Travel e-Scapes: March 16, 2018

DESTINATION & DEAL OF THE DAY: Germany

Round-trip from Atlanta:
$580 Brussels*
$620 Stuttgart*
$633 Munich*
$648 Frankfurt*
$680 Hamburg
$689 Hannover
$693 Dresden
$711 Berlin (valid from October 8)
Valid most dates from August 13-January 16
A 7-night minimum stay required
Final travel is February 7, 2019
Valid on Delta/KLM, nonstop* or via Amsterdam or Paris (no stopovers)
Purchase by March 19

TRAVEL TIPS & TIDBITS

No Frill Airlines
British Airways plans to launch no-frills basic economy fares on some long-haul flights starting in April. The discount fares will not include checked luggage or seat selection. But those two perks – once included in economy fares – will cost extra as it does with low-cost airlines such as on Norwegian and Iceland-based WOW air. Passengers will still get a complimentary meal – something neither Norwegian or WOW offers.
However, BA's no-frills fares may not affect the cost of travel to London and Europe from U.S. cities also served by Norwegian such as Boston, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle.
Norwegian does not offer service from these BA gateways: Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Nashville, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Washington DC, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. So if BA chooses to offer basic economy on these routes, it could become the cheapest option.
Other no-frills carriers include WOW , which flies to 13 U.S. cities, including several served by neither BA or Norwegian (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis and Pittsburgh), plus Montreal and Toronto. All flights make a connection in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Primera Air , founded in Iceland, headquartered in Latvia, and with a Danish operating license (how confusing!) offers flights between London-Stansted and Toronto, Boston and New York starting in April, and a Washington DC flight this summer. A route from Birmingham to New York is also planned.

More Disney Changes
One of the perks of staying at a Walt Disney World resort had been free parking, something most Orlando hotels use as a sly way of getting another $15-$20 per night out of guests. But that's going away soon.
New parking fees at Disney Resort Hotels will take effect for reservations made on or after March 21. The fees range from $13-$24 per night depending on the hotel. Parking will still be complimentary for nonguests visiting the hotel to dine.
Disney Vacation Club members will not have to pay the parking fee when staying at Deluxe Villas, such as Disney's Old Key West Villa Resort. Guests of the Fort Wilderness Campground will have to pay to park.
Disney competitors such as Universal Orlando already charge $12-22 per night for overnight hotel guests, as do many surrounding hotels.
Sure, Disney offers its resort guests complimentary transportation from and to the Orlando Airport , but it's a somewhat complicated process and can cost you valuable time. Without a rental car it can also tie up the freedom to move off-property. If you do plan a stay at a Disney resort and wish to use the Magical Express, read this pros/cons review at the Disney Tourist Blog.

SPECIAL DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL OFFERS

Airfare offers – ones with a ticket-by date – and deals with our suggestion to HURRY!  can expire at any time.   Heed Clark's advice: Buy that great airfare deal – and then figure out a reason to go there! Eventually, you'll see the world at a fraction of the normal price!

HURRY! Round-trip from Atlanta (one-way permitted):
$88 Colorado Springs, or $44 each way
Valid on select dates between April 10 and May 3
$148 Salt Lake City, or $74 each way
Valid on select dates between April 6 and May 9
Valid on Frontier, nonstop

HURRY! Round-trip from Atlanta (one-way permitted):
$94 Philadelphia, or $47 each way
No advance purchase required — go as soon as this week
Valid Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday through August 22 on American, nonstop

HURRY! Round-trip from Atlanta (one-way permitted):
$98 Miami, or $49 each way
Valid Tuesday, Wednesday through June 19
$104 Chicago-ORD, or $52 each way
Valid Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday between March 20 and June 6
Valid on American, nonstop

HURRY! Round-trip from Atlanta (one-way permitted):
$138 Baltimore, or $69 each way
A 21-day advance purchase required
Valid daily through July 10 on Delta, nonstop

HURRY! Round-trip from Atlanta (one-way permitted):
$243-$256 Halifax, Nova Scotia, or $107 north, $136 south
Valid daily from April 13 through January 7, 2019
Valid on Delta via Boston or Toronto

Round-trip from Atlanta:
$270 Mexico City
Valid daily between March 24 and April 24
A Saturday night stay required
Valid on American via Dallas
Puchase by March 18

HURRY! Round-trip from Atlanta (one-way permitted):
$275 Cancun, or $132 south, $143 north
Valid most dates from April 10 through October 25
Rates from $165 each way July and August
Valid on JetBlue via Ft. Lauderdale

HURRY! Round-trip from Atlanta (one-way permitted):
$310-$323 Vancouver, British Columbia
Valid most days from September 10 through February 6
Routing is on United via Chicago, Denver or San Francisco

HURRY! Round-trip from Atlanta (one-way permitted):
$419 Belize City, Belize, or $170 south, $249 north
Valid most dates from April 8 through January 24, 2019
No blackout dates
Valid on American via Dallas or Miami

How do you find these great airfare deals? Visit Clark's Atlanta Travel Tips page for a step-by-step search and booking guide.

