DansDeals.com

Update: A commenter points out that you can change the quantity above the subscribe and save button to any number you’d like, and still qualify for this great price!
For those of you keeping score at home it appears that DansDeals readers prefer Raisin Bran to Apple Jacks by a 2.5:1 ratio
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Originally posted on 09/10:

3 Boxes Of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Cereal Linky

Kosher parve.

Step 1: Select “20-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 3)” and “Amazon Frustration-Free.” The price will say $13.05 at this point.
Step 2: Click on “Subscribe & Save: Save 5%,” choose 6 months, and click subscribe now.
Step 3: Proceed to the final review page and a promotion of $7.18 and $0.65 will automatically be subtracted. The total before signing up should be $5.22.

You can cancel the subscribe and save service at any time after your item ships with absolutely no obligation or penalty. To do so just click here to manage your subscriptions and you can choose to change or cancel your subscriptions at any time. Easy as 1-2-3!

-Pampers Baby Dry, Pampers Swaddlers, and Pampers Cruisers all have $3 off coupons to clip on their product pages.

For example a package of 222 size 3 baby dry diapers will be $37.75 after 20% off subscribe and save for Amazon Mom+Amazon Prime members and $34.75 after the $3 coupon, or just 15.65cpd. Forget cpm (cents per mile, a common frequent flyer metric) we’re talking cents per diaper here

-Pampers wipes like ThickCare Unscented, SoftCare Unscented, and SoftCare Baby Fresh all have $0.50 off coupons to clip on their product pages.

-Huggies Little Movers, Huggies Little Snugglers, and Huggies Overnites all have $2 off coupons to clip on their product pages.

And as always, Amazon Mom gives 20% off on diapers and wipes with subscribe and save.

Please note: This is a paid advertisement which is stickied as the top post, please scroll down for new posts.

Chase has nominated the Friendship Circle of Central NJ in their Giving Campaign where they can win between $50,000 – $250,000!

YOU CAN HELP MAKE THIS HAPPEN WITH A CLICK!

Facebook subscribers, please visit: www.vote4friendship.com and vote! Do a mitzvah for free before the new year!

All Chase Employees and customers votes are worth DOUBLE! To double your vote – just log onto www.chasegiving.com and enter your Chase User ID and Password. Once you are logged in, search for “Friendship Circle, A NJ Nonprofit Corporation” and vote for them. Your 10 seconds can make a difference in the life of a child with Autism or other special needs!

The Friendship Circle is a unique organization that reaches out to children with special needs by providing them with love, friendship and care. They pair local High School teenage volunteers who visit children with the special needs children in their home on a weekly basis. These volunteers also assist in Group Programs- where the children with special needs are provided with appropriate activities for their individual capabilities.

PS: You are also entitled to second vote for another charity. Please choose the Friendship Circle NY.

Update, 09/11/12: Just wanted to share a success story.  A friend of mine was booked on miles to fly on USAirways to Israel before Yom Kippur.  A few weeks ago I noticed that United opened up saver coach award seats and switched him over (and reported the availability in this DDF thread). After switching him over he told me that he really would like to go in business so I called back, had them deduct 20,000 additional miles from his account as if there was saver business space, and they waitlisted him for BusinessFirst on the same flight on which he was confirmed in coach.
Yesterday United emailed him to tell him that he’s now confirmed in BusinessFirst, not bad for peak holiday travel season!
20K miles to have a lie-flat bed on a a 10+ hour overnight flight? I’d take that in a heartbeat!
Have your own success story? Post a comment!
——————————————————
Originally posted on 08/20/12:

Continental had a policy informally known as “Plan B for BusinessFirst” that was simply awesome.

The way it worked is if you found coach saver award availability you could call them up and request to pay for BusinessFirst and be waitlisted for a BusinessFirst seat. For Newark to Tel Aviv that means paying 120,000 miles instead of 80,000 miles for coach.

A nonstop coach ticket that costs $1,600 for 80,000 miles isn’t a bad deal at about 2 cents per mile, but a BusiniessFirst ticket with a lie-flat bed and upgraded food that normally costs $5,000 for 120,000 miles is a much better deal at a value of over 4 cents per mile.

