January Disney: 2 adults, 1 child $2K

Westjet Vacations Cyber Monday Deal

Prices & availability subject to change with no notice.

Fast 5 Travel Tips: HOT HOT Deals

Black Friday sales are abound. You can cash in on travel deals right now.

Here are the first 5 offerings:

1. Westjet.com - flights & vacations on sale. Hot deals include bargains like this one to San Diego California. Look at those flight times...no overnight stop in Calgary and no driving to Winnipeg on icy roads!

2. Aircanada.com Their sale includes destinations across Canada, to the USA, plus International and Sun destinations too. You can travel until April 30th 2016 if you book during this sale. Yes, Spring Break dates ARE included.  One really great deal I spied was to Fredericton, NB. $418! Unbelievable to fly to the Maritimes on Spring Break at that low of a fare. Definitely worth the drive to Winnipeg to board that flight. 

3. Sheraton Hotels are offering 25% off on hotel rooms booked before December 6th. Book now and travel into September, 2016.

4. Redtag.ca is a bonus savings of $15-$100 per person if you book your travel package with them.
There are great deals to Mexico, including 5 star resorts at under $1200 with taxes included.

5. On November 30th there will be a Twitter Travel Auction presented by Air Transat. They are auctioning off vacation packages on twitter. This is the second Cyber Monday auction for them. Funds raised go to charity. Last year's packages were hot sellers, with some going for $1000 less than retail. The trips up for auction will be revealed on November 27th. 

Here's a sample of one of the winning bids from last year. 

My best advice to you in shopping for travel deals this week is to act quickly. The top bargains will sell out easily. And, if it's in your budget, book your Spring Break flights now. It will be the best opportunity for savings on those popular dates. 

Westjet Black Friday Sales

I object to Black Friday sales starting on Monday night, but that's pretty hypocritical of me since that's exactly what I'm going to write about tonight.

You see, the horse has already left the gate and two travel operators and a  are already showcasing their sales.

Selloffvacations.com has sent out their Black Friday sales notice. It's basically Cuba, Mexico and Vegas being offered on sale.  Their sales pitch is 'five star vacations at three star prices.'

Westjet.com is suggesting they have 500,000 seats on sale and you could save up to $1000 on a vacation. I followed their link and found a sweet Florida deal in January.

If you travel January 12th to 19th with your family of 2 adults and 2 minor children you can go for $2100. That includes return tickets, taxes and hotel for 7 nights. However, the hotel included doesn't meet with my holiday standards. So, rather I would suggest a hotel like the Nikolodian Suites which would be about $2700 for the same package.

The Disney hotels are also on sale. In fact it's cheaper to stay at a Disney "moderate" that a "budget level" hotel this week.  So while it would be $3200 for your family, I feel you are getting excellent value. The Disney transportation system (which is free to use if you are staying at one of their hotels) is such a huge perk.  This package price does NOT include park passes, which are extra.

If you spy any other great travel deals, please share them in the comments. It's an exciting week if you are hoping to nab a travel bargain. 

Fast 5 Travel Tips: Safer Travel

There is a worldwide travel alert. The US Government issued it today.

You might scoff at that news and blow it off as a written redundancy at this point. After all, we KNOW we face risks every time we travel. In fact we know we face risks everyday in our regular lives too. Anything could happen at anytime. Nothing is guaranteed.  No office, no highway, and no college campus is truly safe. There are wildcards and variables no one could ever predict.

I get that.

But there are absolutely things you can do. You can increase your odds of avoiding tragedy.

Can you stay safe in a hostage situation?  I did.

It's not something I talk about. It's in the past. I moved on and I live a very full and blessed life. Ever wonder why I travel so much? Hug you every chance I get? Because I'm grateful for every day.

My life could have ended in a shotgun blast, near closing time, in a bar in the 1990s. It's true what people say, "you don't even know what's going on until it's fully involved, until you're right in the middle of it." A crisis experience is truly surreal.

I was a cocktail waitress, cleaning tables, loud music blaring in the background, just two customers and a few staff left in the building after a very busy night. I heard yelling but didn't think anything of it. People were always shouting, staff joking, customers tussling, it was just the normal environment. When I turned around there was, a guy maybe 8 feet away, pointing a shotgun at me, screaming for me to get on the floor. So I did. And I crawled as far under a table as I could.

