Free airfare to use.
 

So I went to a travel expo recently and won round trip airfare anywhere in the Continental United States. I have a trip planned to Riviera Maya, Mexico this October which will cost quite a bit. And I also have already booked a trip to the local beach this summer. My problem is I would like to use these tickets soon and am not sure where to go for a relatively inexpensive trip. I'm thinking possibly California to get the most bang for my airfare, going from the East coast. Any ideas or suggestions?

San Francisco is my favourite West coast city. And there are some good deals on hotels right now.

San Fran is one of the cities in Cali. that the airline sevices. I was just checking it out. Looks like that could be a nice little getaway. Any specific hotel recomendations? We like the beach.

Maybe try Washington State? I love being up in that area, I'd go back in a heartbeat if I had a ticket.

Sounds nice, but its Airtran. They don't go there.

Try Las Vegas. You can always get a good hotel deal in Vegas, especially if you're willing to stay in downtown Vegas. And you have a possibility of making some money while you're there.

in san fran...King George hotel. right next to union square, and about 80 a night. small, but you cannot beat the location.

From a Canadian point of view, Washington is a bit cold and wet right now...

Beaches? Frisco? Hmm, sounds like a road trip. There is a beach by the marina and I think another to the West. But what I like about San Francisco is that you can walk almost anywhere.. Stay in Union Square and walk or take the trolleys around town. We usually stay at the Sir Francis Drake. It can get expensive but I've seen $99/night.

Ahh the company formerly known as Value Jet -- stay away from the Everglades... they haven't had much success there :)

Looking at their website, flying from BWI (which I guess would be your airport)

What about New Orleans -- You'd be a little late for Mardi Gras (Ash Wednesday is Feb 9) but it's still a good time, and apres mardi gras rates may come down a lot.

West Palm Beach Florida is a nice destination
Fort Meyers, Florida - then take a drive over to Sanibel or Captiva - (Hopefully they are back in business from the Hurricanes)
Hilton Head if you want to get in some golf


Did you say how long this trip was going to be for? Since you have other big destinations planned, I'm guesing this will be a long weekend jaunt...I wouldn't want to fly clear across the country for just a weekend.

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If you are looking for hotels, one of the better sites I've used is www.hotels.com - that will give you an idea of what's available in certain areas and what ammenities the hotels offer, then you can check with the hotel directly, and almost all of them will beat the online advertised price.

My choice of hotels, in San Fran, check out www.kimptonhotels.com, they are a small boutique hotel chain that have exquisite hotels, the rooms are very un hotel like -- classy without being stuffy.

I don't even want to know.


Yeah, it would be BWI. And also a long weekend, 4-5 days. We flew to Vegas for a work trip last year, and the flight wasn't too bad. So I figured California isn't too much further. I don't have much interest in New Orleans, but I was also considering Florida, but I figured with free air I might take the longer flight to the west coast, since I've never been. Such a tough decision. West Palm Beach, huh?

Avoid L.A. unless you have friends with a car ... San Fran is cool, I wouldn't want to live there, but it is a great city to visit. There's lots to do and see and you can walk to lots of places, or just hop in a cab. Might be a little chilly in the winter, but that's by LA standards, it might seem warm to you!

I'm a former bay area resident and I love SF. It can be cool (cold), but it is a lot of fun. You can walk around a lot of the city. Don't count on sitting on the beach - SF beaches are very different. They can be very cold and the pacific is cold even in the warmest months. But I personally think SF is my favorite city!

If you come to Atlanta Dave and I will buy you dinner!!! (not for the whole trip though mind you) and if come between april and june we'll take you to the Renn Fair with us :lol:

No kidding? The beaches are cold even in the summer. Bummer. I never knew that. I thought California was a warm state and assumed the water and beaches would be warm also. I guess I'm too used to the East coast.

Why thank you. Such a nice offer. I don't think theres much beach in Atlanta though.

Savannah is only a 3 1/2 hour drive away from Atlanta!!!!

SF beaches are usually pretty cold, even in the summer. It can be pretty hot out, but it still seems pretty icy in the water. So if you are looking for beaches, I would say no to SF, however, it is a great city to visit.

Nice beaches all the way south from San Fransico to Monterrey, I'd recommend flying to SF, renting a car and driving down. Beautiful scenery even if it is too cold for swimming.

I've always wanted to see the Air & Space museum in DC

That would be a short flight. Its only 50 mi. from my house, :lol: