Travel Backpacks - Best-Ever Deals on Two eBags Models

Amazon has some outstanding deals on a couple of highly regarded eBags brand travel backpacks.  These prices are by far the lowest ever for both bags.

Outstanding price on high-quality bags.  Can't beat these bags for the price.

eBags Professional Slim - $35

Amazon has the Professional Slim travel backpack on sale for $35 after $5 electronic coupon.  This is about 50% less than the usual sale price on this backpack and the lowest price ever offered thru Amazon.  Camelcamelcamel.com shows the lowest previous price from Amazon around $56.  

I bought one of these a while back but returned it as it was just a bit too small for the amount of stuff I typically put in a back for a weekend trip.  Looks very sharp and business-y...as the name says, professional.  Well designed bag with thoughtful features and different cargo areas.

https://www.amazon.com/eBags-Professional-Laptop-Backpack-Business/dp/B00OKXYUJ0

Available colors: black, heather gray, brushed indigo, navy, sage green

eBags Pro Weekender - $35

This is my travel backpack for weekend trips soccer refereeing and the like.  The bag holds a surprising amount of gear and is very well organized with different cargo compartments including a very handy top compartment that fits an accessory bag for Bose headphones or a bunch of charging cables etc.

I paid about twice this much and was very happy with the value.  $35 is unbelievable.  According to CamelCamelCamel.com, this bag has never been less than $62 until this week.

Available colors: black, heather gray, navy

 

https://www.amazon.com/eBags-Professional-Flight-Laptop-Backpack/dp/B077N3N8GT

Alternate Buying Option

eBags is selling the bags for $40 on its own website.  15% cash back right now via TopCashBack would make the final net price $34+tax.  See here for various cash back or points back shopping portal offers for eBags:  https://www.cashbackmonitor.com/cashback-store/ebags/

Often, Amex also offers cash back for eBags.  Typically this is $25 cash back on a $125+ purchase.  This type of offer is stackable with cash back from a shopping portal site such as TopCashBack.  However, there do not appear to be any current Amex offers for eBags.com

Heads-up: Delta gift cards 10% off at Costco.com

Costco.com is selling $500 and $1,000 Delta electronic gift cards for 10% off.  $450 for the $500 GC and $900 for the $1,000 GC.

I was not aware that Costco sold Delta gift cards.  This may be a limited time item.

Terms:

• Member only item

• Works on Delta Air Lines Marketed Flights or Delta Vacations Packages that Include Air Transportation

• Limit 3 per Member

• Delivery via email

https://www.costco.com/delta-air-lines-$500-egift-card.product.100523609.html
https://www.costco.com/delta-air-lines-$1,000-egift-card.product.100531773.html

Unlimited WiFi on 36 Airlines for $11/mo? Yes please!

Unlimited WiFi on 36 airlines for $11 a month?  Yes, you read that right.

This is not the usual 'cheap airfare' post seen on this blog.  This may actually be a 'scoop' of sorts.  As far as I know, none of the numerous travel blogs I follow has done a post or article about this yet.  Read on...

Lufthansa, the German airline, has an innovations team called Lufthansa Innovation Hub.

They offer a verified mobile app on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store called AirlineCheckins.  Website is www.airlinecheckins.com

Lufthansa recently announced new features in its mobile app, including lounge access and in-flight WiFi.  Users can sign up for unlimited WiFi access on 36 airlines for just $11 a month.  These features were announced to app users via email on Weds Aug 15:  Good news: As of today the AirlineCheckins App is available with new services including inflight WiFi and lounge access!

This looks like an excellent deal for people doing a lot of international travel, or travel within Europe or Asia; see below for the list of participating airlines.  It remains to be seen to what extent this service may work on domestic U.S. flights.

Anyone who flies a lot and even occasionally uses internet access in-flight will realize $11 a month is a really low price for unlimited in-flight WiFi.

Good news: As of today the AirlineCheckins App is available with new services including inflight WiFi and lounge access!

How the App Works

The main functionality of the AirlineCheckins app is to allow users to check in for their flights on any airline in the world that offers online check-in.  I cannot comment on how well the app works, as I've not used it.  However, a friend of mine has used it and seemed pleased with it so far.

