Mobissimo

If you're planning a trip this year, here are some of the best dates to search for travel to find the cheapest priced airfare.

• Jan. 27-29: Holiday travel is done, one of the last weekend before they start again.
• Feb. 3-5: Really the last weekend to travel cheaply before Spring Break starts and President's day weekend begins.
• Sept. 7-9: First week of school and the rest of September are great times to travel.
• Sept. 21-23: Still September. Call in the babysitters, head for some place fun without the kids.
• Sept. 28-30: Ditto.

Finally some snow in the mountains out here in California. Not much though, so we're still thinking of heading to the beach this winter. We found a couple good deals this week including a $459 7-Nt Royal Caribbean Cruises w/Free Onboard Credit and a $599 4-Night Bahamas Vacation w/Air.

If you haven't installed our new Facebook App, don't forget to install it now. It allows you to create Fare Alerts that track airfare for trips you're planning, as well as receive our deals more frequently, all directly through Facebook.

Weekly Deals:

• $769+: 7-Nt Costa Rica Package w/Hotel, Transfers & Taxes
• $655+: 3-Night Aruba Resort Stay w/Roundtrip Air & Transfers
• $599+: 4-Night Bahamas Vacation w/Air
• $3901+: 12-Nt Luxe Istanbul to Lisbon Cruise w/Air & Tax
• $459+: 7-Nt Royal Caribbean Cruises w/Free Onboard Credit
• $469+: 7-Nt Celebrity Cruises, Save Up to $300
• $675+: 6-Nt Orlando Package w/Air & Transfers, Save 30%
• $312+: Caribbean: Luxe All-Incl. Grenada Resort, Save 50%

 

The New York Times put together a list of places we should consider visiting in 2012. Lots of interesting places like Nosara, Costa Rica and Antarctica. But also a couple of eyebrow raisers, like Oakland, CA. Really? If that's the case, it's only across the bridge from us here in San Francisco, so we'll be taking a trip soon to knock one city off the list. Other cities on the list include:

1     Panama
2     Helsinki, Finland
3     Myanmar
4     London
5     Oakland, Calif
6     Tokyo
7     Tanzania
8     Chilean Patagonia
9     Lhasa, Tibet
10     Havana, Cuba
11     Moscow
12     Glasgow
13     Puebla, Mexico
14     San Diego
15     Halong Bay, Vietnam
16     Florence, Italy
17     St. Vincent
18     Moganshan, China
19     Birmingham, England
20     Space
21     Kerala, India
22     Paraty, Brazil
23     Koh Rong, Cambodia
24     Vienna
25     Chattanooga, Tenn
26     Dakhla, Morocco
27     Maldives
28     Malacca, Malaysia
29     The Algarve
30     Tahoe, Calif
31     Wales
32     Antarctica
33     Uganda
34     Ukraine
35     Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic
36     Dubrovnik, Croatia
37     Chiloé Island, Chile
38     Jordan
39     Crans-Montana, Switzerland
40     Montpellier, France
41     Nosara, Costa Rica
42     South Korea
43     Lodz, Poland
44     Dalarna, Sweden
45     Portovenere, Italy

The Wall Street Journal wrote a good article on the frustrations and challenges families face flying with children. In it they describe what they call "baby ghettos", the areas in the back of airplanes where screaming babies gather or are sent. 

Babies on airplanes. It's enough to make parents—and all the passengers around them—cry.

Parents are complaining of airline seating policies that create "baby ghettos" in the back of planes. Even worse, families are increasingly split up, leaving small children in middle seats in the company of strangers unless passengers arrange seat swaps on board.

The article goes on to talk about the trials and tribulations of families flying with kids (FFWK) and offers advice from various seasoned travelers.

Summer Smith Hull, who blogs about frequent-flier miles for families, checks over and over for seat assignments if she doesn't get them right away, grabbing seats that open up when travelers cancel or get upgraded to first class. "The No. 1 way you set yourself up for trouble is if you go to the airport without seat assignments," she said. A recent flight didn't have seat assignments, so she kept calling the airline until she finally got seats.

Read the whole article.

