(ARA) – the travel bug is striking Americans across the country. Most of us feel a need to get away and recharge our batteries with a change of scene. If this urge to travel has struck your family, there are deals to be found, whether you’re planning an in-state excursion, flying across the country or even boarding a boat for a cruise.

Imagine taking your family to a national park this spring break. or celebrating the end of the school year on a family cruise. or taking some time away from the kids with your spouse on a romantic weekend adventure.

Whether you’re planning to fly, drive, sail or just spend some time in the hotel, you can find fantastic travel deals and discounts right now.

* Look for the specials. Cruise ships, airlines, hotels, restaurants and even activity centers are offering special vacation deals. think about visiting different port cities in Alaska or seeing the new England coast from your cabin’s balcony. or rent a convertible and feel the wind whipping through your hair as you drive through the mountains.

* Use your favorite online vacation search site for great savings when you combine hotel, car rental and airfare purchases. To make the deal even better, purchase your trip on these sites through Ebates.com, which will give you cash back on a percentage of your total purchase for additional savings. the best part about using a site like Ebates.com is that there are no points to accumulate or miles to redeem, and the cash back you earn is yours to use any way you want to.

* consider varying the timing of your travels, especially if you’re booking flights. Leaving on a Wednesday and returning on a Tuesday, or traveling early or late in the day can lower the prices tremendously.

* If you have accumulated miles, make sure you redeem them while searching for airfare deals.

* start gathering the materials you need for your trip. purchase travel books or luggage through more than 1,100 online stores on Ebates.com, and not only save money using coupon codes and discounts, but also receive a check back in the mail for a percentage of your online purchase.

Get started now on planning that vacation getaway to rejuvenate your body and refresh your mind. and try several of these tips to help you save money on your trip.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Get online to find great deals on travel this season

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – 03/10/10) – Virgin Vacations has put together the perfect packages for those theater lovers seeking to spend some time in London’s West End. Booking your trip is the easy part, when going to the Virgin Vacations Web site you can choose from our wide array of London packages. Select an offer that suits your budget, and then begin your quest to find tickets to the new “Phantom of the Opera” sequel, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest contribution to musical theater, “Love never Dies.”

But don’t stop planning your getaway there; with up to six nights to enjoy London, you’ll have plenty of time to explore the cities’ most popular attractions like The London Eye, or head over to Buckingham Palace to see if the Queen is in for high tea. When it comes to the theater, Virgin Vacations travel gurus will also help you purchase your tickets and they have everything from the tried and true popular musicals, “Billy Elliot,” “Hair,” or “Dirty Dancing;” to the classics at Shakespeare’s Globe. The travel gurus will also help to customize your trip by offering a wealth of itinerary options located within their freestyle choices.

Virgin Vacations has a package for everyone and every budget when planning your escape. From the four-night “London Escape” starting at $749, to the six-night “London At its Best” at $799, they recently added another great UK escape with the new six-night “Four Star London” package which starts at $799. Starting rates are for departures in the spring and fall with rates in the summer starting at $1,169. All packages include complimentary breakfast and roundtrip airfare on Virgin Atlantic or other available carriers.

Virgin Hotel Treats now offers hotel deals in over 150 destinations. Paris from $39 per night with breakfast, taxes, and service charges included. Visit hotels.virgin-vacations.com or call 866-674-6209, Monday – Friday 10:30 AM – 8:00 PM EST.

Virgin Vacations Travel Packages are per person double occupancy and include roundtrip airfare on Virgin Atlantic or available carrier, hotel accommodations, continental breakfast daily, hotel taxes and services charges, and mandated fuel surcharges. Call 888-937-8474 for more information about these or other Virgin Vacations travel packages.

Not Included in the package price: federal inspection fees for the federal U.S. Immigrations and Customs; International Air Transportation Association tax; agricultural tax; other per person taxes imposed by government entities; airport taxes and fees including the September 11th Security Fee up to $10 per person, passenger facility charges up to $18 per person, federal domestic flight segment fees up to $3.70 per segment and U.S. and international arrival and departure, and other government imposed fees up to $300 per person.