It’s no secret that Tel Aviv is a very hard award ticket to find nonstop availability for, especially in Business class.  While seats often open up close to the flight, most people like to plan in advance.   There are a smattering of seats available though, and they can be found by searching for nonstop flights between EWR and TLV on United.com

I was curious if the Plan B process still works, so I found award space in November and had United call me up. Most of the reps in this department used to work for Continental so I said straight out that during the Continental days I was able to pay for and be waitlisted for BusinessFirst when there is coach saver availability and was wondering if this is still possible. The agent knew exactly what I was talking about and how to set it up.

After just 5 minutes on the phone and paying 120,000 miles and $45.10 tax I had this all set up for me:

The agent said that this will work for BusinessFirst or Global First awards.

Here’s things to keep in mind:

-This only works on United operated flights, not on partner award flights.

-Be sure to request that the phone booking fee be waived as this can’t be done online.

-The waitlist will keep checking for BusinessFirst awards until 24 hours before the flight.  At that point you will be removed from the waitlist.

-If you have not cleared at 24 hours before the flight you’ll want to go to the airport as soon as you can to be added to the airport upgrade standby list.  It is crucial that you explain to the agent that you a “Displaced BusinessFirst passenger.”  This is true because you have paid the full BusinessFirst rate already.  The agent should give you “PR-1 status” which gives you top-priority status and moves you to very top of the upgrade standby list, ahead of employees and everyone else trying to upgrade with miles+cash.  If one agent won’t put you on the list as a displaced BusinessFirst passenger with PR-1 status then find another one who will.  With this status the odds of you getting into BusinessFirst are very high.

-If the agents in the airport are all clueless you should direct them to look up “gg onestandby” in their system (they’ll know what this is) and look around lines 85-89 which spell out the details of the procedure for this award. (Parenthetically, when trying to get a gate pass to access a club when I’m not flying I sometimes need to tell an agent to look up “gg checkpoint line 53″ which instructs agents to give you a security pass for you and your guests to access post-security United and USAirways clubs even if you aren’t flying.)

-If they need to verify that you are really on a BusinessFirst award then have them call up the reward desk.

-If you do not clear into BusinessFirst just contact United after the flight and they will refund the extra miles you paid for BusinessFirst.  For EWR-TLV this means a refund of the extra 20,000 miles each way they charge to fly in BusinessFirst saver over coach saver.

-If you are on a connecting flight you should be waitlisted for First Class on all of the connecting flights.  Say you are coming from Los Angeles, even if you clear into first class on the LAX-EWR flight, as long as you don’t clear on the international EWR-TLV flight you will still get the 20,000 miles each way refund!

Valid through 09/13:

Esq by Movado Women’s Collection Watch
-Retails for $295, on sale for $159, now just $68 shipped with code (Exp: 09/13): AFFCOLLECTION68

Bulova Men’s Adenturer Watch
-Retails for $375, on sale for $149, now just $99 shipped with code (Exp: 09/13): AFFADVEN99

Coach Women’s Madison Watch
-Retails for $398, on sale for $279, now just $199 shipped with code (Exp: 09/13): AFFMADISON199
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Valid through 09/17:

Skagen Men’s Modern Watch
-Retails for $100, on sale for $72, now just $45 shipped with code (Exp: 09/17): DANSMODERN45

Hamilton Men’s Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO Auto Chrono Watch
-Retails for $1,195, on sale for $1,207, now just $799 shipped with code (Exp: 09/17): DANSCHRONO799

Rado Men’s Chronograph Watch
-Retails for $2,700, on sale for $1,674, now just $1,079 shipped with code (Exp: 09/17): AFFCHRONO1079
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-2-year warranty on all watches
-30-day money back guarantee
-100% brand-new, authentic watches

Perfumania Linky

-One day sale for 09/11: Buy one perfume/cologne, get one of equal or lesser value half off. (Excludes Coach)
-Stackable coupon for $10 off $50: SAVE10
-$75+ orders get a free XOXO For Women Pink/Black Tote Bag ($25 value) automatically added to their cart.
-Receive free shipping with any $50 purchase.
-Receive free samples with every order.

For example, for the extra-large 4.2 ounce bottle of Light Blue for Men By Dolce & Gabbana Cologne, the price you would pay if you walked into Macy’s would be $73 plus tax. The price from Perfumania is $71.99. If you bought 2 (of course you don’t have to buy 2 of the same item) the price for both with the $10 off code would make the order total $97.98 (plus tax if applicable) with the free tote bag and free shipping as well.