Interestingly, the brief description of the app on the (Apple) App Store is different than from the (Google) Play Store:  

App Store:  As the first industry-wide solution of this kind, AirlineCheckins.com manages the check-in for all airlines in the world that offer an online check-in. The check-in is executed within seconds after the check-in window of the respective airline opens. Travelers are more likely to get their preferred seat and bypass the burden of needing to manually complete check-in forms for their flight. Travelers automatically receive their boarding pass by e-mail or SMS.

Play Store:  AirlineCheckins.com is an automatic check-in service that checks travelers in for more than 220 airlines worldwide. Travelers can register at AirlineCheckins.com for free and store their travel documentation, personal information and seating preferences in their profile. Travelers are then automatically checked in for all flights which are booked using their personal AirlineCheckins.com e-mail address

How Do I Sign Up?

• Install the app on your mobile device and register for the service on the website.
• Here's the registration page:  https://www.airlinecheckins.com/signup
• The mobile app is free

Caveats

• The subscription can be used on only one device - the first device on which the app is installed.
• This program does not look like a good fit for people doing a lot of domestic U.S. travel.  Most of the U.S.-based airlines - including Alaska, Delta, Jet Blue, Southwest, and United - are not covered by this service.
• For Canadian travel, this may be a good option.  WestJet is included but Air Canada is not.
• Availability looks to be VERY limited - the email announcement indicates that the Plus package, which included WiFi access, is limited to 2,222 registrants.
• The WiFi access is valid on many, but NOT all airlines worldwide.  
• American Airlines is included, but the free WiFi may not work on some/many of their domestic flights as AA is still using GoGo internet on many domestic flights.

Here's the Three Service Levels.  The Plus is 30 Euro for 3 months.

About the Technology

• Airlinecheckins' WiFi partner is iPass.
• It isn't completely clear yet whether this is compatible with Panasonic-powered in-flight WiFi, GoGo in-flight WiFi, both, or neither.
• Lufthansa uses technology partner Inmarsat for in-flight WiFi.  Deutsche Telekom is the ISP for Lufthansa.  (LINK)
• This service may be available only on planes that offer in-flight WiFi branded as Panasonic.  Panasonic has made inroads in the in-flight WiFi delivery space which, to my understanding, has been dominated for a long time by rival GoGo.

Full List of Participating Airlines

Here is the full list of airlines whose flights - but necessarily ALL of their flights - are covered by this Airlinecheckins WiFi subscription.

Aer Lingus
AeroMexico
Air Austral
Air Europa
Air France
Air Serbia
Air Seychelles
Alitalia
All Nippon Airlines (ANA)
American Airlines
Asiana Airlines
Cathay Pacific
China Airlines
EVA Air
Etihad Airways
Eurowings
Garuda Indonesia
Gulf Air
Hong Kong Airlines
INTERJET
Iberia Airlines
Japan Airlines (Domestic)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Kuwait Airways
Lufthansa
Malaysia Airlines
Malindo Air
Qatar Airways
Rwandair Express
SWISS
Scoot
Singapore Airlines
Thai Airways International
Ukraine International Airlines
Virgin Atlantic Airways
WestJet

Enrollment Confirmation

This is what it looks like once subscribed.

[FARE GONE] Toronto to Dublin Nonstop Sept-Dec 2018 from $219 on Aer Lingus

This fare sale has expired.

Aer Lingus flights between Toronto (YYZ) and Dublin (DUB) for Sept-Dec 2018 travel are showing up super-cheap - from CAD$288 - on certain online travel agency websites.

See post below on Secret Flying, which links to a search on Sky Scanner's Canadian site.  These cheap prices are not showing up on Google Flights.

Aer Lingus flies Airbus A330 between YYZ and DUB.  The 330 has a pleasant 2-4-2 layout, which is great for people traveling in group of 2 or 4.  Much better than 3-3-3 or 3-4-3 on the larger Boeing planes.

