Downturn Deals: Luxury Travel for (Much) Less

Is this really the time to be booking an oceanside suite, basking in Italian linen sheets, indulging in butler service on the African plains?

Actually, yes. We’re not telling you to spend cash you haven’t got. But if you’re lucky enough to have time on your hands and dollars to liberate, this is an exceptional time to travel in style. Prices have declined, upgrades are abundant, and even the hottest destinations are less crowded. A fantasy trip that seemed out of reach may now be doable, thanks to deals like these…

Recession Briefing 5.7

What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.

Arkansas has launched a free iPhone application that can be used to track state projects funded through the federal economic stimulus package. (CNN/Money)

Get cozy with your co-workers: Companies of all sizes — including the likes of Microsoft and Pfizer — have begun requiring employees to share hotel rooms on business trips. (New York Times)

With the recession making restaurants seem like more of a luxury, more cookbooks are being sold and several major grocery stores have reported increased sales. (Associated Press)

Traveling Tight: Saving with Stopovers

Once upon a time, before airlines charged for pillows, they allowed travelers to make stopovers for free. That meant you could ski on your way to L.A., or overnight in Paris en route to Italy, without extra charge. For the most part those days are gone—especially on cheapo coach tickets. But the downturn has inspired a few major stopover deals to encourage tourism, and a number of airlines are dropping fees on stopovers.

Stopovers can be an economical way to drop extra destinations into a trip—especially places you might not otherwise hit, like Singapore. The tiny city-state is offering a bang-up deal, the Fabulous Singapore Stopover. Travel to Asia on Singapore Airlines, and get a super-discounted hotel rate…

Beach Bummers

We bought our second home four years ago. Ah, 2005—those were the days. My wife and I looked forward to leisurely weekends on Long Island’s North Fork with family, friends and our newborn son. With two thriving careers, the prospect of a second mortgage wasn’t daunting at all. And for a while it was a perfect retreat.

Realtors nationwide say that many second homeowners are turning to the rental market for relief from current economic pressures. Diane Saatchi, a senior vice president with the Corcoran Group in the Hamptons, says she’s seen a 20 to 30 percent increase in rental inventory this year…

Free-cation: House-Swap Getaway

Is there anything that gets struck from a tightening budget faster than superfluous hotel trips? I’ve got two words for you: house swap.

Track down another couple and do the old swaparoo. They spend a weekend at your house and you stay Friday night through Sunday afternoon at their place. It’s a lot better than some boring, old staycation. But there are a few ground rules that have to be established.

First: the campground rule is in effect (AKA leave things better than you found them).

Second: no snooping. No matter how well things are hidden, busybodies can…

Traveling Tight: Swap Your Pad

Money’s tight. So every penny counts when you’re on the road…

Maybe the Recession has given you more time to travel, but less cash. How does a rent-free vacay sound? Swap your pad for another in a destination you want to visit and enjoy potentially unlimited savings. Home swapping allows you to travel further and longer than you ever thought possible: We’re talking Italian villas, mountain retreats, and beach bungalows. Plus, you get more space than a hotel could ever offer. It’s even possible to swap vehicles and pet care. The best part is that you get to live like a local and receive tips on what to do and see from your “host”. For a $100 annual membership fee, HomeExchange.com will guarantee you a swap partner, or you get a year for free…

Hot Spots on a Budget

Resorts all over the world are responding to the recession by offering staggering luxury deals at exotic and beautiful destinations. Here are three places where it’s easy to travel well for less.

South Africa
With the recent devaluation of the Rand against the dollar, it is a great time for Americans to visit. The Mantis Collection, a prestigious group of game reserves and hotels in South Africa, is offering a summer package starting at $601.48* per person. You’ll spend two nights at one of the country’s five star Game Reserve and three nights at a Last Word Retreat, Cape Town’s very charming boutique accommodations.

Traveling Tight: St. John on the (Relatively) Cheap

In the recession, extreme spending has all but been replaced by radical frugality, but even on a budget, you still need to live well and take care of yourself.

Whether you’re laid-off and living on severance or savings, job hunting, or imagining the “disruptive innovation” (my new favorite business phrase) that will lead to a better business, some downtime to think and rejuvenate is vital. Even in a recession it’s important to take some time to chill out. It’s even possible to do so luxuriously – if you just re-define luxury. That’s exactly what I did.

The Recession Road Trip

You get laid off from your job. You file for unemployment for the first time. You’re wondering what comes next.

It’s a situation millions of Americans are experiencing right now. But as far as we know, only one of them packed up the peanut butter and jelly and embarked on a three-month road trip around the United States, with the goal of documenting how the recession is affecting people. Make that two people—since 26-year-old Austin Chu is doing it with his brother, Brian.

So far Austin and Brian have traveled through New Mexico, Texas, Nebraska, and Alabama, to name just a few, interviewing people they meet along the way. Today, they’re in Washington, D.C.—outside the White House, they accidentally met my brother.

We love their tips for taking a 21st century road trip on the cheap. But we’re even more into their videos, like their version of Fifty People, One Question, shot in Austin, Texas.

The Layoff Effect

Sure, some of my friends have lost their jobs and my husband has taken a 10 percent pay cut, along with the 40 other employees at his think-tank. But I didn’t fully grasp the scope of this recession until I tried to rent a car at Los Angeles International Airport.

It took a two-hour effort to wrangle a rental car out of the lot to show me how mass layoffs can bring a swift-running society to a toddle. And as tens of thousands of jobs continue to be lost, I find myself fearing that the entire nation will devolve from wi-fi efficiency to dial-up.