Our activity search is a great way to find cheap airfare for a weekend getaway. Point your browser to the activity search, choose your origin destination, then select United States (or the region of your choice) as the destination. Once you hit search, Mobissimo lists fares to major U.S. cities in ascending order. Look through the list, find something you like, and book your weekend getaway.

Looking for cheap airfare to skiing destinations this winter? Best place to start your research is Mobissimo, using our activity search. Enter your origin airport, select skiing from the list of activities in the pull-down destination, and Bob's your uncle; a list in ascending order of price, of ski destination around the world including Denver, Whistler, Tahoe, Salt Lake City, and more. 

According to Samantha Bomkcamp, who in addition to having an awesome last name did some fare analysis that counter-intuitively found if you book your holiday travel later this year, rather than earlier, you may actually save money. 

The cheapest fares for Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't going to the travelers who booked months in advance. Experts say they'll go to those who can take advantage of some last-minute deals. In previous years, the rule was nearly always the same: Travelers who booked earliest got the cheapest fares. Those who waited generally faced higher prices.

This year, though, things are different.

Yes, fares are up and flights are fuller, but those who've waited until the last minute to book Thanksgiving or Christmas travel can still find a deal if they know where — and how — to look.

In a year when airlines seem to have the upper hand, you may wonder why airfares on U.S. routes aren't creeping higher as the holidays inch closer. The reason is airlines may have jacked some prices up too high, too fast. When that happens, airlines run sales closer to flight dates to fill the remaining seats on the plane. Airlines also ran many last-minute sales during the recession when Americans dramatically pulled back on flying.

Good advice its appears, but also remember to read our Tips For Saving On Thanksgiving for other tips that may help you save money. 

Wow, it's really cold here in San Francisco. And by cold, we mean it's in the 50s. Time to get out of town some place warm. For $219 we can take a 4 day cruise to Mexico or for $349 a 7 day cruise to the Bahamas. Sign us up. You can still head to Europe for ultra-low prices, with airfare to Dublin for $459, Istanbul for $597, Rome for $593, and Barcelona for $620 . Use our activity search to find flights from your home city.

If you haven't installed our new Facebook App, don't forget to install it now. It allows you to create Fare Alerts that track airfare for trips you're planning, as well as receive our deals more frequently, all directly through Facebook.

Weekly Deals:

• $1118*+: R/T Air to New Zealand w/3 Nights in Tahiti, Save $550
• $349+: Atlantis, Bahamas: 4th Night Free & up to $400 Air Credit
• $349+: 7-Nt Bahamas Cruise on Norwegian, 75% Off
• $219+: 4-Nt Mexico Cruise from Miami, Save 75%
• $399+: 7-Nt Mediterranean Cruise w/Credit, 70% Off
• $597+: Flights to Instanbul, save 45%
• $593+: Flights to Rome, save 40%
• $619+: Flights to Barcelona, save 35%
• $459+: Flights to Dublin, save 50%

The holidays are fast approaching. For some of you that means traveling with children, which in this day and age of packed planes and pay as you go for everything fee structures, is probably not something you're looking forward to. The NY  Times has a long article today filled with tips for families.  They do a nice job of summarizing the family friendliness of the major U.S. carriers.

American

EARLY BOARDING No. Families who want to board earlier can ask the gate agent or pay $10 a person to guarantee a spot in the first boarding group in coach.

SEATING Bulkhead seats toward the front of coach are reserved for elite passengers or sold as “preferred seats” 24 hours before departure for a fee starting at $4.

KIDS’ MEALS Sells a number of “kid-friendly choices” like $10 turkey sandwiches with chips.

ENTERTAINMENT Free child-friendly movies on overhead televisions on most flights longer than four hours. Streaming video via Wi-Fi will be added to 85 MD-80 aircraft before the end of 2011.

STROLLER GATE CHECK Yes, except noncollapsible strollers or those weighing 20 pounds or more, which must be checked at the ticket counter.

Delta

EARLY BOARDING Yes (no age limit), ahead of first and business class.

SEATING Bulkhead seats may be available for families 24 hours before departure.