ERROR FARE: Non-stop from Toronto, Canada to Dublin, Ireland for only $287 CAD roundtrip

Sample fare - Nov 17 - Nov 30.  From CAD$288  From here, you will need to select a certain online travel agency (OTA) through which to book the flight.  Flight Hub is the only OTA showing the cheap fare in this particular search.  This is a buyer beware situation, as I have no personal experience booking flights through these OTAs and it can be somewhat of a pain in the behind vs. booking direct with the airlines.

Because this fare may be too good to be true, do NOT book lodging, car, or other arrangements for a few days until you are sure that Aer Lingus has issued your tickets!

Travel Laptop Deal - Macbook looks with a Windows 10 Price

The Huawei Matebook X 13" laptop is an excellent value right now, on sale for $700 at Amazon (LINK).  Very strong specs, premium materials, and top-notch build quality for under $1,000.  Thin and light.  A great travel laptop.


Features / High Points

• Lighter than comparable Macbook
• 2K screen resolution (2160x1440 pixels)
• Office 365 Personal included
• Narrow bezel 13" screen with 88% screen-to-body
• Metallic body
• First laptop in the world with full Dolby Atmos sound.  Much richer, better sound than typical of a laptop this size
• Intel Core i5 dual core 2.5 GHz CPU
• 8 GB memory
• 256GB solid state drive
• USB-C
• Includes a port dock and USB-C to USB adapter
• Fingerprint reader
• Comfortable, smooth chiclet keyboard
• Battery life good (8-9 hours) but not great.
• Thinner (12.5mm) and lighter (2.31 lbs) than Macbook
• Windows 10 Home 64-bit
• Intel HD Graphics 620
• 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac wireless compatibility

Cons

• Battery life trails behind many competitors.  E.g. half of the Microsoft Surface laptop
• Non-touchscreen display
• No standard USB ports; must use the included dock or converter cable to connect older USB devices
• No optical drive - not really a con as it is not expected on a laptop this small and light

Professional Reviews

• PC Mag
• CNET

Pictures

(courtesy CNET)

Big Europe Fare Sale Jan-May 2018 - $340+ RT from ORD/DTW, even GRR, LAN, & TVC!

Many U.S. cities are on sale to Europe - including Grand Rapids (GRR), Lansing (LAN), Kalamazoo (AZO), even Traverse City (TVC).

Do some searches for yourself thru approx May 2018.  Use Google Flights or Kayak or your favorite search engine.  Most of the cheapest flights are available thru March, but some are thru May.

Background Articles

• The Flight Deal - $400 and up to many cities Jan-Mar 2018
• Valid for travel from late January 2018 – mid March 2018.  A 7 day minimum stay is required. Availability is limited. Must purchase at least 50 days in advance of departure

• Spain on sale from many U.S. cities from the $400s - Fare Deal Alert

• Helsinki from most of the U.S. from $445 round trip - Fare Deal Alert
• Valid for travel from mid-January 2018 – mid-March 2018 for Thursday through Sunday departures and for Friday through Monday returns. A 7 day minimum stay is required. Must purchase at least 50 days in advance of departure.

Which Cities are On Sale?

• Cities showing flights available < $500 round trip include:
• Barcelona (BCN)
• Madrid (MAD)
• Rome (FCO)
• Milan (MXP)
• Zurich (ZRH)
• Amsterdam (AMS)
• Paris (CDG)
• Helsinki (HEL)
• Munich (MUC)
• Frankfurt (FRA)
• Geneva (GVA)

Deal Breakdown - $340 Round Trip Chicago to Geneva

• Chicago to Geneva (GVA) from $340 round trip

ORD>GVA Friday May 11 - Sunday May 20 - $340 and up RT

ORD>GVA Sun May 20 - Sat May 26 - $354 and up (includes Icelandair flight w/24 hr layover in Reykjavik)

• It is possible to book a routing with a long enough layover in Montreal, Brussels, or other connecting city to get out of the airport and explore the city.
• If you like the sound of a long layover, you'll probably want to use ITA Matrix for your search, and experiment with the connection times as a way to find these longer connections.
• Otherwise, Google Flights should work well enough.
• Once in Geneva, it's easy to get cheap intra-Europe flights if there are other places you'd like to visit.
• Minimum 7-day stay.
• More details at The Flight Deal

