Jetsettersblog

Virgin America, which will start flying from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) on Dec. 2, has launched a “No Chihuahua Left Behind” fare sale in support of its ongoing Chihuahua rescue and airlift efforts. Virgin America first teamed up with the City of San Francisco Animal Care and Control (SF ACC) in 2010 to fly Chihuahuas to new homes on the East Coast.

The overpopulation of Chihuahuas in California continues to force West Coast animal shelters to look for help from shelters on the East Coast, where there is demand for the dogs.

Due to the impact of Hurricane Irene and the associated re-accommodation of guests on all open flights, the airline postponed plans to fly an “Operation: Chihuahua” airlift from San Francisco to New York on Tuesday Even though the SF ACC Chihuahuas are temporarily grounded, the airline is keeping the dogs on “standby” for a rescheduled airlift, and is also pledging $25 for every Mexico booking made during the three-day fare sale to support local dogs and future airlift flights.

 The airline plans to reschedule the next “Operation: Chihuahua” airlift for later this year.

For more information, visit www.virginamerica.com

Take part in the 2012 World Horticultural Exposition, Floriade, in Venlo, the Netherlands, with Uniworld Boutique River Cruises. Referred to as the “Theater of Nature,” this global spectacle, held only once every ten years, has the world’s most exquisite and exceptional flowers, plants, trees, and more on display.

Over 100 exhibitors from dozens of countries together will pay tribute to the world of horticulture. There are five unique themed worlds, each with its own décor, and cultural programs of music, dance, literature, theater, and visual art. Each world is designed for you to see, feel, and experience nature in a constantly changing way.

With Uniworld’s two new expertly planned 2012 itineraries showcasing Floriade, you can experience nature as never before – all while sailing on the elegant River Ambassador. To top it off, you’ll discover the sights and sounds of Germany’s UNESCO-designated Upper Middle Rhine Valley, and its Dutch and Belgian tributaries, uncovering the best of old and new world Europe in such exciting destinations as cosmopolitan Brussels; Venlo; sophisticated Maastricht, the gastronomical capital of the Netherlands; and so much more. The following are Uniworld’s newest programs including Floriade 2012:

Gems of Germany, Belgium & the Netherlands with Floriade

Brussels to Cologne | 7-night cruise

Grand Treasures of Europe

Brussels to Prague | 14-night cruise and 2 nights in Prague at the superior first-class Art Deco Imperial Hotel

Floriade 2012 is only open from April 5 to October 7, 2012, so booking early to secure the best available river view staterooms and savings is recommended. Couples can take advantage of Uniworld’s savings program up to $2,000 by paying in full at time of booking.

This offer expires on September 30, 2011.

Uniworld’s luxury, value-packed boutique river cruises include: all meals with complimentary fine wines, choice of beer, and soft drinks served during lunch and dinner onboard; captivating and fully guided shore excursions; the exclusive Epicurean Adventure Program™; Signature Lectures; all transfers on arrival and departure days; and so much more.

For more information, please contact your preferred Travel Professional or call Uniworld at 1-800-733-7820 or visit www.uniworld.com.

About Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, the world’s only authentic boutique cruise line™, is recognized among the “World’s Best River Cruises” by Travel + Leisure. It is the only luxury river cruise line named to Condé Nast Traveler’s prestigious Gold List, and has received their Readers’ Choice Award for “World’s Top Small Ship Line” and won “Best River Ships” in their Readers’ Poll, which ranked River Beatrice and River Duchess the #1 and #2 river ships in the world. Uniworld’s cabins and dining are also ranked among the top three in the world by Zagat Survey®; Uniworld is the only river cruise line named in the Zagat Survey® amongst the best of the best in the cruise industry.

Uniworld features luxurious boutique ships with an average capacity of 130 guests, included shore excursions, world-class gourmet cuisine, and award-winning hospitality. Uniworld offers over 500 departures sailing on over 13 rivers in more than 20 countries throughout Europe, Russia, Egypt, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Uniworld is a member of CLIA, Cruise Lines International Association

Crystal Cruises’ 12-day Mediterranean/Holy Land “Epicurean Discoveries” cruise, departing Oct. 24 aboard the Crystal Serenity, will feature regional experts.

