Hot Deals | weekly travel bargains

The deal: Now you can afford to stretch out a bit. Virgin America, the San Francisco-based low-cost airline, is having a sale on first class travel for three of its west coast routes: San Francisco-San Diego first class fares start at $149 each way, while comparable rates start at $177 between San Francisco-Seattle and $199 for Los Angeles-Seattle. The fares are non-refundable. The SFO-Seattle and LAX-Seattle fares require a seven-day advance purchase, and travel must begin by June 11. A three-day advance purchase is required for SFO-San Diego sale fares, and the airline currently shows no cutoff date for those specials.

The dollars: from $149.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: On May 10, Southwest Airlines will begin flying to six new cities from Denver, and all of them are on sale. The fares must be bought within one day of booking and no later than 14 days before departure; they’re good for travel through August 3, in either direction to or from Denver. Roundtrip sale fares are $138 for Denver-Los Angeles or Denver-San Jose; $158 to or from San Antonio or St. Louis; and $198 between Denver-Philadelphia and Denver-Raleigh-Durham.

The dollars: from $69 each way.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: The company formerly known as Norwegian Coastal Voyages—and now called Hurtigruten—is offering savings of $1,000 to $3,600 per person on five Antarctica cruise itineraries in 2008 and 2009, ranging from 13 to 22 days. The 13-day sailings, priced from $3,999 per person, double, with the discount, include visits to Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Argentina, as well as five days in Antarctica; they operate from November 2008 through February 2009. Longer cruises take in other regional attractions, from the Falkland Islands to the Chilean fjords.

The dollars: from $3,999.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: With typical roundtrip air fares to Europe rising well over $1,000 this summer, here’s a great deal on a river cruise—if you can wait until fall. Gate1 Travel has a starting price of $1,679 per person, double, for a November 1 departure of a Danube River cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg. That includes roundtrip air from New York and seven nights on the MS Royal, with airport transfers, most meals, wine and beer with dinner, shore excursions, and entrance fees to shore-side attractions. The same trip during September or October costs $3,049.

The dollars: from $1,679.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: This is the time of year when prices start to plunge in the Phoenix area. Case in point: The “Dive into Summer” package at the AAA Five Diamond-rated Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. Available from May 16 through September 7, the family-friendly package starts at $249 a night, including accommodations, free access to the Kid’s Club program (ages 5-12) or the teen Hang Out—plus a $100 daily credit for food and beverages at the hotel. Since you have to eat, it’s equivalent to paying just $149 for the room.

The dollars: from $249.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: The all-inclusive properties of Occidental Grand and Allegro Resorts are on sale for stays through August if you book by May 30, with savings of up to 40 percent off the usual seasonal rates. With the sale, the nightly rate per person, double, starts as low as $56 at Allegro Playa Dorada in the Dominican Republic, or $75 at Allegro Nuevo Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The group has a total of eight properties participating in the promotion, with locations in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica. Rates include all meals and snacks, drinks, sports and recreational activities, entertainment, taxes, and tips.

The dollars: from $56 per person, per night.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: Always wanted to see the Taj Mahal? Friendly Planet Travel has cut the price by $400 on the September 16 departure of its eight-day Taj Mahal Express package, now priced at $1,529 per person, double, if you book by June 13. That covers roundtrip air (and airline fuel surcharges) from New York; hotels in Delhi, Agra (home of the Taj Mahal) and Jaipur; daily breakfast, a farewell dinner, and sightseeing. For an extended experience, the operator also cut prices from $2,629 to $2,229 for the September 11 departure of its 12-day Taj Mahal Express Plus Nepal tour.

The dollars: from $1,529.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: During summer, rates at The Aerie Resort & Spa—set 1,500 feet above the ocean on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, just outside Victoria—start at $285 a night. But through June 15, that’s the starting price for the resort’s “Spring Blossom” package, and in addition to an overnight stay, it also provides a $100 credit in the hotel’s dining room as well as continental breakfast for two. The Aerie is a member of the exclusive Relais & Chateaux group.

The dollars: from $285.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: You can save up to 25 percent through mid-December with the Free Night promotion offered by the elegant Four Seasons Punta Mita, a beachfront resort 26 miles from Puerto Vallarta. Through December 19, persons who arrive on a Sunday or Monday and stay three paid nights will get a fourth night free; arrive other days and you can still get a fifth night free. The best rates are in July, August, and September; with a starting rate of $405 for the paid nights, your average nightly cost with a free fourth night comes down to $304. Through June, rates start at $535, so the average over a four-night stay could be as low as $401 a night.

The dollars: from $304.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: Summer rates at the elegant Charleston Place in Charleston, S.C. generally start at $269 to $299 a night, double. But on its web site, the hotel is promoting special nightly rates starting at $219 for select dates from late June through early September. The hotel advises booking them quickly since only a limited number of rooms are available at the reduced prices. Located in the historic heart of town, the hotel has a spa and an award-winning restaurant, Charleston Grill.

The dollars: from $219.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: Rosario Resort & Spa, an historic waterfront property on Orcas Island in Washington State’s San Juan Islands, has special Internet-only rates available during May, starting at just $99 a night—a savings of 50 percent or more off summer prices. The resort’s centerpiece, Moran Mansion, was built a century ago; it contains the resort’s main dining room and spa. Spring activities include hiking, sea kayaking, sailing, and whale-watching.

The dollars: from $99.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here

The deal: Starwood’s Luxury Collection includes some of the best hotels in the world, like the Bristol in Vienna, the Grande Bretagne in Athens, the Pulitzer in Amsterdam, Prince de Galles in Paris and so on. The group is offering a fourth night free with three paid nights for stays during May, October, November, and December, with a booking deadline of May 30. Price varies by hotel and dates; the deal is good at 33 hotels in Europe, plus a few in other places. The offer includes daily breakfast as well.

The dollars: vary by hotel and dates.

For booking information, terms and conditions, click here