Sample Fare Searches on Google Flights

GRR/LAN/AZO/TVC/FNT to FRA, MUC, MXP, FCO, TXL Sat March 17- Sun March 25.  $450-500 round trip to Frankfurt, Munich, and Rome

GRR/LAN/AZO/TVC/FNT to AMS, CDG, BCN, MAD, BRU Sat March 3 - Sun March 11.  AMS from $425, MAD from $434, CDG from $441, BCN from $453

GRR/LAN/AZO/TVC/FNT to BCN, MUC Sun March 4 - Mon March 12.  BCN from $408, MUC from $462

ORD/MDW/DTW to Helsinki (HEL) Fri May 25 - Sun June 3.  $450+ RT

ORD/MDW/DTW to MAD, BCN, AMS, CDG, ZRH Sat Feb 3 - Mon Feb 12.  AMS from $348, CDG from $378, BCN from $404, ZRH from $423

Don't Forget About Toronto!

These aren't necessarily 'sale' prices, although they are very CHEAP prices.  Toronto offers a great alternative to Michigan-based travelers since it's only about 5 hours drive from Grand Rapids.  Lots of inexpensive Europe flights are available from Toronto (YYZ).

YYZ to Copenhagen (CPH), Dublin (DUB), Stockholm (ARN), Berlin (TXL), Paris (CDG) from $346 RT on Wow Air

[EXPIRED] Widespread Airfare Sale to Europe - $381+ RT from many US Cities

SkyTeam (Delta, etc) has matched cheap fares posted yesterday by OneWorld (American, etc) alliance airlines on many routes to Europe from dozens of U.S. cities.

European cities showing the cheap fares include:

• Amsterdam (AMS)
• Milan (MXP)
• Paris (CDG)
• Rome (FCO)
• Venice (VCE)
• Barcelona (BCN) – about $400
• Madrid (MAD) – about $400
• London (LHR) – closer to $500
• Helsinki (HEL) – mid $400s
• Manchester ([MAN – closer to $400
• Edinburgh (EDI)

The Flight Deal has good info in 2 separate posts HERE and HERE.

BOOK NOW, THINK LATER!  YOU ALWAYS HAVE 24 HOURS TO CANCEL AIRFARE AND GET A FULL REFUND, WITHOUT PENALTY OR FEE.

Search Google Flights.  www.google.com/flights

Many dates are available from now thru the end of the currently published fare schedules in early March 2018, although summer is excluded.

Numerous cities are available for less than $500 round trip, many around $400 and some as low as $381.

Chicago to Mumbai from $622 round trip

Chicago (ORD) to Mumbai (BOM) from $622 round trip on Etihad!  May 2017 and other dates

Great price on roundtrip flights from the Midwest to India.

• Good routing - just one stop, in Abu Dhabi (AUH)
• Etihad flies the Boeing 777 ORD>AUH and Airbus A380 AUH>BOM
• Last departure date with $623 round trip pricing is May 11, 2017.
• Can return thru June and into early July at this low pricing.
• Search Google Flights for more information.  www.google.com/flights
• New Delhi (DEL) available from $666 round trip
• Numerous dates are available, but not every day during the date range.

Google Flights Sample Searches (roundtrip pricing)

• March 11 - April 3.  ORD>BOM  $623 per person.  LINK
• May 11 - June 5.  ORD>BOM 6 people for $3,738 total ($623 per person).  LINK
• March 9 - April 3.  ORD>DEL $666 per person LINK

Detroit to Mumbai India Roundtrip $807 and up thru May/June 2017

hat tip to Fare Deal Alert.

Flights on United and other Star Alliance partner airlines are as low as $807 roundtrip, Detroit (DTW) to Mumbai (BOM) now thru May 2017 or a bit later.

• Last departure date with sub-$900 round trip pricing is June 1, 2017.
• Can return thru June and into early July at this low pricing.
• Search on Google Flights for more information.
• Delta (SkyTeam Alliance) seems to have matched these sale fares.
• Numerous dates are available, but not every day during the date range.
• Some routings are 2-stop but some 1-stops are available - e.g. Detroit (DTW) to Newark (EWR) to Mumbai (BOM) on United Airlines.