The staff were rounded up into one area and held at gunpoint, while our manager was unloading the safe with a gun to his head.

The whole thing lasted less than 15 minutes, but could have been hours. Every second, every breath was terrifying.  My boss said the worst part for him, was being thrown in to the area where the staff was being held. We were all on the floor, face down, as instructed. Motionless, he thought we were dead. Yes, there was a moment in time where he believed his staff and best friends were all dead on the floor. We weren't. No one was physically injured by the 4 or 5 gunmen. So yeah, we were lucky. They took the money and got out. Not a single shot fired.

I don't really want to talk about it. I feel sick even writing about it now.

What I really want YOU to take away from this post, are these 5 tips.

1.  Have an exit strategy at all times. Whether you are in an airport waiting area, a hotel, a plane, a restaurant or a public event like a concert, know where your exits are. How do you get out in a hurry? You need to know this.

2. Choose off peak times to travel if possible and choose direct flights whenever you can. For example, a major hub like Denver or Atlanta is a greater target that Colorado Springs or Tampa Bay etc. So if you can avoid long stopovers at big hub airports, I believe you are safer.

3. Never go blindly into a situation. Research, research, research. Whether it's government travel advisories or hotel reviews, you need to know as much as you can about your destination. A fellow traveller might tell you to avoid the corner market or be wary of local transit. But they might also reassure you that you've made a great pick.

4. Leave an itinerary and check in regularly at home. If you use apps like TripCase, they give you the option to share the itinerary with a friend. I have a single friend who is a regular overseas traveller. He shares his trip plans in advance so his friends know where to "look for the body." We joke about it lightheartedly, but below the surface we all understand this is a legit and appropriate safety step we all need to take, regardless of how tough and independent we are.

5. Do what you're told. If security personnel tells you to get down, leave the area or to identify yourself, you need to ACT.  If you find yourself in a hostage situation, I would also urge you to do what you're told. If they are talking to you or shouting at you, they want to spare you. I have been told it is more likely to be shot without warning.


Be safe. Don't stop travelling. Make good choices. Live every day. Hug your family.

xo Cathie


PS. I also have emergency measures training. Just not a fact I throw around in every day conversation.

The uncomfortable topic of terror and travel

It's not a pleasing topic. But this is the new reality.

Since November 13th, 2015 and the terrorist attacks in Paris France, the world has been on high alert.

The US Government Twitter account is sending out tweets regularly, these cautioning citizens who might be in Belgium.

This isn't to say that you can't travel. But  it does mean that you need to be alert and be aware of the risks. A worldwide alert is not to be taken lightly.

On American soil they are preparing for the busiest Thanksgiving travel weekend since 2007. An estimated 48 million people will be travelling around the November 28th to 30th. Heightened airport security will result in delays and headaches for anyone who isn't prepared.

It's important to remember to give yourself plenty of time and make sure you have proper documentation with you. Have a printed travel itinerary. (Don't just rely on the info on your phone.) Keep any necessary medication with you in your carry-on luggage and make sure it is properly labelled and in its original packaging to avoid unnecessary delays.

If you are travelling by car, make sure you have an emergency road hazard kit, plus a personal first aid kit and blankets.

Stay alert and stay safe. Tune into your own government travel warnings, and be aware globally.

And even in this technology-centred world where news is an up to the minute thing,  you should still  listen to your mother's advice too.... let your family know where you're going, and call when you arrive.

You're up early Christmas morning anyway....

What about a getaway to La Paz, Mexico off the Baja peninsula?

Here's a link from theplanetD with their recent, and glowing review.

Westjet will fly you there direct, from Winnipeg Manitoba. Isn't that another bonus? No delays or connecting flights simply means more beach time. However, La Paz is a 2 hour drive from the airport in Los Cabos, Mexico.

There are two things to note about this package, as shown. These are not all inclusive packages, but the hotel does offer a free and fabulous breakfast daily.

The hotel is not a sprawling resort. It's a Hyatt Place, similar to those you would find in Minneapolis, Denver or the like.

Eco tourism activities, like whale watching, sea lion and turtle watching, hiking, paddle boarding and kayaking are some of the most popular recreation activities here.

The price is certainly a bargain. The reviews are outstanding. Will you be putting La Paz on your travel list for Santa?