Update: DEAD!

Lenovo Wireless Mouse Linky

Use code: USP1SP36666

Shoebuy Linky
Shoebuy Crocs Post Linky

You can use one of the following codes:

-Use the following code for 25% off: EMLMYSTERY25
Or
-Use the following code for $10 off $10: EMLLABORDAY12

Shoebuy always offers free shipping and free return shipping and a 100% Price Guarantee!

HT: jewda, via DDF

3 Boxes Of Kellogg’s Apple Jacks Cereal Linky

Kosher parve.

Step 1: Select “12.2-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 3)” and “Amazon Frustration-Free.” The price will say $13.99 at this point.
Step 2: Click on “Subscribe & Save: Save 5%,” choose 6 months, and click subscribe now.
Step 3: Proceed to the final review page and a promotion of $7.69 and $0.70 will automatically be subtracted. The total before signing up should be $5.60.

You can cancel the subscribe and save service at any time after your item ships with absolutely no obligation or penalty. To do so just click here to manage your subscriptions and you can choose to change or cancel your subscriptions at any time. Easy as 1-2-3!

Please note: This is a paid advertisement which is stickied as the top post, please scroll down for new posts.

2012 Chrysler Town and Country Touring $0 Sign and Drive Event!

All you pay is… NOTHING when you pick up your new Mini Van!
After that it’s only $319 per month including tax!

$0 first payment! $0 Bank Fee! $0 Registration Fees! $0 Security Deposit! $0 Disposition Fee!
______________________________________

The 2012 Chrysler Town and Country Features:
Leather Seating for 7
Power Sliding Doors
Power Rear Liftgate
Backup Camera
Bluetooth
DVD Player
XM Radio

Limited Quantity! No Rainchecks!

Call PALs 718-975-9000 to Lease Today and say you saw it on Dan’s Deals to Lock in this deal!

Visit plazaautoleasing.com for all of our specials!

-If you currently drive a Toyota Camry, you can save up to $1000 on your next Toyota lease!
Click Here to fill out the coupon form and see if you qualify!
-If you have less than 11 months left on your current lease, you may qualify to get a NEW lease for less right now! This goes for any make or model! Call 718-975-9000 for details!
Check out all of our specials online at www.plazaautoleasing.com !

*Important details:
Due at signing $0! Lease is for 36 months/10k miles per year.
Residency restrictions apply. Expires 9/18/2012! Limited availability

Fly round-trip to Israel for about 37K points with no fuel surcharges!

Related:
-Get A 40% Bonus When You Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points Into British Airways Avios!
-50,000 Point Signup Bonus For the American Express Business Gold Rewards Card!
-Air France/KLM Flying Blue Slashes Fuel Surcharges On Delta Award Tickets
-Which Miles To Use To Fly To Israel?
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25% Bonus For Transferring Membership Rewards Points To Flying Blue

Through 09/16 you will get 1,350 Flying Blue miles for every 1,000 American Express Membership Rewards Points. You are able to borrow up to 60,000 points by calling Membership Rewards if you have a Platinum card and up to 15,000 points on other charge cards. Points must be paid back (through opening new cards or spending) within 12 months.

Flying Blue is the mileage program of Air France and KLM.  They are both Skyteam alliance members, as is Delta.

Flying Blue is known for low mileage rates but high fuel surcharges.  However they don’t charge fuel surcharges when flying on Delta. Another nice thing about Flying Blue is that they allow one-way redemptions, something that Delta does not allow you to do with their miles.

Bear in mind that Flying Blue points expire after 20 months and the only way to extend them is to credit a paid Skyteam flight (like on Delta) to Flying Blue.  So think twice before sending points over without having any use in mind and remember that promos like these come and go and will likely be back in the future.

Promo Awards:
With their promo awards you can fly from rotating cities in the US and Canada (currently JFK, Chicago, and Miami are among the cities on the current list for example) to Europe (which includes Israel in the Flying Blue program) for just 25,000 miles round-trip. However fuel surcharges on promo awards to Israel can run you about $550 round-trip. Promo awards are only for travel on Air France or KLM, not on any partners.