Sample search on Google Flights June 1 depart, July 3 return $819 and up round trip.  

[DEAL GONE] Europe on sale again: Many U.S. Cities from $477 Roundtrip Now thru Early Dec 2017

UPDATE 1/10/2017 330PM.  This fare sale has expired.  Prices outlined in this post are no longer available.

The last widespread US > Europe fare sale lasted about a week.  This one lasted about 24 hours.  The upshot is, you never know how long a sale will last.  Book now and think later!  Make use of the 24-hour cancelation window.  Get ahold of friends and family members, and work on other arrangements (hotels, rental cars, rides to the airport, etc) AFTER you book.  Nothing bugs me more than hearing someone say, 'I didn't book it because I was waiting for so-and-so to get back to me, so I missed the deal' or 'I couldn't get my brother to commit right away and when I tried to book, the deal was over.'  Don't make this mistake!

This fare sale started yesterday.  Last night I booked a flight for a family of six friends from Detroit to London for $596 round trip during August 2017 -- summer travel to Europe for < $600 each roundtrip is very good.  This morning, I checked again and the same prices were available from Grand Rapids!  So I booked new flights from GRR and will cancel the flights from Detroit since there's always 24 hours to cancel flights (as long as the departure date is at least 7 days away).

This is a very widespread fare sale -- the prices look to be the same for most dates thru the end of the current airline schedules in early December 2017.

• Spring break?  Yes
• Summer?  Yes
• Any other time thru early December 2017?  Yes

Google Flights (google.com/flights) is the easiest way to search, then click thru to book directly with the airlines.

If you are somewhat of a risk taker, try searching on www.momondo.com which shows results from many various online travel agencies.  These OTAs often have cheaper airfares than what are offered directly by the airlines.

Amsterdam, Paris, London, Madrid -- all of these cities are showing availability for $477-$550 range roundtrip on MANY dates.

If you can't find what you are looking for from GRR, try Detroit (DTW) or Chicago (ORD or MDW) for more options.

Two days left to get $2,100+ in travel for a single $450 annual fee credit card

The Chase Sapphire Reserve sign-up bonus is being reduced from 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to 50,000 points after January 11, 2017.

If you:

• have gotten fewer than 5 new credit cards from ANY credit card issuer in the past 24 months (business credit cards from most banks are not counted in this limit)
• have a solid credit score (mid 700s for sure, although low 700s may work)
• are interested in traveling for free

Then it's a no-brainer, for you and your significant other if applicable, to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card from Chase in the next couple days.

More background information about this deal is in my post from 9/22/2016:

Chase Sapphire Reserve article Sept 2016

Depending on your comfort level signing up for multiple new cards, you also may want to apply for the Chase Ink Preferred card first, then apply for the Sapphire Reserve after being approved for the Ink Preferred.

The Ink Preferred offers 80,000 point sign-up bonus.  Application link:  CLICK HERE

(The reason to apply first for the Ink Preferred card is that Chase does not count its own business credit cards toward the 5/24 card limit it uses to restrict people from being approved who have gotten 5+ new cards in the past 2 years.)

My blog does not have affiliate credit card links.  If you would like to apply, Google Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Ink Preferred.  Or you may consider visiting one of my favorite blogs, Ann Arbor-based Frequent Miler.  The Chase section of this page has a Chase Sapphire Reserve application link:  Frequent Miler best current credit card offers 

[DEAL GONE] $375 & up roundtrip now thru Oct 2017 - Many/Most U.S. Cities to Major European Cities

UPDATE 11/25 8:30am ET.  Sale appears to be over.  Flights from smaller airports are pricing much higher now.  You can still find sub-$500 round trips from big airports such as Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Detroit (DTW), Newark (EWR), Washington Dulles (IAD), New York (JFK), but not as widespread or as cheap as during the sale.

UPDATE 11/22 1050pm ET.  Deal is still going.  Flights found as low as $375 round trip!  United Airlines and other Star Alliance carriers getting involved, along with American and Delta.

Some summer fares have disappeared, but tons of $390-$460 round trips from all over the US to many different European cities are still available during many months from now thru Oct 2017.