This price is for 2 adults.

This price is for a family with 2 adults and 2 children. 

This is for comparison. This is the hotel price alone. (and in US $$) 

Anyone for Antigua?

Antigua is definitely on my to-do list!

Any time I get the chance to casually chat with flight crew, or other travel bloggers, I ask about their favourite beach vacations.

Antigua comes up over and over again. The British Airways flight attendants I met in Bermuda couldn't stop singing the praises of this Caribbean island. If I could have hopped aboard their flight to Antigua instead of mine, back to Toronto, I definitely would have.

Here, Air Canada is offering a week in Antigua for about $1500-$2000 per person in January. Of course the dates and resort you choose will affect the rate you pay. If I could choose any one of them, it would be Sugar Ridge!

Pre Christmas Curacao?

Do the snowflakes and icy roads have you yearning for a beach? No chance for Christmas vacation?

Well, could you go now?

Air Canada Vacations has some nice bargains to the Caribbean. This one in particular is to Curacao. Various dates carry various prices, starting at about $1100 taxes included, per person.

To start your research on the islands and what they have to offer, go directly to the source.

Curacao Tourist Board. 

Why the weekend screwed me over. My Paris lost.

Let's start by saying, that I was supposed to be in Paris, France November 19th to 23rd. I had a fabulous hotel booked, right next to the Arc de Triomphe and I had been looking forward to this trip for 5 months.

In fact, on days when I worked 14 hours, knowing Paris was in my future was about the only thing that kept me going.

I had already bought myself a keepsake box, with hopes of putting my souvenirs in it when I got home.

Did I mention the whole trip was prepaid? As I earned the money, I paid for things. Flights, hotels, tickets. This was a birthday trip for me and I was really looking forward to it.

Fast forward to November 13th, the horrific acts of terrorism which shook the world. Everyone was devastated by what we saw on TV. People changed their social media to reflect Paris in our thoughts. Stunned, but I knew I had decisions to make, I was to be on a plane, headed to Europe in less than 40 hours.

The airlines were shocked too, and just starting to mobilize for the onslaught of calls.  When I talked to the Delta Airlines representative on the phone that night, she told me that only tickets for travel on November 14th and 15th could be changed without penalty. I thought I was in luck, I was leaving on the 15th. However, my itinerary had stops in Amsterdam and Helsinki before Paris. Therefore I was not eligible to make 'no cost' changes, according to Delta.

What if I re-route and just stay in Helsinki longer? "Yes. That's an option, at a change fee of about $1250 Canadian per ticket." added the Delta rep on the phone.

I spent hours on-line. I thought, I absolutely can not go to Paris right now. No one needs wide-eyed tourists scuttling about in times of crisis.  And I certainly couldn't drag my child into such a situation. What if I head to Stockholm or Oslo instead?  Possible, but at a cost of over $2000 per ticket.

What if I 'dead headed' my existing ticket and took the flights to Helsinki, but did not go on to Paris? I could buy a new ticket, a one-way ticket home but at a cost of $1000.

I seemed out of options, except to call and cancel. Seeing as though I had a discount ticket, there were significant penalties to cancelling. I actually had to PAY an administrative fee of $100 to cancel. That stung. But if I didn't do that on November 14th, by noon, I would have no chance of ANY refund.  So I cancelled. And will (hope to) receive a refund of about $200 per ticket.

I still had hopes of collecting a full refund through travel insurance, or thought I did.

I called regarding my travel insurance first thing Monday morning when the office opened. But, in fact, when acts of terrorism are involved, there is ZERO coverage. Yikes. (At that point I was very relieved to be at home, and not anywhere in Europe.) I felt good about my decision to cancel. (And throw away money and my hopes.) The only recourse was if the Government of Canada added a No Travel Advisory. At this point it is "only" high risk.

The other thing not covered by travel cancellation insurance is last minute "panic" as my reason was classified.

Then, November 16th (Monday), both airlines involved (Delta and Air France) updated their security policies and extended NO COST changes or credit for ticket cancellation, thru to November 22nd. My ticket(s) would have absolutely been affected.

But guess what? Since I'd already cancelled. I was out of luck. Again.

