Discount Student Travel and Flights
At cytravel.co.uk
All about Bulgaria, Cyprus and Montenegro
The Utah Pride Center and QUAC (Queer Utah Aquatic Club) have joined forces to bring you the best winter party in 2008 that you will not want to miss. The 3rd Annual Salt Lake City WinterPride combined with the 10th Annual QUAC Ski-n-Swim Weekend brings together the GLBT community and their allies for great social and cultural events ranging from live entertainment, outdoor recreation, film and art, and much more.
Join us February 8 through February 17, 2008 to help us make this the largest GLBT winter event in the West!
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Aspen Gay Ski Week Downhill Costume Competition and Parade gives you... Miss Serena Williams!”
As the pristine, pine-swathed slopes of America’s most glamorous ski town bask in the January sunshine, a 6ft 3in (1.9m) hunk in a white cropped top, red micro-skirt and blond wig crests a ridge and pauses just long enough for me to recognise Jim, an estate agent from LA whom I had met at lunch yesterday. Flashing a million-dollar smile and gracefully serving balls into the crowds lining the route, he carves a sassy, curvy descent to roars of approval.
A dowdy Hillary Clinton impersonator is hot on Serena’s heels, but it’s Miss Elaine Lancaster, aka James from Miami in a homage to a celebrated Miami drag queen, whose outfit – platinum Barbie bouffant, leather bustier and huge diamonds – looks to be Serena’s biggest rival.
“The Drag Downhill” is the high-light of Gay Ski Week, and one that the locals have taken to their hearts over the event’s 30-year history; hundreds take the afternoon off to cruise a few postlunch runs, then settle down at the base of Aspen mountain for the parade. MORE
If the rainbow-painted deck chairs, fluttering rainbow flag and purple shutters don't make it clear, the Highlands Inn's toll-free number, 877-LES-B-INN, leaves no doubt as to whom this White Mountains resort caters to.
Innkeeper Grace Newman began hosting commitment ceremonies at this self-proclaimed "lesbian paradise" - in the 1980s. Newman says she has lost track of the number of commitment ceremonies that have happened there; she estimates about 300 couples have honeymooned at the inn after getting civil unions in Vermont or marriages in Quebec, Canada, both short drives away.
In 2008, the inn's 25th anniversary coincides with another milestone: legal recognition of civil unions by New Hampshire beginning Jan. 1. Newman, veteran host and overseer of many a union, isn't wasting any time. Two New Hampshire couples have agreed to get civil unions during the inn's annual New Year's Eve dance after the clock strikes 12.
From the North Country to the Statehouse steps, other gay couples are making similar plans.
NH civil unions could be boon for businesses, tourism
The Canadian Press -
New Year’s Travel Resolution #1: Earn More Miles
Earning miles should be something every traveler does every single day. Even if you only fly a few times a year, you can still collect a nice stash of miles and points to use towards future travel through activities you’re already doing. After all, you probably purchase something almost every day of your life. And with chances to earn miles as plentiful as they are these days, savvy travelers can accrue miles for almost every dollar they spend.
Plenty of people are aware that they could, technically speaking, earn miles from any number of sources. But the hassle of signing up for mileage programs, credit cards and mileage promotions often stops them from maximizing miles earned from everyday activities. But once you’ve completed the initial sign-ups, earning miles is more a matter of habit than anything else. It’s like the traveler’s version of diligently (or obsessively) clipping coupons. You just have to get into a routine. And there’s no better time to adopt a new habit than the New Year.
Here are five tips for making 2008 a mega-mile year:
1. Register, register, register. If you aren’t already signed up for loyalty programs with every airline you could possibly fly, then it behooves you to take 45 minutes - say, on Saturday afternoon, or whenever else you get a free minute - and just go through the drudgery of entering all your information into the various sites. Sure, you may think it doesn’t make sense to register for a loyalty program with an airline you may or may not fly with this year, but it’s far better to have your account set up in advance. When you’re actually in the process of buying a ticket, it’s disruptive to have to stop and create an account with an airline. In some cases, taking the time to register for a loyalty program can mean you’ll lose the very fare you’re trying to buy. Many people just figure they’ll sign up later. But then they don’t - and that means lost miles. If you only want to register for a few loyalty programs, WebFlyer has a great, useful side-by-side comparison chart that rates all hotel and airline programs.
2. Replace regular credit cards with reward cards. If your top priority is travel, then one of the best ways to earn free airline tickets is through a reward credit card. Compare available programs on a site like CreditCards.com, which has a Hotel and Travel Rewards Credit Card comparison section. Which card you choose should depend on your priorities. Some companies - Capitol One is an example - require travelers to redeem miles through their own travel agency, while others will just transfer the miles to you and let you book travel using any online travel agency or airline web site. In the former situation, you have less flexibility when redeeming miles, but you can avoid restrictions like blackout dates that you’d face using other programs. Do some research and decide what works best for your needs.
3. Ask your bank about debit card reward programs. Some banks (Chase, Bank of America, KeyBank, to name a few) offer account holders the opportunity to earn miles for purchases made with their debit cards. As someone who often tries to pay for things using a debit card instead of credit cards, I have personally found this to be one of the most effective methods for earning miles. I earn miles whenever I use the card - even if it’s for groceries.
4. Earn miles for everyday purchases. Travelers can earn miles in some unexpected places. Safeway, for example, offers its Club Card members different ways to earn miles for various airlines. Check out the Safeway Club Card Airline Miles page to see what sort of programs are available in your area. In addition to mileage promotions offered by individual retailers, travelers can earn miles from pretty much every store under the sun at Shop4Miles.com. Check out the store list, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. One drawback to this site is that it isn’t partnered with every airline. If your preferred airline isn’t part of the program, then you can always earn miles for everyday purchases through each airline’s online shopping portal (most of the major ones have them). Just make sure you read all the fine print before completing a purchase - you’ll probably have to log-in or, in some cases, enter a code of some sort before you buy anything in order for the miles to hit your account.
5. Search for available promotions whenever you shop for travel. Before you buy an airline ticket, rent a car or book a hotel stay, check out MileMaven to find current promotions associated with your travel plans. This is a great site that allows travelers to search for promotions. It’s common for travel companies to offer miles to customers who pay with certain credit cards. You may also find limited-time bonus mile promotions that you might otherwise have missed.
Outdoor retailer Peter Glenn is having an online post-holiday sale that could help you feel, perhaps, just slightly less guilty about buying winter sports gear midseason. So if you’re heading to the mountains in ‘08, you can grab brands like Spyder, Sport Obermeyer, Nils, Bogner and Orage for 30 to 50 percent off. Shipping is free for orders over $99. One of my favorite sale items: the Orage Kai Pinstripe Insulated Ski Jacket, pictured here. It features a highly functional waterproof hardshell with cool details like the offset zipper, windflap closures in a cheeky, faux-formal pattern. Regularly $370, the jacket is on sale for $299.
These flights always go fast, fast, fast. So get on it if you want to score one.