NOTE: Airline fees can and often do exceed the cost of your flight! Additional charges now apply to budget and sale rates on most airlines for a carry-on bag, checked baggage and advance seat assignments. The least expensive fees are charged when these options are purchased during the ticket booking process. Fees climb higher after flights are reserved and even higher when adding these options at airport check-in. Kayak offers the most up-to-date Fees Chart for all domestic and international airlines.

HOTELS, RESORTS & MORE

Private Stays
Airbnb is a household word now for short-term vacation rentals around the world in 34,000 cities with two million listings. HomeAway is another fast-growing model in the vacation rental market. And there are more choices to the game to consider and shop:
FloridaRentals: The new site already features more than 2,000 properties from 1,400 owners, from the Panhandle to Disney to Miami and the islands. Unlike large rental sites, renters pay no fees, owners pay low annual flat fees and the parties can communicate directly. Because the site is subscription listings-based and not a 'bookings' model, owners' money isn't held, renter contact information is shared, and it doesn't set cancellation policies or charge booking and commission fees.
Vacasa: Offers around 7,200 vacation homes in the U.S., Europe, South and Central America. Vacasa curates the properties and pays over 1,000 employees to clean and maintain them. It isn't a peer-to-peer home-sharing company but offers good prices on vacation rentals.
Innclusive: Founded in summer 2016 in response to the racism experienced by people trying to book lodging on Airbnb, Innclusive is a peer-to-peer rental platform with the goal of "building a place where you can travel with respect, dignity, and love, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity."
A similar site to search is NoirBnb.com.
Kid and Coe: Offers kid-focused amenities with listing describing toys, baby gear, and beds at the property. Each listing offers info such as "Perks for the Parents," "Why Kids Love It," "Things to Know," and even "Style Notes" describing the decor. The limited inventory can be expensive to rent.
Boutique Homes: Features a highly curated list of design-driven homes – listed by invitation only. Homes are available in dramatic locations and stays in some of the most beautiful properties in the world. Visit just for the jaw-dropping photos and fun descriptions.
FlipKey: Now owned by TripAdvisor, property owners are verified by FlipKey staff. Features include payment protection and filters to search for dog-friendly, kid-friendly, or waterfront properties.
Overnight: A blend of Hotel Tonight and Airbnb, the app connects hosts with travelers who need last-minute lodging options – either shared or private. Verified hosts have 10 minutes to respond to a request. The average time from search to booking on Overnight is just 6 minutes. That's last-minute, indeed.
Homestay: Every property is a hosted experience (no private homes or apartments). Hosts help guests to navigate a city and give advice. Homestay properties tend to be the most affordable.
Wimdu: With an emphasis on city apartments, Wimdu has about 350,000 properties around the world. Choose from entire home to a private room.

Canadian Lobster Adventure
Be a lobster fisher for the day at White Point Beach Resort in Nova Scotia. Guests can earn serious bragging rights by stepping into the boots of a Nova Scotia lobster fisher on a two-night Great Canadian Lobster Fishing Feast experience. Included is a meet and greet with the captain and crew featuring Nova Scotia's signature wine, Tidal Bay and lobster croquettes; Lobster 101 Orientation to learn about the fishing equipment and gear; half-day sunrise lobster fishing expedition aboard a 37-foot lobster boat (rain or shine), helping the crew measure and band the lobsters, as they haul in dozens of traps; an executive chef-prepared ocean-side feast made with the freshly caught crustaceans and wine pairing. The rate of $699 CAD per person rate (based on double occupancy) includes two nights in a one-bedroom oceanfront cottage and daily breakfast. Cottages feature a living area and some have fireplaces, full kitchens and/or verandas.
Offered on March 23-25, April 6-8, April 13-15 and May 4-8 stays.
The informal onsite restaurant overlooks the sea. Amenities include a private beach, a lounge with a fireplace and a deck, fitness room, indoor heated pool, sauna, hot tub, spa and playground.
White Point Beach Resort is 95 miles southwest of Halifax.

Travel e-Scapes is brought to you by Clara Bosonetto, Team Clark Travel Editor. Follow Clara on  Twitter .

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View all current airfare offers at Clark's Atlanta Travel Deals page or the National Travel Deals page.

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