Among them will be former Ambassador Marc Ginsberg, historian and National Geographic author Dr. Jean-Pierre Isbouts, and Persian winemaker Darioush Khaledi.

The interactive, complimentary program will consist of educational presentations, exclusive tastings and a new panel discussion of guest culinary experts to discuss future culinary trends and answer audience questions.

Among the cultural offerings by guest experts will be lectures on the region’s history and culture and on local marine life; hands-on Persian cooking classes; a Spice Bazaar dinner using local, freshly blended spices; tastings of fine wines and olive oils; cocktail-making and guest-bartending with a Lebanese-American mixologist; and Turkish coffee-making daily.

The ship sails from Athens to Istanbul and visits Santorini and Mykonos, Greece; Ashdod, Israel (overnight); Limassol, Cyprus; Iraklion, Crete; and Kusadasi, Turkey.

Two-for-one fares start at $6,695 per person, double, including roundtrip air from 24 North American hubs and airport/ship transfers (or substantial air credit), plus a $1,000-per-person “All Inclusive-As You Wish” spending credit.

Royal Caribbean International is offering deals for its Crown & Anchor Society December Celebration, including onboard benefits and a double-Cruise Points bonus for Diamond level- and higher-status Crown & Anchor Society members who make a booking for the last month of the year.

The line also has extended the Crown & Anchor Society Bring a Friend incentive.

Members can receive a $25 onboard credit per stateroom when they invite and make a new booking with their first-to-Royal friends or family in additional staterooms on the same sailing. The offer is applicable for up to five staterooms per sailing for new bookings. For more information on the Crown & Anchor Society December Celebration, visit www.royalcaribbean.com/decembercelebration

For the Bring a Friend promotion, visit www.royalcaribbean.com/bringafriend

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced its global fall promotion which will award Priority Club Rewards members with 500 bonus Priority Club points or 100 airline miles for each qualifying night Sept. 15 to Dec. 31, 2011, at any InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites property worldwide.

IHG also is implementing a “multiplier” to its fall promotion, which allows members to earn additional bonus points or miles by staying at more than one IHG hotel brand during the promotion period.

The more IHG hotel brands members stay at during the promotion increases the number of bonus points or miles earned. Stay in at least two IHG hotel brands and earn twice the points or miles, three brands gets travelers three times the points or miles and four brands earns four the points or miles.

Points or miles earned from to the “multiplier” will be calculated after Dec. 31, 2011 and awarded by Jan. 31, 2012.

To participate in the fall promotion, register at

www.priorityclub.com/upto80000

For more information on IHG, visit www.ihg.com

The Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaii’s Big is offering an Ocean Explorer Family Escape through Dec. 31. The four-night package starts at $1,056 per room for two adults and two children.

Included are kids backpacks filled with exploring gear such as an underwater camera, an ocean fish guide card for use in the snorkeling lagoon, a coloring book, and a Dol-fun activity book; full breakfast buffet daily for four; and an Ocean Sports glass bottom boat cruise of Anaeho’omalu Bay for four.

In addition, a Things-To-Do keiki (children’s) brochure, a Club Keiki Brochure and an Art Tour guide provide ideas for other ways to explore the resort and the island.

For each Ocean Explorer Family Escape booked, the hotel will donate 10,000 Hilton HHonors Bonus Points to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and Hilton HHonors will match the donation through 2011. Call 800-445-8667 or visit www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com

The Grand Del Mar in San Diego has announced fall 2011 deals: With the Mini Vacation, guests who reserve three nights, get a complimentary fourth night from Sept. 1 through Dec. 22. Nightly room rates start at $395. Guests also can enroll in Vision54 three-day seminars at the Grand Golf Performance Academy, taught by Vision54 co-creators Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson.

The seminars take place Sept. 16-18 and Sept. 23-25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $3,495 for each three-day session.

And the Dave Pelz One-Day Scoring Schools offer one-day instruction on Oct. 26, 27, 28 and 29 and Dec. 1, 2 and 3 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost is $425 per person for each one-day session.

To book a Mini Vacation and for general information, call 877-814-8472 or visit www.thegranddelmar.com  To book a Vision54 three-day course, visit www.vision54.com.  To book a One-Day Scoring School session, call 858-314-1930.

