Daily Getaways Returns with Big Savings: Preview of Week 1

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Daily Getaways is a series of daily discounted travel packages sponsored by the US Travel Association and American Express that starts Monday and runs for five weeks. Every weekday at 1 PM ET, a discounted travel package or packages will go on sale, and the best deals sell out in just a few minutes.

In 2013, I blogged every deal. In 2014, I just blogged the good ones:

• IHG Rewards Points for 0.57 Cents Means $29 Hotels
• Save $120 on Car Rentals Today Only
• Today Only: 19% Off Any Future Marriott Stay
• Many more

The best deals tend to be the selling of hotel points at super low prices or the purchasing of underpriced certificates for hotel stays and car rentals.

I’ll again blog the best deals this year. My plan is to give a quick overview of each week’s deals some time during the week before, so you can get an idea which days you’ll want to be ready to pounce with some anticipation. Then, on the day of the good deals, by 9 AM ET so my email subscribers get the post too, I’ll write a full post on why a certain deal is good and how to maximize whatever you’re buying that day.

Here’s that overview of the first week of deals that start Monday. I plan to purchase deals on three days, but I see value on all five days.

Monday March 23: $50 Alamo Certificates for $25

Note: This year there is no discount for using an American Express to purchase Daily Getaways. In the past, there was a 10% discount.

This is not a sexy item because your potential savings are strictly limited, but I always max out the purchase of Alamo certificates.

I have two rentals in the next month where Alamo is the cheapest according to Kayak, and this will knock the price down even lower.

A side benefit of using these certificates is that any taxes calculated on a percentage basis are reduced or eliminated as these certificates knock down the price, and car rentals are full of taxes.

This year, the max quantity you can purchase is three, and the max number you can combine on a single rental is three.

I don’t like to buy Daily Getaways too speculatively; I like to have an immediate use in mind. If you have a car rental in mind, this can mean big savings.

Tuesday March 24: IHG Rewards Points for As Little as 0.57 Cents

I plan to buy a small package of IHG Rewards points. They’re valuable for PointBreaks hotels–the rotating list of hotels you can book for 5,000 points per night, which at this price is $29 per night.

You can always buy IHG Rewards points for 0.7 cents each, so this is a nice 20% discount.

I will look at my expected PointBreaks needs for the next year, and I will buy enough to cover those but not too much more because I hate to turn my cash into points that just sit around.

Wednesday March 25: Club Carlson Points for 0.45 Cents

I plan to buy Club Carlson points. They’re worth twice as much to me because I have the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card, which offers the last night free on all award stays of 2+ nights. Here’s how that free night works.

Every two night award stay I take costs only the price of a one night award stay because of the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card.

Club Carlson free nights start at 9,000 points or about $41 worth of points if you purchase them for 0.45 cents each. That means for every $41 I spend on points, I can get a two night stay at a hotel in Europe. This is a no-brainer. I think I’ll buy 100,000 points to bulk up my Club Carlson balance.

For folks who have already used the 85,000 point sign up bonus on their Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card and the 40,000 point anniversary bonus each year, or for folks who don’t have the card yet but plan to get it for the 20 free nights that completing the minimum spending requirement of $2,500 in the first 90 days earns you, this is an intriguing sale.

Thursday March 26: A Five Night Stay at a Diamond Resorts International Property for $525

This is a great deal for some families that I am going to sit out. Here are the participating properties at which you can stay for under $105 per night including Maui, St. Maarten, and Europe.

The reasons I’m not buying:

1. I don’t have a surefire travel companion to take one of these trips before May 8, 2016.
2. From the terms: “Certificate may be subject to high season, holiday and other blackout periods depending on destination.”

Friday March 26: Hilton HHonors Points for 0.5 Cents Each

The last two years, the points were 0.495 cents each, and neither year did the deal sell out.

The problem is Hilton’s ridiculously expensive chart.

Even at 0.5 cents per point, the most expensive Hiltons are $350 to $475 per night. The only reason to get in on this deal is to book a low category property.

Category 1 Hiltons are on sale for $25 at these prices and Category 2 Hiltons (like the awesome DoubleTree Kuala Lumpur) are only $50. To see a spreadsheet and map of Category 1 and 2 properties, click here. If one is convenient for one of your future trips, these prices for Hilton points are a great deal.

Bottom Line for Week 1

There are three days to purchase points at a discount for IHG, Club Carlson, and Hilton. I plan to buy a few IHG points for PointBreaks, a bunch of Club Carlson points because I get the last night free on 2+ night Club Carlson awards, and no Hilton points.

There are discounted rental certificates from Alamo that I will max out to save cash on rentals and the taxes on rentals.

There are five night stays at Diamond Resorts International properties that are a great deal at $105 per night, but not right for me.

I think all five deals in week 1 will appeal to a lot of MileValue readers, so I’ll have a full post on each one up by 9 AM on the day of the deal. Set your alarm for 12:45 PM ET on the day of any deal that interests you, so you can be at your computer at 1 PM ready to buy.