John O. Andersen

If you're interested in hostelling (an inexpensive alternative to pricey
lodging), you may want to subscribe to the free newsletter below. It has
lots of helpful information.

John Andersen
Uncoventional Ideas: A Collection of Short Essays Which Question Mainstream
Values
http://www.unconventionalideas.com




----- Original Message -----
From: <ejones@...>
To: <andersen@...>
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2000 1:26 PM
Subject: HI Travel Bytes - November Issue


> ****************************
> HI Travel Bytes
> Get in the know ... before you go!
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> November 2000
> ===========
> Editor's note:
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> ****************************
> ===========
> In this issue.
> ===========
>
> 1. WHAT THE GUIDEBOOKS DON'T TELL YOU
> "Six New Ways to Score Cheap Flights on the Net"
>
> 2. HOSTEL NEWS
> --Hostel accommodations near major ski resorts
> --Ole! Visit our youth hostels in Mexico City
>
> 3. READERS SHARE THEIR FAVORITE HOSTELS
>
> 4. TRAVEL TRIVIA
> Answers, winners and new questions
>
> 5. TRAVELERS WANTED
> Paging travelers in Washington DC, the Research Triangle, and San Diego...
>
> 6. YOU'RE INVITED!
> Chicago Hostel Ribbon Cutting Scheduled for December 4
> ****************************
>
> 1. WHAT THE GUIDEBOOKS DON'T TELL YOU...
> "Six New Ways to Score Cheap Flights on the Net"
> By Michael Shapiro
>
> If you watch TV or listen to the radio, you've probably heard William
Shatner "sing" the praises of Priceline.com, the web site where you can name
your price for airline tickets, rental cars and hotel rooms. But what if
you're not comfortable bidding for travel products, or if you can't live
with Priceline's severe restrictions? (Priceline lets you pick travel dates
but not flights times or airline.) Well, there's a slew of new travel sites
that offer bargains with better terms.
>
> Hotwire (http://www.hotwire.com) launched in October and is similar to
Priceline in that you can't choose travel times or airline. But there's a
key difference: Hotwire doesn't ask you to bid - the site shows you the best
price for that route. Of course you still have to be flexible; your flight
may leave anytime between early morning and late evening, though Hotwire
will not put you on an overnight flight unless you agree.
>
> Orbitz (http://www.orbitz.com) is the spawn of major airlines, and thus
not a place you'd expect to find good deals. But this is a good place to
survey prices because Orbitz has an excellent search tool that shows far
more options than other leading travel sites. However Orbitz just a place to
look until next year when it launches its booking capability.
>
> Qixo (http://www.qixo.com) scans about a dozen online travel sites,
including budget outlets like CheapTickets.com, to find the best price. So
Qixo can help you save another valuable commodity: time.
>
> Savvio (http://www.savvio.com) lowers the price for flights and cruises as
the departure date approaches. This makes sense because once a plane flies
or a ship sails, the seat or cabin is worthless. Though Savvio's prices
might not be as low as Priceline's or Hotwire's, there's no risk of getting
stuck on a 6 a.m. flight because you can see flight times before deciding to
buy. Its air offerings are limited to TWA, ATA and other marginal carriers,
but it hopes to expand by January. Savvio plans to focus on overseas flights
to Asia and Europe, but the company also features domestic airfares.
>
> At iDerive (http://www.iderive.com) a consumer buys a discount ticket, but
if the airline needs the ticket back to sell to a higher paying business
traveler, it bumps the iDerive customer five days before departure. As
payment for getting bumped, the consumer receives a full refund, plus a
sizable bounty. With a motto of "Save or get paid," iDerive targets the
ultra-flexible traveler, for example college students or someone who could
drive if they get bumped. Maybe a better motto would be "Get bumped without
driving to the airport."
>
> Revelex (http://www.revelex.com) is creating an online marketplace where
buyers and sellers negotiate until a sale is made. So a hotel could offer a
room for $100; a traveler could bid $60, and then the hotel could choose to
lower its price to $80 and see if the traveler will raise her bid.
>
> If all this sounds complicated, well, it is. In the end it may be just as
easy, and just as affordable, to check your newspaper's Sunday travel
section and call discounters in your area.
>
> * Michael Shapiro is the author of the book Internet Travel Planer
(http://www.internettravelplanner.com) and a travel columnist for the San
Francisco Examiner. For more online travel news, subscribe to his free
e-travel newsletter at (http://www.thestandard.com/newsletters).
>
> ****************************
>
> 2. HOSTEL NEWS
>
> Go Skiing Without Paying Ski Resort Prices. Hostel Accommodations Near
Major Ski Resorts for Just $7-28!
