Deal or no deal

Who wants to go to Mazatlan?  Hell of a deal out there – Just $485 for one week at a 5 star hotel (yes THAT hotel) with flights included – taxes nearly as much at $350.  I am prepared to bet that there will be lots taking advantage of these deals.  Shame really – it is a gorgeous looking hotel.

And it’s in much better shape than the Costa Concordia – there will be no deals on THAT ship – but her sister ships will want to offer very attractive deals to entice future passengers – and they have.  Um – 70% discount?  How does that sound?  I think that’s enough to entice anyone.  So a cruise that would generally cost $2649 is now available for $799.

I can recall very clearly the days following September 11 when air travel practically ground to a halt – and then I got the phone calls “So…I guess there must be some great deals out there – how much to get to Florida?”.

Don’t feel bad, people!  It’s just human nature – and it’s a good thing (as Martha would say).  We have jobs at stake here – people in Mexico work for a pittance.  That’s why you get a great deal to spend a week at a hotel with people cooking for you, cleaning for you and entertaining you.  You definitely couldn’t do that in Canada.

Of course there is always the old saying “cheap is expensive” – and sometimes you realise that maybe the deal you got was no deal –

You Know You’ve Booked A Cheap Flight When…

• As you board the plane, you notice the co-pilot is frowning and wearing an “I’m with Stupid” t-shirt.
• The Captain announces over the intercom that the flight is delayed while he looks for his keys
• The airline mechanics, wearing propeller beanies, seem to be pointing and laughing an awful lot, and drinking something from inside brown paper bags.
• The grounds crew are seen using pennies to check tire wear.
• A man with an oily rag hanging from the back pocket of his dirty overalls and sadly shaking his head turns out to the be the airline’s CEO.
• A voice on the P.A. system warns you to keep your heads and arms inside the aircraft at all times while the plane is in motion.
• The air sickness bags have the Lord’s Prayer printed on them.
• Jumper cables are dangling from the door to the cockpit.
• A man in clerical garb walks through the plane, sprinkles all the passengers with water, mumbles something in Latin, and exits.
• A telephone with a really long cord connects the plane to the control tower.  (courtesy of The Frugal Travellers)