Sunset Resorts, the three all-inclusive resorts in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril, Jamaica, will launch its fall savings campaign with a Times Square Twitter Giveaway over Labor Day weekend for an all-inclusive prize trip to Jamaica.

The promotion kicks off Sunset Resorts’ fall savings of up to 55 percent.

To enter Sunset Resorts’ Times Square Twitter Giveaway, contestants simply follow and then tweet photos at @SunsetJamaica of the Sunset Resorts five-second commercial airing in Times Square, New York City on Sept. 2-8, 2011, every hour from 6 a.m. to midnight on the Disney and ABC screens. The winner receives a three-night/four-day all-inclusive stay for two adults at Sunset Beach Resort Spa & Waterpark or Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort Spa & Conference Center.

Transfer and air are not included; the trip must be completed by Dec. 22, 2011. Winner will be announced on Sept.10.

In addition, Sunset Resorts is offering savings this fall at all three all-inclusive resorts with up to 55 percent off regular rates. Sunset Resorts “Fabulous Fall” rates are valid for travel between Aug. 29 and Dec. 22, 2011.

At Sunset Beach Resort Spa & Waterpark in Montego Bay, guests can save up to 55 percent with rates starting at $150 per room, per night based on double occupancy for a standard room category ($75 per person).

They can save up to 54 percent off regular rates at Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort Spa & Conference Centre in Ocho Rios with rates starting at $150 per room, per night based on double occupancy for a standard room category ($75 per person).

To access “Fabulous Fall” savings at Sunset Resorts properties in Montego Bay or Ocho Rios, bookings must be made between Aug. 20 and Sept. 30, 2011 with blackout dates applicable.

Guests also can save 36 percent off regular rates at Sunset at the Palms Resort, Negril with room rates starting at $249 per room, per night based on double occupancy for a standard room ($124.50 per person).

To access savings at Sunset at the Palms Resort Negril bookings must be made between Aug. 4 and Aug. 30, 2009 with blackout dates are applicable. For information or reservations at Sunset Beach Resort, Spa & Waterpark, Montego Bay, Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort, Spa & Conference Center, Ocho Rios or Sunset at the Palms Resort, Negril call 800-234-1707, email reservations@sunsetmobay.com  or visit www.sunsetresortsjamaica.com

Sandals Resorts has extended its “Companion Flies Free” promotion, which offers guests who book an air-inclusive, minimum six-night stay at select Sandals or Beaches Resorts through Sept. 15, 2011 will receive a free companion coach-class air ticket.

The offer is valid for stays at select Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts between Sept. 1, 2011 and Dec. 16, 2011, and applies to coach-class air tickets booked from the continental U.S.

The offer is combinable with current savings of up to 65 percent off on accommodations at all participating resorts, under which room rates start at $174 per person, per night for a six-night stay.

The “Companion Flies Free” program is available at 12 Sandals locations in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, and the Bahamas, and at all four Beaches Resorts locations in the Turks & Caicos and Jamaica.

Guests traveling to the newest Sandals Resort, Sandals Grande Emerald Bay, in Great Exuma, Bahamas can also take advantage of the Companion Flies Free promotion with only a four-night minimum stay, plus newly-reduced airfare rates to Exuma starting at $238 roundtrip.

Travelers must book by Sept. 30, 2011 for travel through Feb. 10, 2012 to participate in the limited-time offer.

For more information, call 800-SANDALS or 800-BEACHES or

visit www.sandals.com

 or www.beaches.com

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is featuring a new, complimentary green meetings program, which is now available throughout the company’s 85 hotels and resorts around the world.

The new initiative is a menu of flexible options to conserve energy, reduce waste and support sustainability at events large and small.

The new program is available at no additional cost. Available options cover food and beverage to meeting services and accommodations.

Examples include paperless planning, opportunities to donate used decorations and display materials, local printing services to lower transportation impact, local and seasonal menus, reuse of guest room linens, on-site recycling and composting, and more. Every Four Seasons property has a Green Team dedicated to developing and expanding sustainable practices at the hotel or resort. In addition to the Greening Meetings options, meeting planners are invited to work with the Green Team to arrange further initiatives.

For more information, visit

www.fourseasons.com