>
> You don't have to pay resort prices for a great skiing holiday -- if you
choose Hostelling International-American Youth Hostels (HI-AYH) for your
overnight accommodations. Overnight fees at 36 HI-AYH hostels located in
some of the USA's top ski areas range from just $7 to $28 per person, per
night. Many hostels have arranged special ski packages and a variety of
discounts.
>
> Hostels in the west range from Alaska to New Mexico. Five Colorado
hostels have bargain overnight rates near such great ski areas as
Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Purgatory, Aspen, Vail and Copper Mountain. In
the Midwest go cross-country skiing out of the hostel's back door in Itasca
State Park, Minnesota, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area in
Ohio. You can also pick one of three great locations in Wisconsin near
Sunburst, Cascade Mountain or Kettlebowl Hill Ski Areas. Pennsylvania
boasts six hostels near ski areas -- several in state parks -- including the
Pocono Mountains.
>
> In New England, you can ski the top places in Vermont, New Hampshire and
Massachusetts for just $12-18 a night for your accommodations. HI-White
Mountains Hostel in Conway, New Hampshire, includes linen and a continental
breakfast for the low $18 overnight fee. Vermont hostels are near
Killington, Middlebury College Snow Bowl, and Suicide Six and Sonnenberg Ski
Areas.
>
> HI-AYH hostels provide affordable dormitory-style lodgings for travelers
of all ages. Separate accommodations are provided for males and females.
Many hostels have private couple and family rooms available with advance
reservations. Most have fully-equipped self-service kitchens, dining areas,
and common rooms for relaxing and socializing. Some hostels even have
unexpected amenities such as hot tubs and fireplaces.
>
> For a listing of HI-AYH ski hostels and the Ski Areas they are near,
discounts, etc. go to our Web site at
http://www.hiayh.org/skihostels/ski.htm
>
> ===========
> Mexico City - Ole!
>
> Bustling Mexico City is the longest continuously inhabited city in the
Western Hemisphere and is now the largest city in the world. Visitors will
find an abundance of historic sites, museums, parks and gardens, and
cathedrals along with restaurants for every taste, theater and more.
>
> Hostelling International has two hostels in Mexico City. Hostel Catedral
is located in the Zocalo, or central plaza, which is the world's largest
square and Mexico City's main historic district. The hostel is just one
block from the Zocalo subway station which brings you to The Anthropology
Museum, Chapultepec Park, the Zona Rosa and many other sites.
>
> Hostel Catedral has 24-hour access, an Internet Center, a restaurant which
serves Mexican and Italian specialties, laundry facilities and a travel
agency. The hostel has 209 beds and until January 1, 2001, the overnight
fee is just $9 (U.S.), which includes breakfast! After January 1st, the
price will rise to the princely sum of $12.
>
> The other hostel, Hostel Home, is a cozy 20-bed, located in the Colonia
Roma, convenient to the subway. The hostel has 24-hour access, guest
kitchen facilities, a TV room, tourist information and bicycle rentals. The
overnight fee at Hostel Home is just $8 - a bargain anywhere.
>
> Both hostels can make reservations at other hostels in Mexico.
>
> Hostel Catedral
> Guatemala 4, Colonia Centro
> Mexico City
> Telephone: (52) (5) 662 82 44
> Fax: (52) (5) 663 15 56
> E-mail: hostellingmexico@...
>
> Hostel Home
> Tabasco 303, Colonia Roma
> Mexico City
> Telephone/Fax: (52) (5) 511 26 98
>
> Check out both hostels, complete with photos, at their Web site:
http://www.remaj.com.
>
> ****************************
>
> 3. READERS SHARE THEIR FAVORITE HOSTEL
>
>
> *Olympic Hostel, Port Townsend in Port Townsend, Washington*
>
> Lynn Jones comments, "I have to write to praise a wonderful hostel we
stayed at a month ago. It is the Port Townsend Hostel in Washington State.
It sits on a gorgeous spot overlooking the Puget Sound. It is by far the
CLEANEST, most well-run hostel I have ever stayed at. Port Townsend is very
expensive to visit as the hotels are geared to the tourist trade, but I
don't think there is a nicer place to stay than the hostel and for a
fraction of the price. There are wonderful things to do and see in the area.
A fascinating hands-on marine museum, beautifully restored historic
buildings, beach front meandering, and great restaurants and shops to name a
few. This is a real destination spot. Thanks HI-AYH!"
