Steals & Deals for 2017 WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE DEALS I've written about travel bargains as long as I've written about business travel, which dates back to (yikes!) 1983. Nobody pays their way onto these pages. I post deals solely for the benefit of members based on my perception of what is a great price, a terrific value or a unique opportunity. Unless otherwise stated, you should be able to book these deals online, at any travel agency or directly from the listed travel supplier. And please do not suspend your inbred skepticism. Don’t blame me if these deals are sold out when you try to book at these prices, but do let me know if you think that we're being scammed. It's important to expose the fakers and phonies. -- Joe Brancatelli DECEMBER 21, 2017 This week: Cook Travel offers JoeSentMe members up to 20 percent off on Turkish and American Airlines international flights. Cathay Pacific's deeply discounted introductory prices on its new Washington/Dulles-Hong Kong nonstop. Small hotel chains ratchet up slow-season discounts. Wan points promotion from Hilton, Starwood and Marriott. La Compagnie still has $750 one-way business class seats to Paris. And more. DECEMBER 7, 2017 Hainan Airlines slashes business class fares from Los Angeles and New York. Airlines use fares to fight for Alitalia's leftovers in Italy. Deep discounts in European premium economy. A New Year's Eve flight to Paris complete with Champagne and caviar. Best Western pays you to stay. And more. NOVEMBER 16, 2017 Several hotel chains begin to deal as the days dwindle down to a precious few. Lufthansa cuts premium economy fares to Europe below $1,300 roundtrip. United and Hertz revive a miles-laden rental promotion. And more. NOVEMBER 9, 2017 Waldorf and Conrad hotels offer $50 daily credits. Very cheap coach fares to Africa. Deep discounts on obscure business class routes. Up to 30 percent off Fairmont Hotels around the world. OCTOBER 26, 2017 Airlines launch Italy sales that may be aimed at claiming territory after Alitalia's inevitable demise. Air New Zealand slashes the price of premium economy flights to New Zealand from Los Angeles. OCTOBER 19, 2017 British Airlines packages business class and hotel stays at good prices for winter stays. A private sale for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years in business class from Aer Lingus. Drury Hotels is giving free suite upgrades until the end of the year. Avis and Budget offer 1,000 AAdvantage miles for three-day rentals. OCTOBER 12, 2017 Cruising with music instead of a flying holiday. BOGO at the Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire. KLM offers big discounts in coach to Africa. Accor's prepay sale offers 30 percent off rates and free breakfast. OCTOBER 5, 2017 Car rentals for $5 a day--if you're going to Florida. Singapore Airlines cuts the price on business class on its grab bag of U.S. routes. Air Canada will give you a free week in Toronto if you fly to Europe or Asia over YYZ. SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 The airlines are offering holiday business class sales to Europe, but they don't want to talk about it. Flying to Asia is unbelievably cheap if you sit in coach. Cathay Pacific offers huge bonuses for Hong Kong flights. British Airways and AARP extend their discount deal. And more. SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 It's time to register for the Oxford Experience, the popular week-long summer courses at Christ Church. Air France slashes first class fares from some US cities. Emirates and Qatar Airways discount on routes U.S. airlines refuse to fly. Air New Zealand has very low premium economy fares this winter. And more. SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 Enterprise brings back the $10-a-day weekend rental car. La Compagnie revives the $1,500 roundtrip business class flight to Paris. Finnair slashes business class fares to Russia--and that's not fake news. Starwood and Marriott offer promotions for year-end stays. And more. AUGUST 31, 2017 The Europe routes that U.S. carriers won't fly are available cheap. Big acquisition bonuses for Southwest and American airlines cards. Air New Zealand trims the price of premium economy. Avis and Budget offer up to 5,000 AAdvantage miles for 3-day rental. And much more. AUGUST 24, 2017 National Car Rental renews its popular 12Free promotion offering free days after two rentals. Air France discounts in first class. Airlines like Cathay Pacific and EVA Air offer huge discounts in coach on flights to Asia. And much more. AUGUST 17, 2017 You can fly the DC-3, the plane that revolutionized air travel, over the Columbus Day Weekend. Cathay Pacific offers a big bonus to take its Visa card. Incredibly cheap fares to India--if you're willing to sit in coach. AUGUST 3, 2017 TAP will now give a free five-day stayover with all transatlantic roundtrips. Flights to China and Paris for less than $600. United and Hertz have big mileage bonuses for car rentals. A really cheap business class fare to India. JULY 20, 2017 Those nonstop routes to places like Athens and Budapest that U.S. carriers hate are being offered at terrific business class rates. A big acquisition bonus for a Citi ThankYou points card. Lufthansa slashes premium economy fares. Omni Hotels knocks as much as 25 percent off summer room rates. JULY 13, 2017 Surprisingly cheap fares in Norwegian's premium cabins--if the carrier survives. Sub-$1,300 premium economy fares. An 80,000-point incentive for a Chase card. And more. JUNE 29, 2017 Premium economy to Europe has fallen below $1,200 roundtrip. Visa will give you a free weekend night this summer at three Hilton brands. Club Carlson is offering free Fridays or bonus points. Plus big acquisition bonuses from Amex for Delta cards. JUNE 15, 2017 When Paris doesn't sizzle, hotel prices decline. Air New Zealand's latest cheap business class offer to the South Pacific. Hainan slashes the price of travel to China. And Delta keeps repackaging 50-day advance prices and calling them "sales." JUNE 8, 2017 La Compagnie wants you to fly your kids in business class for $1,000. Finnair slashes the price of business class to Eastern Europe. Aer Lingus wants to split your trip, one way in coach, another in business class. Hyatt lowers award redemption prices by 10 percent this summer. MAY 18, 2017 British Airways posts a limited summer business class sale good for travel in Europe in July. Delta rebrands 50-day advance fares as a summer/fall business class sale. Marriott has three summer promotions covering all three of its frequent-guest plans. MAY 11, 2017 If you still have your heart set on a summer holiday in Europe, you've got two choices: Throw yourself on the mercy of your frequency program (lots of luck) or search for a bargain. Some good prices are available. At least they are if you shop carefully, consider the options and make a tweak here or there to your plans. MAY 4, 2017 Air France and Delta mount a late summer and early fall business class sale to Europe. Cathay Pacific offers a business class sale to Asia for summer travel. Aer Lingus continues a summer business class sale. Coach fares to India in June are astonishingly low. APRIL 27, 2017 Coach flights to India at insanely low prices. Aer Lingus and Singapore Airlines have fabulous summer business class sales. Thirty percent off a fabulous bag from ECBC. Triple points and big bonuses at Club Carlson. Cheap flights down under from Texas. APRIL 13, 2017 Condor slashes the cost of flying up front to Germany. Cathay Pacific has its annual summer sale for business class Asia travel. KLM has some stunning (coach) fares to Africa. Air France continues to offer fabulous premium economy deals. MARCH 30, 2017 Italy in business class for under $1,600 roundtrip. Nice work if you can get it. The Gulf carriers have big global bargains--but leave the electronics home. Finnair has deep discounts up front to Eastern Europe. An on-the-cheap promotion from Hyatt. A 100,000-point acquisition bonus from Chase and Marriott. And more. MARCH 23, 2017 Business class fares to Europe this spring drop as low as $1,300 roundtrip. Summer business class fares fall to $2,000 roundtrip. Finnair offers big business class deals to Eastern Europe and Russia. Singapore Air offers a (very) small inducement to fly via its Changi hub. And more. MARCH 9, 2017 This week: Cathay Pacific lowers its premium economy fares below last year's rates. Alitalia's business class sale. Omni Hotels' spring sale cuts room rates to $99/night ... sorta. Choice's free night promotion. A tour of Naples for romance novel fans. And more. MARCH 2, 2017 Eva Air discounts its Asia flights from Houston. Accor offers three nights for the price of two. JetBlue Airways offers double base points for two months. KLM offers eye-popping low fares to Africa--in coach. And more. FEBRUARY 23, 2017 Air France and KLM mount an Easter/Passover sale to Europe in business class and prices fall below $2,500 roundtrip. Omni and the Global Hotel Alliance slash nightly rates by as much as 50 percent. Lufthansa has another sale on its premium economy cabin. And more. FEBRUARY 16, 2017 Singapore Airlines offers $1,999 roundtrip business class flights to Europe and Asia this summer. Emirates offers cheap two-fers in coach and business class on its new Athens route. Best Western gives you a few bucks back on each stay. Finnair slashes business class fares to Russia and Eastern Europe. Amtrak cuts weekend fares between New York and Montreal. And more. FEBRUARY 9, 2017 Big bargains on two business class routes from Alitalia. British Airways offers half a loaf on the new AARP discount. Hilton's 2K a day points promotion. Delta offers a rich SkyMiles tie-up with Airbnb. LaCompagnie cuts business class fares to Paris to $1,500 roundtrip. And more. JANUARY 26, 2017 Last call for Aer Lingus' name-your-fare offer for JoeSentMe members. Hainan slashes the price of coach travel to China. Air France offers fabulous bargains on premium economy. Finnair has big deals on business class travel to Eastern Europe and Russia. National Car Rental and Southwest offer big Rapid Rewards bonuses. And more. JANUARY 19, 2017 Cathay Pacific knocks up to 45 percent off business class to Asia. Singapore Airlines discounts is fifth-freedom "secret" routes from the United States. American Airlines offers lots of miles--and imposes lots of restrictions--for flights to Europe. There'll always be a package of English TV visits. And more. JANUARY 12, 2017 Several European carriers slash premium economy fares. Accor cuts as much as 50 percent off hotel prices worldwide. A bizarre promotion from Club Carlson does offer a big (100,000-point) payoff. United and Hertz again offer big bonuses for car rentals. And more. JANUARY 5, 2017 Two tickets to paradise (well, Paris in business class) for $3,000. Emirates slashes business class fares to India and other Asian destinations. Amtrak has a BOGO (well, buy three, get one) promotion. A Manhattan hotel chain cuts rates as low as $99 a night. And more. These columns originally appeared at JoeSentMe.com. Copyright © 1993-2017 by Joe Brancatelli. All rights reserved.