The best travel deal you ever paid for?

[808blessing]

So not talking miles and points reimbursements. Not talking freebies and awards. Just actual advertised deals you jumped on just in time.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Years ago when Universal was being sold there was a plain spite sale of 2 years annual pass for maybe $100 or something like that, it was a great deal.

 

[stsomewhere]

I got a last minute deal on a 12 night NCL panama canal cruise over Christmas for $2000 for our family of four. Two inside guarantee cabins for $1000 each. The price kept going down while we were on the phone. We booked Saturday morning, packed and left in afternoon to drive from Detroit to Miami to get on the
ship on Monday.

 

[Marionnette]

So not talking miles and points reimbursements. Not talking freebies and awards. Just actual advertised deals you jumped on just in time.

The very best was a USAirways Vacations online glitch that offered a SSR studio, park hoppers and regular dining plan for what was the equivalent of just the discounted room-only rate. I felt so bad about it that I called to let them know that it had to have been a coding error. They let me keep the reservation at the price that I had booked it for but the error was fixed the next day.

 

[808blessing]

That cruise deal sounds so exciting! And Universal was a steal. This is cool to live the glory days of when we were blessed with the eyes to see. But then I guess it is in the eye of the beholder.
From where I live Paris is usually $1000-2000. I found it in 2019 for $500 round trip and was thrilled. Also from where I live Florida is usually $600-1200. I got it for $320. The next day it dropped to $260. Sigh. Still it was a deal in 2020! I usually do miles so paying for a deal is hard to do but I will if the value is there.

 

[ronandannette]

Westjet Airlines used to sell last-minute "Surprise Packages" of airfare, hotel and rental car. I got the offer in my in-box on a Thursday before our May long weekend (2014) and I was feeling reckless. You had to pay before finding out where you were going and I thought it over for about 90 seconds before hitting "buy now". For $500/pp we ended up getting airfare to LAX and three nights at the Castle Inn in Anaheim on Harbour across from Disneyland. We had an amazing time and it still goes down in history as one of the best trips we've ever taken.

 

[808blessing]

Westjet Airlines used to sell last-minute "Surprise Packages" of airfare, hotel and rental car.

what a cool program!! What an amazing trip.

 

[Eastern]

Royal Caribbean had a junior suite price of $1700 for 2 to ABC islands, it was 7 or 8 nights. I think the price was lower than the balcony rate. I wasn't planning on going but I booked it. Then I kept thinking they would cancel me but they didn't and we went. Was a great deal.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

So not talking miles and points reimbursements. Not talking freebies and awards. Just actual advertised deals you jumped on just in time.

To WDW, in 2001 late October after 9/11.
Thinking back that vacation was "on a dime". Tough times and travel bargains.

 

[Disneylvr1971]

Last year we traveled a couple of times to Florida for $11 each way from Milwaukee to Orlando.

 

[808blessing]

That reminds me.... I had $15 interisland trips from Oahu to Kauai, Hawai’i island, and Molokai because of Price Wars. And I rode the SuperFerry to Maui for $5 because it was one of the first sailings. This was early 2000s.

 

[808blessing]

Last year we traveled a couple of times to Florida for $11 each way from Milwaukee to Orlando.

What is regular price?

 

[Disneylvr1971]

What is regular price?

Usually a good deal is about $250 round trip.

 

[hsmamato2]

When Allegiant air was starting up, we flew to/from Massachusetts-Orlando a few times for $39 pp roundtrip...that was a good deal. We've found lots of deals over the years on airfare-even if it meant driving a little farther to get the deals.

 

[WDW Traveler]

Some of these deals are amazing! We once got a full sized SUV rental from MCO, Alamo I believe, for a week for $60 all in, including taxes. Sure wish those rates were common today. lol

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I don't recall the year....maybe around 2014 or 2013. Trolling airlines for flights to Hawaii (we lived in California then). Been searching for a while. Then...found good flight on United for $331 round trip each person. Went to Aulani.

 

[AndreaDM]

Back in the day of Airtran, they regularly had $25 direct flights from Canton-Akron, Ohio to NYC. We'd fly out early Sat. morning and back Sunday eve. only getting a room for one night but having 2 full days in the city. I had friends would would even fly out in the morning and back the same evening to see a matinee.

 

[robinb]

The best deal, hands down, was my December 2018 10-Day cruise on the NCL Dawn. We affectionately refer to it as the "Unicorn Cruise" because it was magic and we will never see the like of it again. It was a last-minute deal on SkyAuction. Back before Covid SkyAuction would run NCL specials for sailing dates from Oct-early December. I hope they bring them back!

Here was my deal:
10-Day Dawn Cruise from San Jose, PR
Visiting:
Aruba
Curacao
Bonaire
St. Lucia
Barbados
Antigua
St. Maarten
Tortola, British Virgin Islands

$299.00 per person for an outside GTY cabin INCLUDING free unlimited bar and 4 specialty dining meals. We ate at the steak house, the French restaurant, the Tepanyaki Grill and the Brazilian restaurant.

$250.00-ish per person in required tips for the booze and extra food

So ... $1000 for a 10-day cruise with unlimited booze and fancy meals.

BUT WAIT! There's More!

It also included unlimited WI-FI on board. Now, the WI-FI was pretty crappy, but it was better than nothing.

BUT WAIT! There's EVEN More!

It ALSO included FREE PREPAID GRATUITIES.

We ended up paying maybe another $1000 in excursions. My DH likes to dive which is pretty expensive but we also did a bunch of beach days which were much cheaper.

Our bottom line was $2000 for a 10-Day cruise which included absolutely everything.

 

[cedricandsophie]

30 years ago or thereabout when American Airlines first started flying to Paris, AA offered a package that included air and hotel for a week in Paris for $199 a person. Needless to say we signed up ASAP. Great trip.
we’ve also done several Gate One trips and I’ve always found their trips very affordable specially to India snd also Viet Nam.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Back in the late 2000s I got 9¢ airfare from Atlanta to Orlando on Spirit. Another time $9, again on Spirit. Don't like the airline but couldn't resist a quickie trip to WDW!