KIDS’ MEALS $4.50 kids’ peanut butter and jelly plate, served with fruit and vegetables.

ENTERTAINMENT Last year, Delta brought back the kiddie pilot wings it used to hand out. On flights with seatback televisions, Delta offers 16 On Demand children’s television programs that cost $1 per episode or $6 for a television bundle. (Flights without seatback screens may not offer children’s movies at all.) Some flights have Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network via satellite television (at no charge).

STROLLER GATE CHECK Yes.

JetBlue

EARLY BOARDING Yes, for families with children under the age of 2, along with passengers who paid extra for seats with more legroom.

SEATING Bulkhead seats are reserved for customers with disabilities up to 24 hours before departure, with remaining seats sold as “Even More Space” seats for $10 to $65 extra.

KIDS’ MEALS JetBlue doesn’t offer meals on any of its flights, but snacks, including Animal Crackers, are free.

ENTERTAINMENT Seatback televisions offer 36 channels of DirecTV, including children’s programming and 100 XM Satellite Radio channels free. If time permits, pilots are encouraged to show children the flight deck and offer them JetBlue trading cards.

STROLLER GATE CHECK Yes.

Southwest

EARLY BOARDING Yes, for families with children up to 4 years old, after passengers in boarding Group A, which includes elite fliers, full-fare passengers and those who pay $10 (each way) for early-bird check-in.

SEATING There are no seat assignments. Like other passengers, families must find an open seat once onboard.

KIDS’ MEALS No meals onboard. Peanuts and pretzels are free.

ENTERTAINMENT Flight attendants are encouraged to offer children coloring books and airline wings.

STROLLER GATE CHECK Yes.

United-Continental

EARLY BOARDING Yes, for families with children 4 years and younger, after passengers who paid extra for priority boarding on United, which merged with Continental last fall. Continental currently does not sell priority boarding; families board after first class and elite passengers.

SEATING Bulkhead seats are typically reserved for elite passengers or sold for a fee starting at $9.

KIDS’ MEALS Snacks and meals, including $7.49 cheese and fruit plates, are offered, depending on length of flight and time of day.

ENTERTAINMENT Most of United’s fleet has overhead screens that show in-flight movies. Continental offers satellite TV on more than 75 percent of its 737 Next Generation aircraft and plans to install the service on more planes in 2012.

STROLLER GATE CHECK Yes, except large, noncollapsible strollers, which must be checked at the ticket counter.

US Airways

EARLY BOARDING Yes, for families with children 4 and younger, along with elite passengers and those who paid extra for bulkhead seats.

SEATING Bulkhead seats are reserved for passengers with disabilities until an hour before departure and are assigned at the gate agent’s discretion.

KIDS MEALS Snack boxes, which include dried cranberries and almonds ($6), and meals including fruit and cheese plates ($8), depending on the length of the flight and time of day.

ENTERTAINMENT Nothing on domestic flights.

STROLLER GATE CHECK Yes, except for noncollapsible strollers, which must be checked at the ticket counter.

Virgin America

EARLY BOARDING Yes, for families with “small children,” after first class and passengers who paid extra for roomier coach seats.

SEATING Bulkhead seats are reserved for “main cabin select” passengers who pay more when booking or $39 to $129 extra to upgrade 24 hours in advance.

KIDS’ MEALS Half-sandwiches like peanut butter and jelly served with organic fruit gummy bears ($4).

ENTERTAINMENT Individual seatback screens offer parental controls, free satellite TV including the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, movies ($5 to $8) and premium programs like “Go Diego Go” ($2 to $7), free video games and seat-to-seat chat.

STROLLER GATE CHECK Yes.

The huge fare sale to Europe continues this week, with airfare to Istanbul for $583, Rome for $599, and Barcelona for $579 . Use our activity search to find flights from your home city. This week's cruise deal is a $629 7-Nt Caribbean holiday cruise.

If you haven't installed our new Facebook App, don't forget to install it now. It allows you to create Fare Alerts that track airfare for trips you're planning, as well as receive our deals more frequently, all directly through Facebook.