I don't know that there's anything that I, my travel agent, or the airlines could have done differently. Everyone was acting on best information, at the time. I certainly see things from their perspective. This is a tragic situation and other than the financial loss, and profound sadness I feel, I know I am still wise for the forfeit. It could have been so much worse.

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Last year's coffee run was $920

Last year I wrote about a Westjet sale to Kona Hawaii. It was, in my opinion, a heck of a deal.

Since I'm not travelling right now, and more than a little bored, I thought I would look and see what that same trip would cost today.

That same trip, December 2nd to 9th, would cost $1020 per person, or about $100 more. That's not bad. I feel it is a reasonable measure of the current cost of a vacation.... about 10% more than last year.  Most of that rise in cost can be attributed to the change in value of the Canadian dollar (as compared to the USA dollar.

If you are just looking for a flight, there are numerous return flights, to each of the 3 most popular islands, for about $560. This is true for both Westjet and Air Canada, from Winnipeg. Depends on dates, of course. But I could find you 25 examples, of $600 of less right now.

This one to Maui is just $527 taxes included!

Just look at these beautiful flight times!!

Your travel strategy for Black Friday sales

I wrote this piece last year, and feel that the advice still stands.

Do you have plans to shop travel Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

Travel Mishaps and Mayham

Travel Gods giveth and the Travel Gods taketh away.

Some trips are good. Some suck.

As long as you survive to tell the tale, I guess it's not a total loss.  With that half-hearted sentiment written, I give you my top 5 travel fails.

In no particular order. And yes it's ok to laugh.

1. My son and I tried to walk on the the NASA base in Houston.
Guard: "Excuse me ma'am. Do you have security clearance?"
Me.... "Security clearance? Just a couple of nice Canadians wanting to see a space shuttle."
Guard: Ma'am, the museum is the next street over. 
Me..."Oh. Sorry."
(Silver lining: Nobody got arrested)

2.  Westjet decided the 16 people on the flight weren't going to make the connection and sent our flight to Honolulu without us. (20 minutes ahead of schedule.) With no apology we were forced to pay our own hotel and wait for a flight the next day. That was on my birthday, last year.  (Silver lining: I had a great travel companion and the bartender bought the first round of drinks at the airport bar.)

3. Went to Vegas for the Rod Stewart concert. Treated myself to a new dress, makeup and a professional up-do. Rushed through dinner to arrive on-time, only to learn that the concert had been cancelled at the last minute.  I cried. Smeared my makeup. Looked like a sad clown.  (Silver lining: 6 months later, I was in Vegas again. At the last minute bought balcony seats to the Rod Stewart concert and was upgraded to front of the house by the usher. He said I was too pretty to sit in the back. No clown makeup that day! LOL)

4. On my 40th birthday, I arrived back in Wpg, in a snowstorm. I had asked my brother to pick me up at the airport but he was "too tired" to drive from his house 10 minutes away. So I waited nearly 2 hours for a cab and the snow was really staring to pile up. Cabbie refused to try the side streets, so I had to walk at 2AM through knee high snow about 1 km to my brother's house. I was so cold & hungry by the time I arrived that I took a microwave dinner out of his freezer and ate it. The next morning he yelled at me for eating his lunch. As if I didn't already hate turing 40 enough. (Silver lining: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.)

5.  I had my credit card number ripped off at a major hotel in Florida. After I checked in, the thief re-created the card and went to town racking up charges in Florida. Since I had set a travel alert to Florida, the CC company didn't red flag the charges. I only realized the disaster when my CC was declined for a $50 meal outside the hotel.  That was a major headache. (Silver lining: I had alternate payment means with me, and the fraudulent charges were reversed after investigation.)

Free Travel Jackpot

I was using a free Air Miles flight to Nanaimo, when Air Canada asked for volunteers to take bump and take a later flight in exchange for compensation.  I volunteered. Why wouldn't I? I was on vacation and wasn't in a huge rush.

The Air Canada clerk thanked me for volunteering and another passenger gave me a hug. She bubbled over graciously thanking me for giving up my seat so she could get back to work on time. (She must love her job! LOL)

The next thing that happened was 'sit and wait.' Indeed, all the confirmed passengers made it to the flight and everyone was boarded. The A/C clerk confirmed the flight was full. Once the doors closed, he made a phone call to the A/C courtesy/help desk and advised them of our agreement.

