I’m not sure if our slumping Canadian dollar is the cause, or the low cost of fuel or time of year, but there are some real travel deals to be had.
On Jan. 4, we booked two seats from YVR to Kauai for April through WestJet for $850 return, including taxes and fees for luggage and seat selection. Heck of a deal. We used to book our Hawaii trips out of Bellingham because Allegiant Air and Alaska Airlines were so competitive, but since Allegiant cancelled those flights there aren’t a lot of bargains to be had south of the border to the Hawaiian Islands. (We once flew to Honolulu for $104 each way on Allegiant — now that was a deal, even paying extra for our luggage and bottled water.)
On that note, Alaska Airlines does have flights from Bellingham to Maui on sale this week for $149 US each way for select dates. Just don’t forget to include the exchange rate and parking fees when calculating costs. Visit alaskaair.com.
As well, Allegiant has select seats from Bellingham to Las Vegas as low as $49 and $57 each way now through April. Visit allegiantair.com.
But likely the best deal of the week for anyone who likes to play slots or tables is to a casino destination I’m not familiar with, Wendover Nevada. For select dates now through the end of January, the package cost is $129 US, which includes round-trip airfare, three night’s accommodation, taxes, fees and a coupon book. Montego Bay is the latest resort to be included as a package option. Visit wendoverfun.com.
Luxury cruise line Silversea is hoping to entice travellers with incentives, including a $1,200 ship board credit for new guests and $1,500 credit or a suite upgrade for Venetian Society guests when they book before Feb. 29. Shipboard credits can be used at the spa, all-inclusive, small-group excursions or private tour with your own car and driver. Visit silversea.com.
To help Canadians jump-start their annual vacation planning, Travelzoo, an online travel media business, is predicting the top five travel destinations that will offer Canadians the best value in 2016, including Iceland, the Dominican Republic, Poland, China and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
Michael Duchesne, publisher for Travelzoo Canada, says the two factors driving this year’s picks are the depreciating loonie and additional flight options.
Deal examples include vacation packages to China, including flights, hotels, meals, tours and taxes for less than $1,000 per person. Why? Fares from Canada to China were on the decline in 2014 and 2015 and Travelzoo deal experts predict fares to hit an all-time low in 2016.
Additionally, tour operators purchased bulk vacation package inventory in advance due to the declining loonie, which will result in more deals. Tip: travellers should book early in 2016 as deals will diminish once the inventory runs low.
Another deal to watch for is the Dominican Republic. Why? Low fuel costs and expanded flight capacity have helped cut the price of all-inclusive vacations to the Dominican Republic. Additionally, Air Canada and Sunwing increased their weekly flights to Puerto Plata and West Jet is expected to double capacity this June. Visit travelzoo.com.
@sthomas10
