Given the unpredictable weather that we've been experiencing throughout the country, we should be forgiven for letting our minds wander to images of warm, sunny shores. Just in time, American Airlines Vacations has teamed up with the Barbados Tourism Authority to launch a Companion Flies Free offer that could make those images more than just wishful thinking. The promotion, which started on January 11, 2010, has recently been extended through February 12, 2010, and offers travelers one free, economy class companion ticket when two travelers fly together and book a minimum of four nights at a hotel in Barbados through AA Vacations from now through May 31, 2010.
The easternmost island in the Caribbean, served by direct AA flights from Miami, New York, and San Juan, Barbados is far enough south that its waters remain a constant 78 degrees Fahrenheit year round. The island's calmest beaches are on the west coast, also known at the Platinum Coast, filled with tony resorts, sugary sand, and classic placid Caribbean waters (stay away from the rocky east coast, pounded by waves, unless you're a surfer). The best beaches are found in the three western parishes of St. James, St. Michael, and St. Peter.
We checked out the Companion Flies Free offer at a few different hotels around the island, and found that the savings vary depending on destinations and dates. In St. Michael's parish, we tallied up a 23% savings through the package promotion when test-booking a four-night stay at the end of February at the Hilton Barbados, ten minutes south of Barbados' capital Bridgetown: AIrfare for two from New
York, plus four nights in a Bayview Room costs $1,702, or $851 per
person. Reserving the flights and hotel separately, the best we could
get was $770 for two tickets, and $1,429 for the room (a total of
$2,199), so the package costs 23% less.
However at Treasure Beach Hotel, in St. James, airfare for two from New York in late April plus a Garden View Suite with continental breakfast comes to a total of $1,930, or $965 per person, (including taxes, fees, and service charges, and a highlighted discount of $329). When booked independently, using the cheapest airfare available online, and booked the same room directly through the hotel, the total came to $2,095, so the promotion represents a savings of a mere 8%.
However at Treasure Beach Hotel, in St. James, airfare for two from New York in late April plus a Garden View Suite with continental breakfast comes to a total of $1,930, or $965 per person, (including taxes, fees, and service charges, and a highlighted discount of $329). When booked independently, using the cheapest airfare available online, and booked the same room directly through the hotel, the total came to $2,095, so the promotion represents a savings of a mere 8%.
Dates: Travel is valid from now through May 31, 2010, but must be booked no later than February 12, 2010.
How to book: Go to the American Airlines Vacation site and use the promotion code BGI50 if it is not preloaded. When booking the package, the prices of the airfare and hotel aren't separated, so it is impossible to see precisely where the savings are made. But when the package is priced out, a line in the calculation displays the airline discount. Note that the companion free ticket is the base fare for the ticket, so taxes and fees must be paid (they are included in to the final package price).
Companions fly free to Barbados, as part of an American Airlines package to the Caribbean island of low-key resorts and surfer beaches. The offer, which is valid for travel from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15, must be booked by Sept. 30 and requires a four-night minimum.