About Virgin VacationsVirgin Vacations was established in 1994 to provide Virgin Atlantic Airways and customers with inclusive air and land vacation packages to London and beyond. Today, we’ve furthered our reach, as well as our product. Virgin Vacations now offers an expanded travel menu that includes more of Europe and new Virgin Atlantic destinations such as India and Hong Kong. more recently, Virgin Vacations added Africa to the list, with the option of visiting Sir Richard’s private game reserve, Ulusaba. for more information about Virgin Vacations travel packages, please call 888-937-8474. for more information on how to book your Virgin Hotel Treat stay please call 866-674-6209 or visit hotels.virgin-vacations.com.

Documents and/or Photos available for this release:

Buckingham PalaceShakespeare’s GlobeThe London EyeVirgin Vacations

To view supporting documents and/or photos, go to enr-corp.com/pressroom and enter Release ID: 245986

Virgin Vacations Stages new Freestyle Theater Deals for London Travel

The airline industry was left fuming last year when some $8 billion on federal stimulus money was appropriated for high-speed rail while air-traffic control modernization got no new funds.

Airlines see high-speed trains as competition that could further erode their customer bases, and they were left befuddled how rail projects decades away could be “shovel ready” when the next-generation air-traffic control system that airlines say will reduce delays and boost air-travel capacity didn’t get any action from the Obama Administration.

And so when Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood addressed the Federal Aviation Administration’s annual forecasting conference in Washington, D.C., the first question from the airline industry audience was about trains. Why so much for trains and not for planes?

Mr. LaHood gave a politician’s answer about how important the NextGen air-traffic control modernization effort is to the Administration. then he paused and went off-script.

“Let me give you a little bit of political advice: Don’t be against high-speed rail,” Sec. LaHood said. “It’s coming to America. This is the president’s vision, this is the vice president’s vision, this is America’s vision…. We’re going to get into the high-speed rail business.”

In two or three decades, mr. LaHood said, U.S. cities will be connected by high-speed rail – whether airlines like it or not.

“People want alternatives,” he said pointedly. “People are still going to fly, but we need alternatives. So get with the program.”

LaHood to Airlines: get Onboard the High-Speed Train – The Middle …

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) — Malaysia Airlines is working with travel agents to offer great travel packages at the three-day Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) fair which will take off here tomorrow.

In a statement here today, the national airline said it will offer fares starting from RM250 to Bali, Indonesia; RM313 to Phnom Penh, Cambodia; RM649 to Perth, Australia; RM719 to Maldives and RM829 to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

For ground packages, MASholidays will be offering travel deals from RM264 per person for three days/two nights (3D/2N) to Bangkok, Thailand; RM424 4D/3N to Bali and RM816 for 4D/3N in Gold Coast Australia.

Apart from that, MASholidays is also offering umrah packages at RM5,600 per person for a 14D/12N tour to Madinah and Mecca.

The travel period for domestic destinations start on April 1, 2010 and ends on Oct 31, 2010, while international packages start on the same day and end on Dec 31, 2010.

Malaysia Airlines sales and marketing senior general manager Datuk Bernard Francis said the MATTA fair provided a good platform for the airline to foster ties with its key partners to develop tourism resources for better travel options.

“Last year, we saw RM18.14 million sales from the fair. the top three destinations we foresee to be much sought after are London, Bangkok and Jogjakarta,” he said. — BERNAMA

MAS OFFERING GREAT TRAVEL DEALS AT MATTA FAIR

Coming soon to the UK?

The British government are to unveil new plans for a UK high-speed network that will showcase trains capable of 250mph.

The plan will see a new line between London and Birmingham with a possible extension to northern England and Scotland. However work is not expected to commence until 2017 at the earliest, due to permission being needed for the proposed route.

The idea has been floated for several years now, and both opposition parties are committed to the scheme in principle however a final decision on the route should cause political divisions ahead of the general election.

Low-carbon economy

Speaking to the BBC, Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), said “The commitment that all three parties have shown to high-speed rail is a vote of confidence in the industry, and will help place train travel at the heart of a successful low-carbon economy.