Availability with the promo awards to Israel is always low, but is especially low right now as the current award runs through October, peak travel time for Israel. They will open up November and December next month when availability should be better. For now though a quick search from JFK-TLV showed that you can fly one-way to Israel on 10/23 for 12,500 miles plus $249.10 in fuel surcharges or from Israel to JFK on 10/17 or 10/24 for 12,500 miles plus $302 in fuel surcharges.
With the current 35% bonus that’s using the equivalent of just 9,259 AMEX points. In business class the rate would be 25,000 miles each way plus fuel surcharges, or the equivalent of just 18,518 AMEX points.

Delta awards: Surcharge-free.
Flying Blue will book you on Delta to Israel with no fuel surcharges and at the Europe rates. That means 50,000 miles round-trip in coach or 100,000 miles round-trip in business.
With the transfer bonus that means you can get to Israel for the equivalent of just 37,037 AMEX points in coach or the equivalent of 74,074 in business, and there are no fuel surcharges!

The major caveat is that Flying Blue can only book you on Delta’s “Low” availability and you won’t even see Delta as an option when you search for flights on Air France’s website unless there is Delta Low availability (the green dates on Delta.com)
You can find Delta low availability on the Air France site by locating dates on the calendar with significantly lower fees than the other dates.
Beware that Delta’s “Low” availability, especially in business, can be very hard to find at times as they are quite stingy with releasing it. Always search for award availability before transferring points!

Delta charges 80,000 miles to Israel in coach and 120,000 miles in business (if you find low tier availability) if you book on Flying Blue it’s only 50,000 in coach and 100,000 in business on Delta.
By transferring to Flying Blue for Delta flights to Israel you will save about 43,000 points on coach (37K vs. 80K) or 46,000 points on a business (74K vs. 120K) ticket as opposed to booking directly from Delta.

Delta flies nonstop between JFK and Tel Aviv.

Take a look at this search from JFK-TLV on 11/13 in coach that I did on the Air France site (You need to signup for a free mileage account to search for awards):

You can see that on 10/30 there is a promo award as it prices out at 12,500 miles (plus $249), right now the promo awards have not yet been released for November though.

The dates that have 25,000 miles plus $19 are the Delta nonstop flights, pretty easy to find.  Bear in mind that taxes from Israel will run $59.

Business class is attainable as well, as you can see here:

Again, the dates for 50,000 miles plus $19 are in Delta BusinessElite class.

Other destinations:

Of course this isn’t good just for Israel.

-The same rates that apply for Israel will also work for all of Europe.  Delta flights will be just 25K miles each way.

-A one-way flight from JFK to LAX is 12,500 miles plus $2.50 and will be the equivalent of just 9,259 AMEX points.

The dates with 12,500 miles+$2.50 are nonstops.

Find other great uses? Post a comment!

Membership Rewards Cards:

American Express Consumer Platinum Card

American Express Consumer Premier Rewards Gold Card

American Express Business Gold Rewards Card

American Express Business Platinum Card

HT: creditor, via DDF

-Find more articles like this by clicking on the “Trip Notes” tab on top of the DansDeals banner at the top of this site.

Background:
A couple weeks ago I asked for your Vancouver tips and got lots of them, so first of all thanks for your help!  The suggestions were great and anyone going to Vancouver should definitely look through them.

More after the jump…
Click here to read the rest of this post!»

Update: DEAD!

Signup for a Lowe’s account here and get a $10 off $10 coupon.

I received my $10 off $10 coupon about a day after signing up. The coupon will expire 10/31.

Be sure to print multiple copies of your coupon! While it will only work once at Lowe’s stores or online I have always had success using Lowe’s coupons at Home Depot and vice versa…

HT: bubbles, via DDF

Bookable on Orbitz (with regular mileage earning, free cancellations until 11pm ET the day after you book, and price assurance refunds).

The routing on Delta will be via JFK. See the comments for how to make this work for travel starting in NYC.

Sample valid date is 11/11-11/18.

Travel is valid on select dates between November and March, but seats are limited.

Check the Orbitz box to search “3 days before and after” to help find valid dates.

HT: Finckmyster, via DDF

Update: DEAD!

Amazon Lightning Deal Linky

This is $50 off instantly with Amazon lightning deals until sold out!

