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Where to Go Now? Look for Places Desperate to See You

Remember a few months ago when consumer travel journalists like I am suggested you give Europe a good look this summer because the US dollar had grown in value against the Euro? 

Well, the dollar has been slipping again lately, and it'll cost you at least $1.42 to buy a single Euro these days.

So where should you go?

I'd suggest visiting places that really NEED tourists.  Domestically, that would be Las Vegas.  Overseas, I still like Argentina, even though it's the beginning of winter now.  (However, Argentina's winter is different than my winter in Minnesota: It's 59 degrees in Buenos Aires as I write this post on Sunday evening, with a low of 50.)  But the biggest bargain is the country hardest hit by the international financial meltdown, Iceland.  It's the party capital of Europe and the closest European country to the US.  Icelandair has cheap flights from several US cities.  But get this astounding statistic: The dollar is 70 per cent more powerful against the Icelandic kronur than it was this time last year. 

Upgrade to Intl Biz Class on NW & Delta for One Mile Each Way

Normally, members of Northwest and Delta Air Line's frequent flyer programs can upgrade to business class on international flights by cashing in at least 20,000 miles each way when purchasing a full-fare coach ticket. 

But for a limited time, both airlines will move you to the front of the plane if you buy a full-fare coach ticket abroad and proffer one mile each way.  That's an international upgrade for just two frequent flyer miles, round trip.

Here's the small print: You can take advantage of this offer for travel between now and Sept. 15, but you must book your ticket by July 13, 2009.  Move fast.

Hotel Deals Galore! (Even Some Luxury Ones Worth Noting)

--Thirty members of The Leading Hotels of the World  in the U.S. and Canada are knocking 30 per cent off the price of hotel rooms from May 22 until Sept. 7.  They’re calling it “The American Summer Sale.”  How about the Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, CA, for only $375 a night?  Or the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Manhattan for about $500 a night?  (Yes, that’s a bargain.)

--Pay with an American Express card through Sept. 30 when you stay at a Ritz-Carlton and receive three nights for the price of two, five nights for the price of three, or seven nights for the price of four plus breakfast for two, free parking, and free Internet access.

--The Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers has a “no-hidden-fee” offer through Sept. 7 if you book by June 30.  Rooms begin at $119 a night, and that rate includes free parking, free Internet access, free unlimited domestic phone calls, and access to the hotel’s fitness center.  Potential savings: $75 a night. 

Titantic Awards: Share Your Worst Travel Experience

Every had such a terrible travel experience--something you ate, somewhere you visited, or the hotel from hell--that you must share it with the world?

Stockholm-based travel journalist Doug Lansky wants to hear all about it as he gears up to bring the world the first annual Titanic Awards--long overdue recognition of some of the worst things about travel.

You know that I know that, generally speaking, travel is a terrific thing on many different levels, such as personal growth, cultural understanding, and so on.  But sometimes . . . just sometimes . . . something goes so wrong it's worth commemorating.  Check out the Titanic Awards home page where you'll find what others have nominated--it might get you thinking.  And, unfortunately, remembering.

Larry Habegger, co-founder and executive editor of the publishing company Traveler Tales and a guy who's visited 50 countries, identified the border crossing between ZhangMu, Tibet, and Kodari, Nepal, as the "worst border crossing in the world."  It took him eight hours to step from one country to another just because the broder guards "felt like it."  Jim Benning, co-founder and co-editor of WorldHum.com, says he thinks the worst tourist trap is Kuta Beach in Bali, thanks to its cheesy shops and cheesy bars and  tuk-tuk drivers hassling tourists. Natinal Geographic Traveler editor Keith Bellows identifies Cambodia's Ankor Wat as the "most overrun attraction" in the world.  And writer Tim Cahill labels this as the world's worst name for a night club: The Disco of the Giant Ground Sloth in Puerto Natales, Chile.

Now it's your turn!

British Airways Offers $100 Off Coach To VISA Holders

If you're a member of British Airways' frequent flyer program (the "Executive Club"), you can receive $100 off on any round-trip ticket in coach class ("World Traveler" or "World Traveler Plus") if you pay for your ticket with a VISA card.

You can travel until Sept. 2, 2009, but you MUST book your ticket by May 31st.

Here are details.