-night stay is required; when you book online, the free night is calculated into the displayed nightly rate. Or, mention the deal when calling Snake River at 866/614-7625 (ROCK), or Beaver Creek at 800/696-3681. Rates do not include daily resort fees (e.g.,$25/day at Snake River).
If you’re hankering to ski, you still have to wait at least another month or so.
But if you want a mountain getaway with great prices and no need for
gear—it’s a great time to shop around. The Sky Lodge in Park
City, for instance, has a Fall Buy One Get One special offer if you book by
October 15. Indeed, when we checked October dates, we found a two-room suite with a kitchen,
two baths, fireplace and a deck with hot tub for $150 a night, down from
the usual $300—a straightforward 50% discount. (Some suites even have their own pool tables, a nice extra for families.)
Offering one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites, the boutique-style lodge has been on Condé Nast Traveler’s Hot List and—as an enticement to grown-ups—USA Today’s list of “Top 10 Rooftop Bars,” with its great views of the Wasatch Mountains. This time of year, grown-ups and their kids have easy access to biking and hiking trails, and the knockout fall foliage (the whole state of Utah is expecting deeper-than-usual colors this autumn). You're also right in the heart of Old Town Park City, with its shops, restaurants and general goings-on such as fall's weekly open mics with live music.
If you push your getaway to late November, prices rise a bit—the two-bedroom suites we saw were going for about $220—but you’ll likely also get some snow, if you’re ready to hit the slopes.
To take advantage of this special offer, you must book by October 15, and travel between October 3 and December 15. Enter dates and prices will automatically reflect the savings. Or mention the offer when calling 888/876-2525.
We’re excited to be giving away a four-night getaway at the luxurious La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa,
a four-star resort set on gorgeous Lake Conroe, 50 miles north of
Houston. The prize includes suite accommodations for a family of four,
along with daily breakfast and a session for two children at Adventure
Pointe, the resort’s supervised kids’ camp.
Sophisticated but never stuffy, La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa
offers plenty of fun ways for families to beat the Texas heat. There is
an on-site aqua park complete with multiple pools, slides and a lazy
river. The 22,000-acre lake also offers many activities such as
jetskiing, kayaking, boating and fishing. You can also enjoy the
resort’s private beach and miniature golf course that is lighted so you
can enjoy a round at night.
Kids ages 5 to 11 can meet friends and play at Adventure
Pointe, the resort’s supervised children’s camp complete with its own
playground. Teenagers visiting La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa can
hang out at The Edge, featuring over-stuffed furniture, cool games such
as remote-control racing cars and a Wii.
For a chance to win this family getaway,
just head to our giveaway page. You can enter once a day through October 14, 2011. So come back again tomorrow!
'Tis the season for shopping and school concerts and holiday parties and frazzled nerves. If the crazies have hit and you're dreaming about an escape, listen up: Hilton Hotels is running 
On your marks, get set, shop! While you're online today, take advantage of the great travel sales to land a great deal on a family vacation for 2012. Here's a round-up
of great Cyber Monday sales:
Santa, baby, how about sticking a family vacation under the tree? We've rounded up a selection of great Black Friday travel sales that can help the big guy score a great deal.
We’re excited to be giving away a four-night stay for a family of four in a suite at the beautiful 
What's better than a family movie night while you're on vacation? A family movie night when the movie is absolutely free! To make a whole lot of family getaways more fun, we're giving away free DVD movie or game rentals from Redbox to 25 (count 'em, 25!) of our Facebook fans.
A hot deal at a ski resort always sounds great, until you get to the fine print and discover the blackout dates coincide with the only dates that families can travel: the holidays. That's why we thought Christmas had come early when we saw the 
Best of all at both locations: you don’t have to stay during a holiday to get the same deal. The 33% savings is also available with the resorts’ 
If you’re hankering to ski, you still have to wait at least another month or so.
But if you want a mountain getaway with great prices and no need for
gear—it’s a great time to shop around. 
Offering one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites, the boutique-style lodge has been on Condé Nast Traveler’s Hot List and—as an enticement to grown-ups—USA Today’s list of “Top 10 Rooftop Bars,” with its great views of the Wasatch Mountains. This time of year, grown-ups and their kids have easy access to biking and hiking trails, and the knockout fall foliage (the whole state of Utah is expecting deeper-than-usual colors this autumn). You're also right in the heart of Old Town Park City, with its shops, restaurants and general goings-on such as fall's weekly open mics with live music.
We’re excited to be giving away a four-night getaway at the luxurious 
