February 25, 2004 -- There's an extra day in February this year, and last-minute discounter Site59 sees that as something to celebrate. They're offering $59 off any packages booked in the next few days for the Leap Day weekend and the first weekend of March, making their last-minute air-and-hotel getaways better deals than ever.
As budget travelers, we're especially heartened by the "Under $250" link on Site59's home page, which offers the cheapest possible getaways. Chop $59 off these deals, and they're certainly worth booking on a whim.
We checked out some Site59 packages for the next two weeks and found several that looked excellent. All prices below are including tax, but are before the $59 savings.
- From Seattle to San Diego - $300/person, flights and two nights' hotel. That's an affordable way to get out of the rain.
- From Seattle to Northern California - $309/person for flights for two and two nights at the Half Moon Bay Lodge. Sounds like a romantic weekend to us. The Lodge normally charges $190/night, making the equivalent airfare $119/person including tax -- a terrific deal, and even more terrific if you add in the $59 discount.
- From Greensboro, NC to New York City - $283/person, flights and two nights at a very nice hotel, the Crowne Plaza near the UN. Presume a value of $180/night for the hotel, and you're looking at the equivalent of $103 roundtrip per-person airfare here, even lower with the $59 discount. That's fabulous, and would make for a top-notch shopping expedition.
The $59 discount tips many other packages over to high-quality savings. We found a $409 per person two-night jaunt to New York City from Houston, for instance. Presuming $180/night for a hotel, that's $229 per person including tax for airfare, the equivalent of a $198 before-tax flight. That's good, if not amazing, and you can find cheaper hotels in New York. But shave $60 off the package price, and you're looking at a much better deal.
Site59 isn't just for tourism. They offer the longest list of less-traveled American destinations we've ever seen from a tour operator -- places like Albany, NY and Toledo, OH. That says "in-laws" to us -- if you've been craving (or dreading) visiting family, use these highly-discounted prices to stay in a hotel and do a fly-by that'll make any mom or mother-in-law proud.
To check out Site59's discount and deals, go to www.site59.com. Remember prices listed on their front page include tax. To get the $59 discount, wait until you get to the billing page for a trip. Type LEAP59 into the "promotional code" field on the billing page, and $59 will be deducted from the trip price.
Have you booked travel with Site59 before? Are you a last-minute traveler? Tell us all about it on our Message Boards today.