West Coast flights are near $400, same as other areas of the US.  Salt Lake to Zurich $395 in May.  San Francisco, LA, etc to cities even in Eastern Europe for sub-$450.  13k miles roundtrip makes for great elite mileage runs.

This is a massive, widespread fare deal from American and Delta.  Fares from most U.S. cities starting at $393 roundtrip, including from smaller cities such as Grand Rapids (GRR) for a few dollars more.

These fares are good for almost anytime, as long as you include a Sunday overnight stay.  Spring break, summer, etc -- it's all in play on this widespread sale.

Book now and think later!  You have 24 hours to cancel flights booked with U.S. airlines.

Available destinations for < $450 roundtrip include Barcelona (BCN), Madrid (MAD), Amsterdam (AMS), Warsaw (WAW), Krakow (KRK), Bucharest (OTP), Paris (CDG), Milan (MXP), Rome (FCO), Copenhagen (CPH), Oslo (OSL), Dublin (DUB), Zurich (ZRH), and others.

These are not oddball, midweek, long layover, undesirable routings; the schedule is pretty much wide open from now until Oct 2017, most days of the week, short layovers (although longer layovers in NY or other places can be researched if desired), etc.

The Flight Deal has a couple good posts about it.  More background there:

Search using Google Flights.  Example spring break 2017 Fri 3/31 to Sun 4/9 - GRR to Brussels, Zurich, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Milan -- numerous flight options for $400-420 per person roundtrip.

Google Flights search - GRR to Brussels/Amsterdam/Copenhagen/Zurich/Milan March-April 2017.  $401 and up.

Google Flights search - Detroit to Dublin May 4-14.  $375 and up!

http://www.theflightdeal.com/2016/11/21/delta-386-406-united-states-barcelona-madrid-spain-roundtrip-including-all-taxes/

http://www.theflightdeal.com/2016/11/21/american-in-the-400s-united-states-spain-france-italy-netherlands-roundtrip-including-all-taxes/

Cheap Flights to Europe? Toronto is a Great Option

Many folks are not aware that Toronto's Pearson International Airport (YYZ) offers lots of cheap flights to Europe.  Folks in the Midwest may consider Toronto a viable option to Chicago or Detroit.  Combine a day in Toronto before or after your flight to get some extra vacation out of your vacation.  Plus, Toronto is several hundred miles east of ORD and DTW, which means shorter flight across the pond - Toronto to Reykjavik is less than 6 hours, Dublin is 6.5 hours, London is < 7 hours.

Numerous airlines, including:

• British Airways, Air Canada, Air France, KLM, Westjet, Aer Lingus, Air Transat, LOT, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, WOW Air, and Icelandair

fly nonstop from Toronto to several European cities including:

• Dublin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Munich, Paris, Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Vienna, Brussels, Warsaw, Istanbul, and Reykjavik.
• LINK (Wikipedia) - nonstop flights from Toronto to Europe, listed by airline and city

Here are some sample roundtrip airfares from Toronto for various dates; prices as low as the following:

• Weds Nov 23 - Sun Nov 27 - long weekend over Thanksgiving.  Reykjavik $388, London $420, Paris $438, Copenhagen $441.  LINK
• Sun Nov 27 - Mon Dec 5 - 8 day trip.  Reykjavik $320, Amsterdam $355, Paris $381, Dublin $419, Copenhagen $419, Oslo $426, Bordeaux $435, Rome $446.  LINK
• Thur Feb 23 - Sun Mar 5 - 10-day midwinter break trip.  Reykjavik $267!, London $342, Amsterdam $398, Copenhagen $407, Helsinki $413, Paris $414, Rome $433.  LINK
• Weds Mar 23 - Sun Apr 2 - 10-day Spring break trip.  Reykjavik $282!, Paris $375, Stockholm $381, Amsterdam $419, Madrid $427, Rome $440.  LINK​
• Mon May 1 - Sun May 14 - 14-day late spring trip.  Reykjavik $381, Paris $375, Marseille $447, Rome $453, Barcelona $452.  LINK

Approximate Drive Time to YYZ:

• Rochester NY 2:30
• Detroit 3:30
• Syracuse NY 3:45
• Cleveland 4:30
• Grand Rapids 5:30