I walked down to the help desk and about 10 minutes of paperwork ensued. At that point, I was given vouchers for meals, a hotel (which was a really fabulous hotel), my new boarding pass for the morning flight, AND an $800 credit for future Air Canada flights.  Yup. Awesome.

After an average (but still free) meal, at the hotel restaurant I climbed into bed and drifted asleep thinking of all the places I could go with an $800 flight credit. France. Hawaii. California. Ahhh... dreams of California in January. Not a bad way to fall asleep.

And that's how I hit the travel jackpot.

Fast 5 Travel Tips: Turn one flight into two

If you love to travel, like I do, you will want to memorize my tips for earning free travel.

These are legitimate ways to earn free flights. No lying, scheming or collecting points. Proven tips. 

The best part is, that you can use your flight credits as you wish. The only catch... you have to start with a busy flight. 

Important definitions: 

Bump - Travel slang for give up your seat and catch the next flight instead.

Oversold - The airline has more passengers than seats. 

Volunteer (for compensation) -  Offer to give up your seat in exchange for future credits

Voucher - Airlines will almost always give you meal vouchers ($10 or similar) when you are delayed

Booking strategy: 

1. Choose flights that get to your destination before you need to be there.  Example: If there are 2 flights that would get you to the church on time, choose the first. If you "bump" the airline will book you on the next flight out (which you already know gets you there on time). Thus, you are minimizing your inconvenience but maximizing your benefit.

2. Choose flights that are popular (like Sunday afternoons or Friday mornings when business travellers typically fly) and are likely to be full. Thus, increasing your odds of an oversold situation. 

3. Choose Delta Airlines, or Air Canada. Both are generous with their compensation, have many flights (So you can still get to where you are going in a reasonable amount of time.) and often find themselves in an oversold position. Incidentally, I have had free flight credits (from volunteering to bump) from both these airlines in the last 2 years. So, if Air Canada and Westjet are offering the same route, at the same price, I would choose Air Canada as they are more likely to oversell and offer future credits. 

Volunteer Strategy: 

4. Be at your gate early. Sit close to the desk. Keep your ears open for announcements. 

5. If/when they call for volunteers, don't hesitate! You want to be first or second in line for a good offer.  In some cases, if the benefit offered is low, like $200, or $300 there might not be any volunteers. Then the airline's next move will be a higher benefit, like $400 or $600. Be polite, but also don't be shy about asking for food vouchers in addition to your flight credits. If there are two people in your travel party, and they need the two volunteers, you will each receive benefits. So, $400 x 2 = $800. Nice eh? 

The key to getting free travel, is flexibility. If you can change your schedule a little. you stand to earn big benefits. Depending on the length of delay, and inconvenience, your flight credits will be between $300 and $800.  With both Delta and A/C, the future flight credits can be split and used on multiple future flights. (But just for the one person who is named on the voucher.) For example, if Air Canada offers you $800 in future credit, you can use it for a flight to Calgary to see your cousin ($300) AND a flight to Hawaii to relax on the beach ($500) if you find a decent seat sale. And that would be TWO free flights, for one bump. Or....JACKPOT in my world. 

The opportunity to bump certainly doesn't come up all the time, but I can say from experience that about 50% of my Delta flights have been oversold. The average traveller may not even recognize these opportunities to get free future travel, but once you tune in and benefit, it's sure hard to pass up. 

Halifax: Citadel Hill

On an unusually warm but rainy November afternoon I visited The Citadel in Halifax.

Halifax, the bustling and vibrant city, is very much built around this historic landmark.

It's on the edge of the downtown area, less than a mile from the waterfront and also the university area.

As you will see in my first photo, it's uniquely situated across from the Scotiabank arena, where the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL play hockey.  No doubt in my mind, that visiting hockey teams scale the hill as part of their pregame workouts.

It was indeed a workout, but worth the hike to see this military fortress preserved and honoured, so close to the modern city.  Uniquely situated, no cost and accessible to tourists, there is really no reason to miss this attraction.

Halifax: A portrait in architecture

Forgive me for not knowing the history of each of these buildings, their current purpose or their ownership.

I simply admired them and as a collection, it gave me a better feel for Halifax and its history.

I love photos for the way they can capture your imagination, and can take you back to a moment.

So, with that, I share "Halifax. November 2015. Unedited."