Weekly Deals:

• $159: Hawaii Waikiki Resort w/Oceanfront Room
• $269+: 5-Night Caribbean Cruise from Miami, 75% Off
• 178+: Punta Cana All-Inclsuive Luxury Resort, Save 25%
• $629+: 7-Nt Caribbean Holiday Cruises: Balcony Rooms at Oceanview Rates
• $290+: Coast to Coast Flights on Frontier Airlines
• $583+: Flights to Istanbul, Save 40%
• $599+: Flights to Rome, Save 40%
• $579+: Flights to Barcelona, Save 45%

 

If you haven't used the Mobissimo Fare Map tool, it's a great way to visualize potential holiday destinations using maps. Type in your origin city and Mobissimo pulls from thousands of fares to let you see the price to fly all over the country or world. The filters let you focus on flights to the United States, and abroad to Europe, Asia, Mexico, Central America, South America, and more. It's a fantastic way to start planning your trip, or get inspiration for new ones.

 

If you haven't tried our Activity Search, it's a perfect tool for planning your beach vacation this winter. Type in your home airport, select Beaches (or any activity you like for that matter), and Mobissimo searches thousands of fares to find the best deals for you. Here's an example of cheap flights from New York to beach destinations like Miami, Cancun, Aruba, Brazil, Spain, and many more.

One of the great urban myths is that the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year, but it isn't. Actually, the busiest travel days of the year usually fall in summer, when the kiddies get off for holidays and families takes their annual vacations (Via KTVQ.com).

"In reality, the day before Thanksgiving is not the busiest day of the year," said Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association.

In fact, according to official government data, when it comes to the number of airline flights, Wednesday doesn't even rank among the top 25 busiest days.

Back in 2006, it came in 36th. In 2007, it was 55th. And in 2008, as the economy took a turn for the worst, there were 220 days with more flights than the day before Thanksgiving.

That of course doesn't stop airlines from jacking up prices for tickets during the holidays. It's their little gift to you, for the holidays. But there are ways you can save money by traveling on Thanksgiving day, for example. Some other tips include:

• Buy Today: Prices are just going to go up, so buy now to avoid paying increased prices.
• Fare Alerts: If you aren't convinced, use our Fare Alert tool powered by Facebook. You can access it directly from Facebook or when you conduct a search, click the Facebook icon in the search results.
• Don't Fly the Sunday After Thanksgiving: Not the busiest day of the year, but it is busy and prices are high.
• Use Alternate Airports: Be sure to check smaller airports used by low cost carriers for deals.
• Don't Caught By Surcharges: Airlines have been raking in record profits by charging you for everything, nickel and diming passengers for everything but the water and peanuts.

The fall deals continue to impress, including a huge fare sale for flights into Europe -  Istanbul for $594, Rome for $614, and Barcelona for $630 - are just a few of the examples of great fares. Use our activity search to find flights from your home city. In addition, we have the weekly cruise deals including a $239 4-Nt Mexico Cruise from Miami and a $329 6-Nt Caribbean Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale.

If you haven't installed our new Facebook App, don't forget to install it now. It allows you to create Fare Alerts that track airfare for trips you're planning, as well as receive our deals more frequently, all directly through Facebook.

Weekly Deals:

• $239+: 4-Nt Mexico Cruise from Miami, Save 75%
• $434+: 7-Nt Mediterranean Cruise from Rome, Save 65%
• $329+: 6-Nt Caribbean Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale, Save 75%
• $399+: 7-Nt Bahamas Cruise from New York, 70% Off
• $330+: Airfare to Hawaii from Select Cities
• $249+: Coast to Coast Flights on Jet Blue
• $594+: Flights to Istanbul, Save 40%
• $614+: Flights to Rome, Save 40%
• $630+: Flights to Barcelona, Save 45%

Looks like you better start thinking about booking your flights for Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays early, the major carriers just pushed through their second fare increase in two weeks, increasing fares by $5 yesterday. Don't get caught by rising fares, book now or create a fare alert with our Facebook app. Here are sample fares leaving from San Francisco to cities across the country found using our activity search.