“The plans must be affordable at a time of real constraint in the public finances and must show how high-speed rail will be paid for while continuing to invest in the existing network on which passengers make more than a billion journeys a year.”

Affordability is definitely the key when it comes to high-speed rail. currently, the train service in the UK is plagued by delays, expensive tickets and extensive journey times.

If the route is approved, it would cut journey times from Birmingham to London to just over 45 minutes. if the route was extended further north, passengers would be able to get from Glasgow to London in just two hours and 16 minutes, while also serving Manchester and Birmingham.

It was estimated that by 2020, three times as many passengers will be travelling around the country by train.

Whether such a project can be approved and sufficiently budgeted is another matter though.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis’ report, which is set to go public, will confirm the scheme’s specific details, such as whether it would go via London’s Heathrow airport.

Last year, Lord Adonis previewed a series of Japanese-built Class 395 Javelin trains, that can reach speeds of up to 140mph, on the line between Kent and London St Pancreas to showcase the benefits of high-speed rail.

Relevant articles:

UK high-speed rail | High-speed trains in the UK?! | the need for speed

Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC who Do you Think you are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

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UK high-speed plans to be unveiled | GDS Publishing

EDITOR’S NOTE: this the 19th in a series of where are they now featuring graduates of Ponca Military Academy (PMA) or others who have attended and become successful. PMA was in operation in Ponca City from 1940 to 1974. The academy was located where the Academy Hills Subdivision is now in northeastern Ponca City. this story is about movie character actor Mike Kennedy, who has made a number of films.

Movie actor Mike Kennedy of Las Vegas has some bitter sweet memories of Ponca Military Academy, but admits his junior school year 1956 was a “life changing event.” afterwards he returned to Norman High School to graduate and made a miraculous turn-around from a D minus grade average to a honor student.

Kennedy’s arrival at PMA was not exactly pleasant. He was placed there because he liked to fight and had been involved in a number of battle scarred scrimmages, most of which he initiated. Mike was given a room with a desk and a chair and a history book and told that when anyone checked on him he better have the book in his hand. After a couple days of this solitary treatment he decided he’d better read. Col. Cox, who owned the academy, was his commodore and had also been Mike’s father’s commodore. Col. Cox came here from a Missouri Military Academy.

The PMA experience was the beginning of his change in attitude. “It was like a key turned the light on in my head,” he said. All memories were not pleasant because often the younger boys could be heard crying because they couldn’t go home or see their parents.

While at PMA, Mike became a problem solver instead of a problem. other cadets began coming to him to talk about their problems. He said he went from being a problem cadet to being invited to the Officer’s Club. He did use some of his fighting muscle to help out younger cadets when they went into town and were picked on by the town boys. He earned the nick-name of “Moose.”

Kennedy said some of the town boys were jealous of the cadets because they had uniforms and the girls liked the uniforms. this has been mentioned in this series by other cadets.

Major Ross Cubbage, who taught math, and Major G.B.Moore were two of his favorite instructors. Kennedy pointed out that the classes were small about 12 in a class and this made it rewarding for all the participants. although he has not seen the statue at the PMA Park, which features an older cadet helping a younger boy with his tie, Kennedy members mentoring younger boys. He was a right hand guard in the marching squad and was involved in a number of the athletics activities. one of the best lessons learned was “respect.”

He recalls a riddle given to the cadets by an instructor and they were told if they solved the riddle they would get an expense trip home to visit. The 121 cadets eagerly said, “Give us the riddle.”

The riddle went like this Tilly Williams is odd, but not peculiar. She likes eggs but not bacon. She likes walls and floors but not ceilings. She likes pepper but not salt.” this little riddle drew all the cadets together trying to solve it and they forgot their problems, about being homesick and pulled together as a group. No one solved it. The answer is Tilly likes all those things with double letters. After senior high graduation he attended Oklahoma University but did not graduate. Instead he headed for California to seek his fortune in films.

The first film was a Walt Disney production Love in a Fishbowl starring “Willie Shatner.” He has played in a number of character roles in films, often in authoritative roles, Catholic priests, police commissioner. William Shatner stars in the TV series Boston Legal. Kennedy has been in about 56 movies, some of them westerns.