>
>
> *Loch Lomond and the Oban Hostel in Scotland*
>
> Nancy Wilson comments, "In September 2000, we stayed in two hostels in
Scotland that were special. One was the castle on Loch Lomond mentioned in
the recent HI online newsletter. It has a beautiful view of Loch Lomond,
with a three story atrium as well as carved wooden panels and fireplaces.
Our room was up in a dormer under the roof -- 77 steps up! But worth it. The
other hostel we enjoyed was the one in Oban, Scotland. The hostel sits on
the Esplanade and has a view out towards the sea and islands. The hostel was
comfortable and remarkable."
> ****************************
>
> 4. TRAVEL TRIVIA
>
> And the answers from last issue's trivia questions are:
>
> Hostel #1
> Answer: Bar Harbor Hostel in Bar Harbor, Maine
>
> Hostel #2
> Answer: New Chicago Hostel in Chicago, Illinois
>
> Congratulations to... Chris Gunther for his correct answers. We received
many correct answers so a random drawing was held to determine the winner.
Chris won a Casio Thermo travel alarm.
>
>
> NEW TRAVEL TRIVIA
>
> Unscramble the names of these ski hostels. Please refer to
http://www.hiayh.org/skihostels/ski.htm for a complete ski hostel listing.
>
> *rodguan
> *pleans
> *telltotni
> *poolyeih
> *carhinure
> *cospoon
> *seelwi
> *duldimyber
>
> Send your answers to hitravelbytes@.... The prize will be an Eagle
Creek Travel Pillow. In the case of a tie, a random drawing will be held to
determine the winner. So don't delay, go to the link provided and submit
your entries. Good Luck!
> ****************************
>
> 5. TRAVELERS WANTED
> Paging travelers in Washington DC, the Research Triangle, and San Diego...
>
> Love to travel but still weeks or months away from your last trip? Do you
get the travel bug more often than the common cold? Do you find yourself
browsing the travel section of every bookstore you set foot in? Are you
always on the lookout for fresh new international films or music? Do you
attend workshops and seminars that feature distant lands and different
cultures? Can't get enough of the Travel Channel? Do you spend time
learning (or thinking about learning) foreign languages? Is your favorite
thing about hostelling the other travelers that you meet in the kitchens and
common rooms? Is it all about the journey rather than the destination?
>
> If you're nodding your head to any of this, you're not alone. And if you
live in or near Washington, DC, San Diego, CA or the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel
Hill area of North Carolina, there's a new way to do something about it. In
these cities, HI-AYH is helping local groups of travelers like yourself get
together so that they can socialize a little and locally promote the rewards
of independent travel and hostelling. Sound like fun? To find out more,
send an email to traveler@....
>
> ****************************
>
> 6. YOU'RE INVITED!
> Chicago Hostel Ribbon Cutting Scheduled for December 4
>
> The Honorable Neil F. Hartigan and Hostelling International - American
Youth Hostels proudly invite you to attend the ribbon cutting and dedication
of Hostelling International - Chicago, the J. Ira & Nicki Harris Family
Hostel on Monday, December 4, 2000, 10:30am, 24 E. Congress Parkway,
Chicago, Illinois. Tours of the hostel will follow the ceremony. Check out
http://www.hichicago.org for more information.
>
> ****************************
>
> TALK TO US!
> We really value our reader's comments and suggestions. We'd like to know
what you would like us to feature in upcoming issues of our newsletter. Send
your thoughts in an e-mail to: HItravelbytes@....
>
> ****************************
>
> NEED GUIDEBOOKS?
> Purchase them though our partnership with Amazon.com, and support
hostelling at the same time! Visit http://www.hiayh.org/amazon/amazon.htm.
>
> ****************************
>
> HELP SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF HOSTELLING
> We are a nonprofit organization with a charitable mission: "To help all,
especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its
people, through hostelling." Support the future of hostelling by making a
financial contribution to HI-AYH through our secure online donations site at
http://www.hiayh.org/support/ways2.htm or contact Susan Hyatt at
shyatt@....
> ****************************
>
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> ****************************
>
> FOOTNOTES...
>
> To join HI-AYH... http://www.hiayh.org/membship/membindx.htm
>
> To find HI-AYH sponsored travel workshops near you...
http://www.hiayh.org/btw/btwsched.htm
>
> To volunteer... http://www.hiayh.org/support/volunteer.htm
>
> To shop and support HI-AYH... http://www.hiayh.org/amazon/amazon.htm
>
> To make a donation... http://www.hiayh.org/support/ways2.htm
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe...
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> ===========
> OUR MISSION ...
> Hostelling International-American Youth Hostels is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to helping all, especially the young, gain a greater
understanding of the world and its people through hostelling.
> ===========
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> c. 2000 Hostelling International
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