BlueEyedDevil

What are good value destinations to take a trip out of NYC on United Airlines?

I'm projected to be about 10k short of United 1K status this year and would like to close the gap not with just a mileage run but with an inexpensive trip. So FT, help me out with good places to visit.

Here are my constraints:
- Good location for a solo traveler (Paris will have to wait until I can afford to bring along my romantic interest)
- Flying out of NYC on United Airlines
- Looking for $0.05 - $0.08 cost per mile on airfare (Why are you so expensive London?)
- Affordable hotels (sorry Hawaii, you're out)
- No more than a 10 hour flight since I'll be traveling in Y (Asia will have to wait until next year)


One idea that's come up already is a trip to Alaska since it's about 8,000 miles, has low airfare, cheap hotels, and places to hike and see as a solo traveler.

Do you have a suggestion for other options I should look into?


[Disclaimer: Sorry if this is in the wrong forum feel free to move it]

MyXa

I would suggest Iceland, Azores and Dublin. Lisbon is also an option

clacko

watch the mr deals, then hook up W/1 w/ a place you want to do....

355F1

If you are travelling May-September Alaska does NOT have cheap hotels.

I have worked there a few times over the years in the summer and I remember even the Motel 6's were $200/night.

TravelingBear

Second the Iceland suggestion.

Doug 1029

It you are a male, I would suggest Istanbul. If you are male or female then two trips to the west coast. You can get some decent fares both to the NW and SD. I have 2 mile run planned for this year, IAD -SAN $181 and IAD-PDX $179. EWR had the same fares.

sushanna1

Istanbul or Greece. Cheaper airfare to IST than ATH, but you can always fly IST, ATH and then take an Aegean Air flight to an island.

Snoopyo

Hawaii still have some fares in the 500s even though the super cheap fares in the low 400s are gone.

Saw in travelzoo some deal on waikiki hotel for an okay price or 1-2 nights.

http://www.travelzoo.com/ca/hotels/u..._top20_2013_13

jrl767

c'mon, read the OP's whole post



UA doesn't fly to/from Iceland

sterlingarcher79

Lisbon, naturally

Good weather, good hotels, great sights. Lots of museums, day trips and great food. Just get ready to walk up and down the hills

PHLisa

Spain, definitely. Due to the generally poor economic climate, everything there was very cheap when we visited last month, and they have a bar/cafe culture that I think would work well for a single traveler. I'd suggest AMS, but the airfare doesn't look to be cheap enough - great place and the Dutch are super friendly people.

Also, I've been to Paris mostly with groups of friends who wanted to do stuff I didn't (i.e., shop), so I've spent considerable time there alone and it didn't feel any different to me than being alone anywhere else. It's not like a movie set with couples everywhere. I'd more likely exclude Paris because you're unlikely to get a cheap fare there.

howtofreetravel

Go to Poland not many countries cheaper in europe

sushanna1

Sorry forgot about the UA/JFK requirement. You would have fly from EWR to IST but it's an easy flight. If you like history and museums, IST is a great place to visit.

abitlost

Berlin. Direct UA flights EWR-TXL or connect with short LH segment. Best-value 4- and 5-star hotels of any Western European capital (you can even score something pretty nice in a 4-star for $60-ish all-in on priceline like the Maritim (West), or Maritim Proarte or NH Centre (both East, but less nice than the Martim in the West). Some of the best art museums, all of which are priced more cheaply than equivalents in other major European cities, excepting London, where most are free. Tons of music, again at more affordable prices relative to other places, whether 3 operas, 2 major symphonies, or punk rock at the legendary SO 36. Cool multi-zone culural centers like Kulturbraueri or Tacheles, where it may be pretty easy to make friends. 2 zoos. Wide array of restaurants, which again are priced easier than those in other Western European cities.

eurekaprice

I second Lisbon, Madrid or Berlin for a solo traveller. Plenty of stuff to visit, friendly to foreigners and hotels are cheap and good quality.

Madrid is way cheaper than 5 years ago and Berlin is suffering its own speculative bubble so, while still cheap, it is not the bargain it was in the 2000s.

I personally think Iceland can be a bit boring to travel alone, and Istanbul, while a very interesting and safe city overall, I would do it only with friends... you would scream "tourist" and there are so many tourists traps there, better to avoid. Athens is not as interesting as the other cities and, personally, I would avoid Greece right now.