Mike has been in three Academy Award movies including JFK and Nixon. his agent called him recently to talk about a new Morgan Freeman script. Kennedy said, “I don’t need to read the script, if Morgan wants me I’ll be there.” He said “Morgan is a nice man.” He has been in a recent round table readings with Woody Harrelson, who is trying his hand at directing, and Kevin Spacey.

He recalls looking out of the PMA dorm at the golf course where he couldn’t play. but he and his wife play a lot now in Vegas and in Texas.

Currently he and his wife Carole of 50 years have four homes. besides the one in Las Vegas another is a vacation family retreat at Horseshoe Bay, Texas. they have a son and a daughter and five grandchildren.

Kennedy says he makes one or two films a year that his children and grandchildren can be proud.

Local Directory | front Page

Where are they now?

Do you think it’s possible for a single device that weighs and looks exactly the same as an average paperback book to contain hundreds or even thousands of books, newspapers, and magazines all-in-one? Think as well that such device is a book that you’re reading anywhere you may be. Isn’t it advantageous to own something like that? with Amazon Kindle 2 Wireless Reading Device, all these things are possible to be experienced by all avid readers.

The best description of a Kindle is that it is an electronic book reader wherein plenty of books, newspapers, and magazines are altogether stored in its memory. with this device, you don’t have to exert a lot of effort and money because all information is delivered right to your Kindle wirelessly. Its weight of 10.2 ounces also adds on the convenience it brings because it is very light and easy to handle.

No software is needed to be installed to this Kindle for it to work wirelessly. On both sides are the control buttons that you can easily navigate to turn pages and read at your own comfort. with its use of Whispernet, you have the ability to download books in just 60 seconds plus the fact that you don’t have to connect to a hotspot nor use any cable in downloading and no monthly fees to pay for that; all you have to do is shop and purchase books as long as you like to.

Kindle’s wireless technology has coverage in all over 100 countries around the globe so that even travelers can take advantage of it. That can be utilized to download newspapers and magazines to keep you updated with what’s going on back home. Kindle 2 followed the existence of the first Kindle. with it, Kindle can store as many as 1,500 books which are saved automatically online as a back-up for future use.

Another thing that makes Kindle a perfect thing to use is its electronic-ink display. What does that mean? It means being able to read each page as a real book that displays letters and words clearly to avoid distortion. Its text size is also adjustable so that you can adjust it according to your desire and needs. That’s not all. It also has its Text-to-Speech feature which makes your Amazon Kindle wireless reading device read things out loud to you.

This device truly assures comfort because even when you’re driving, cooking, or doing other important things, you can still be entertained by your Kindle because it can do the reading for you. This Electronic Book Reader is truly hands-free. What else? It is user-friendly. It can make you adjust the speed of the reading voice-be it slow or fast and even makes you choose from either a male or a female voice. So, what else are you looking for? make this Kindle wireless reading device a perfect gift to wrap this holiday’s season.

Amazon Kindle Best E-Learning Device » Factory Outlet Discount

The snowstorms of February were reason enough to buy travel insurance against flight delays. Airlines have added new reasons for insurance including higher rebooking fees, less flights, and mass cancellations to steer clear of new DOT rules.

(Vocus) March 10, 2010 — The snowstorms of February unleashed travel disruptions across the country that were reason enough to validate travel insurance as a must for travelers seeking protection against undue expenses from weather delays. there are new reasons, however, why airlines this winter have acted more quickly ahead of a predicted snowstorm’s arrival to cancel blocks of flights when bad weather is forecast to disrupt their flight schedule.

As reported last week by the New York Times, the Department of Transportation’s new three-hour tarmac delay rules, which took effect at the end of December, have put new pressure on airlines. They are required to return any aircraft that has not departed to return to the terminal within three hours of leaving the boarding gate or face stiff penalties. The three-hour delay rules, in addition to requiring each airline to provide adequate water and toilet facilities onboard for delayed passengers, carry a fine for each violation of up to $27,500 per passenger.

