London in the summer -- especially with the upcoming Olympics -- is bound to be one big party. If you can wait until the fall, this Delta Vacations package (tel. 800/800-1504; www.deltavacations.com), takes you to London for $127 less than if you booked your airfare and three nights' hotel on your own.
Lancaster Gate Hotel is in Bayswater, close to Hyde Park. It's also not far from Kensington Palace and Gardens. Hop on the Tube or take a 20-minute walk to Oxford Street, home to 300 shops including the famous department store Selfridges. Portobello Market in Notting Hill is a 15-minute walk (or one stop away on the Central line), where you'll find antiques, clothing, and other treasures.
Stay a standard room with one double or two twin beds and a flatscreen TV. Wake up every day to a complimentary continental breakfast that could include any of the following: bread, cereal, pastries, coffee and tea, juice, fruit, eggs, bacon, or ham -- depending on what the chef has cooking.
Why is this a deal? Round-trip airfare for a Thursday departure in mid-September comes to $825 per person. If you were to reserve the hotel yourself, it would come to £472 ($742.36), or $371 per person. The trip comes to $1,196 if you book separately. Booking the package with Delta saves you at least $127 per person.
Trip Type: Air inclusive; independent
What the Quoted Price Gets You: Round-trip flights from New York-JFK to London Heathrow; three nights in a standard room at the Lancaster Gate Hotel Hyde Park; breakfast daily; airline fuel surcharges; government taxes and fees; and hotel taxes and fees
What Else You Will Have to Pay: Round-trip transfers are available through Delta for $66 per person (shared) or $122 per person (private).
Book By: July 31, 2012
When: Thursday departures Sept. 13-Oct. 29 reflect the lowest prices, but the package is valid for travel now through Feb. 28, 2013.
Single Supplement: $249
Other Departures: Detroit (from $1,133); Salt Lake City (from $1,169); Atlanta (from $1,195)
Other Details: Earn more than 1,000 bonus miles per person per flight, in addition to credited flight miles.
All prices are per person and, if lodging is a component of the package, based upon two people traveling together (unless otherwise noted). The prices listed are general starting rates; see "What Else You'll Have to Pay" for details about associated taxes and fees. Base-prices, taxes, and fees can vary based on point of departure and time of travel. Blackout dates may apply. Trip add-ons like sightseeing tours and meal plans may also increase the price. Check with the tour operator for additional gateways. The single supplement is the extra cost that a solo traveler would pay to book the deal.