An airline’s fine is potentially more than $1 million for a planeload of as few as 50 passengers. The possible punishment motivates most airlines to avoid even the chance of a violation. rather than risk giving up to other flights the precious boarding gates that their planes may not be able to re-occupy if a snowstorm closes a congested airport, airlines now take the precaution to cancel blocks of flights on stormy days.

The trouble may just begin for passengers whose flights are cancelled. Airlines in the past two years have reduced flight frequencies while paring back their schedules. The next flight to a destination may be tomorrow or, as the Times reported of two passengers, “four days from now.” while some, but not all, carriers may waive fees for passengers to rebook, the passengers’ delay expenses for meals and lodging are typically on their own. Additionally, passengers deciding to take an airline refund to rebook their trip for later travel dates may still be required to pay a higher airfare than the one for their original booking dates.

Travel Insured International, a leading third-party insurer, reminds travelers of the strong coverage against weather-related delays included in a comprehensive travel insurance plan, such as one from its Worldwide Trip Protector line of products.

• Trip Cancellation, allowing up to a full refund of the prepaid trip, is allowed when weather causes complete cessation of your common carrier’s service for 24 or more consecutive hours.• Trip Delay, when you are delayed a minimum or either 6 or 12 consecutive hours, depending upon the selected plan, covers reimbursement of unused, prepaid land or sea costs, and for meals and accommodations up to $100 or $200 per insured per day, depending on the selected plan.• Missed Connection coverage is offered in most plans when a delay of a minimum three hours or a minimum six hours, depending upon the plan selected, results in a missed cruise or tour departure. Reimbursement of up to $200, $500 or $750 per insured, depending upon the selected plan, covers transportation, hotel and meal expenses to rejoin the departed trip • If your travel supplier cancels your trip, you are covered on most Travel Insured plans up to the cost of the ticket or reissue fee when you need to book alternative flights, except for a limit of $200 in reimbursement on the Worldwide Trip Protector Lite Expanded plan. You must have covered the entire cost of the trip, including airlfare.

Thanks to new DOT rules, passengers will not be trapped in an aircraft any more. thanks to a good travel insurance plan, they can avoid being trapped in the airport terminal as well.

About Travel Insured International

Travel Insured delivers comprehensive travel protection benefits ranging from trip cancellation and trip interruption to emergency assistance and Medevac insurance, travel accident and sickness medical expense, accidental death and dismemberment, missed connection and baggage delay or loss.

The company’s travel insurance plans include its comprehensive Worldwide Trip Protector, the most popular travel protection plan and Worldwide Trip Protector Gold, an enhanced travel insurance plan designed to protect luxury vacations and business trips. Travel Insured also offers two travel insurance plans designed to provide basic yet flexible protection for families and budget conscious travelers, its Worldwide Trip Protector Lite insurance plan and Worldwide Trip Protector Lite Expanded insurance plan. Finally they offer an Airline Ticket Protector plan as well as a complete offering of Group Travel Insurance plans including Student Group insurance plans.

Visit Travel Insured’s travel insurance web site or speak to a friendly, knowledgeable Travel Insured customer care professional at 1-800-243-3174.

Travel Insured International, based in East Hartford, Connecticut, was founded in 1993 by the foresight of insurance industry executive Peter Gehris when he acquired the travel protection division of the Travelers Insurance Company. Coverage is underwritten by Arch Insurance Company (a Missouri corporation, NAIC #11150) with executive offices located in Jersey City, NJ. Not all insurance products or coverage is available in all jurisdictions. Coverage is subject to actual policy language.

Travel Insured International, inc.John Stone800.243.3174 x117E-mail Information

Airlines Find New Reasons to Cancel more Flights in Stormy Weather Giving Travelers New Reasons for Travel Insurance

Star Island Resort and Club is located approximately 4 miles from the Walt Disney World® Resort and is close to all popular central Florida theme parks, shopping malls and a variety of dining and entertainment options. Our Mediterranean styled Resort and Spa features mini suites to three bedroom deluxe villas that are designed for your ultimate comfort and luxurious living. The unique villas can accommodate from 4 to 8 of your family and friends and most villas feature full kitchen and dining facilities, private balcony, master bedroom with king sized bed, whirlpool for two and separate shower.

Star Island Resort and Club provides a wide range of recreational activities for the entire family, including tennis, golf driving range, putting green, sandy beach on Lake Cecile, water sports, volleyball and basketball courts, picnic area, and swimming in our zero-entry outdoor pool. Guests can work out in our extensive fitness center with cardiovascular equipment, free weights, steam rooms, saunas and spa tubs. Organized children?s activities include arts and crafts, hula-hoop contests and ice cream socials, (fees may apply). Take time to relax in our full service Celebrity Spa (surcharge) providing manicures, pedicures, massage therapy, body treatments and full salon services. for your enjoyment, cocktails and light fare are served at a poolside bar. High-speed wireless Internet access (surcharge) is available in all suites/villas. Guest Services Desk, complimentary self parking.

Amenities:

• Celebrity Spa at Star Island
• Star Island Salon
• Celebrity Fitness Center
• Wireless Internet is available in all of our villas
• Fishing and Jet Skiing on Lake Cecile
  Recreation and Planned Activities Programs –
  7 days a week
• Full Service Massages
• Minutes from Walt Disney World® and Major Attractions
• 9 Tennis Courts
• Game Room
• Putting Green
• Laundry Room
• Driving Range
• Vending Machines
• Basketball Court
• Soda Machines
• Indoor/Outdoor Whirlpools
• Children’s Playground
• Outdoor Pools (2)
• Mini Mart

$299 Orlando FL Holy Land Easter 2010 Vacation Package Deal! 5 …

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Each year about 15 million U.S. residents become victims of identity theft. the most common kind of identity theft is credit card fraud. it might not seem like something to worry about – until it happens to you, as commentary editor Eric Ringham found out.

St. Paul, Minn. — when junk mail started arriving by parcel post, I should have smelled a rat.

a white box, plastered with bar codes, was waiting inside my storm door one day when I got home from work. the 8-inch box held a 3-inch bottle of pills labeled “Acai Berry Detox” and a brochure that explained how to use the pills to burn fat. it informed me that “experts” considered the Acai berry to have “the best nutritional value of any fruit on earth.”

Junk mail, I thought. Discard – though in my house, “discard” means “leave on top of the piano for a few weeks.”

two days later, an identical box arrived. This one I didn’t even open, but just set on the piano with the first. Wow, I thought. More magic weight-loss pills. somebody must think I’m a sucker, and a fat one, besides.

Little did I know.

a week or so went by, and then came a voice mail: “This is Robert calling from Cheap Tickets.com. This is in regards to a booking that was made on the Web site today.”

I was expecting a bill for airfare. My daughter had a trip coming up, but it turned out Robert wasn’t calling about Madeleine’s flight from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. he was calling about he Jun’s flight from Hangzhou to Dalian–in China.

Cheap Tickets.com spotted the purchase as a likely fraud and voided the sale. Robert suggested I call Visa and suspend my credit card. which I did reluctantly, because I’d used that card for years.

it seemed more likely that I had screwed up, somehow, than that someone had actually stolen my identity. Had I ordered a domestic air ticket in China and forgotten about it?

if so, I’d forgotten more than that. a Visa rep walked me back through several days of purchases: three travel insurance policies on Thursday, $1,200 worth of data processing and sports-related expenses on Wednesday, a telecommunications charge of $800 and another air fare of a hundred-some dollars on Tuesday.

Finally, we backtracked all the way to an inconsequential little purchase that I didn’t recognize and might never have noticed: a $1.99, on Christmas Eve, for something called Super Colon Cleanse.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” said the Visa rep. “Something to … cleanse your colon?”

Ah. I bet it involves Acai berries.

the lesson came cheap at the price: Anytime something unexpected lands in my mailbox, it might be a thief sticking his foot in my door. however he got my credit card number, he used it to buy something small – and learned that the number matched an active account, one whose owner wasn’t paying careful attention. Then he went to town, or to Dalian, on me.

Visa quashed the charges and issued me a new card. I’m not supposed to use the old one anymore, but I do. it makes a good ice scraper.

Broadcast Dates

• Morning Edition, 03/10/2010, 8:40 a.m.

Fraud finds its way in the front door–and to China