-World’s Thinnest Camera with 28mm Wide-Angle Lens, 12x Optical Zoom, and Optical Image Stabilizer
-12.1 Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor and DIGIC 4 Image Processor
-Full HD Video Recording at 1080p in Stereo Sound
-3.2-Inch Wide Touch Panel LCD
-Smart AUTO Funciton Based on 32 Predefined Shooting Situations

HT: jewda, via DDF

Buy this computer on an American Express card like the Starwood AMEX Consumer Card or the Starwood AMEX Business Card and you’ll get a 2nd year of top notch warranty coverage from AMEX for free! Have a problem with the laptop during the AMEX warranty year? AMEX will pay to fix the problem or refund the entire purchase price of your computer, free of any hassle!

Asus 15.6″ Laptop Linky

Save an additional $20 via Twitter with American Express, dropping the $299.99 sale price down to $279.99.

-Windows 7 Home Premium
-Intel 2nd Generation Core i3 2.2GHz
-500GB HD
-4GB RAM
-15.6″ LED Display (1366×768)
-CD/DVD Double Layer Burner
-802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
-Webcam

HT: DH Data Recovery, via DDF

You can use Amazon gift cards saved in your amazon account on Endless.com. If you have a Chase Ink Bold, Ink Plus, Ink Cash, or Ink Classic card you can buy these at office supply stores and earn 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent (or about a 9% rebate) on gift cards and everything else from office supply stores as well as on your cable and landline/cellular bills.

Endless.com Sale Page

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Today only, Friday Sale: Save up to 60% on select shoes and watches.

Men’s Shoes Friday Sale

Women’s Shoes Friday Sale

Kids Shoes Friday Sale

Watches Friday Sale
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Save up to 45% instantly on on these watches and jewelry:

Watches Linky

Jewelry Linky
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Endless.com:
-Is an Amazon owned site, you just login with your Amazon login info!
-Ships your shoes out overnight or 2nd day for free.
-Return shipping is always free!
-Offers a 100% price guarantee, so if you find a cheaper price on another site, or even if their own price goes down, you will get a refund of the difference!

Shutterfly Photo Books Linky

Shutterfly gives away codes for free 8×8 photo books like candy. However we’re in love with their 8×11 size, the extra 3 inches really make it into a beautiful keepsake book. We make an 8×11 book for every vacation we take (big bookcase )

Which is why I was excited to see that this code isn’t just for a free 8×8 book (normally $29.99), but it will also make the normally $34.99 8×11 hardcover photo book just $5 plus shipping!

Use the following code for $29.99 off 8×8, 8×11, or 12×12 hardcover photo books (Exp: 09/12): SUMMERBOOK

HT: Chaya

1. Signup for Scott Shared Values here and fill out a form.

Print the coupon if you want or just click “No thanks. Take me to the Amazon page” and then get your coupon code.

Click here to enter your $5 Amazon MP3 code

-Credit expires 01/31/13.

Jewish music downloads include 8th day, Lipa Schmeltzer, Moshav, Avraham Fried, Matisyahu, Blue Fringe, Benny Friedman, Yossi Green, and hundreds of other albums by Sameach Music! Amazon has new albums like 8th Day’s All You Got and Lipa’s “Leap of Faith” that you can pick song from for free.

HT: Yossi, via DDF

Update: This deal ends 09/16.  You can always just pick up $200 of Amazon or other gift cards sold at Best Buy and get $20 back from AMEX!

Originally posted on 07/26:

Sync your American Express card with your twitter account and get bonus savings!  Remember to make a note of which card you link. You can only link one card per twitter account.  You can get credit for additional user accounts, but they need to be linked to their own twitter account.

Just tweet the hashtag below and within a minute you will got confirmation (by clicking on @connect) that you have successfully enrolled in the promotion. A link to promo terms will be included in the confirmation tweet.

Tweet #AmexBestBuy20, get back $20 on $200+
Registration is limited, a single $200+ purchase must be made online or in store by 09/16.

See other current AMEX Twitter offers here.

Don’t have a twitter account? It just takes a minute to open one up and then you’ll be able to get a tweet when a deal is posted on this site by following @dansdeals! You can can even choose to get a text message (and choose which hours of the night not to bother you) whenever DansDeals.com is updated!

Jos A Bank Deal of the Day Linky

Wrinkle-free 100% cotton shirts (Stays Cool and Traveler) are on clearance today only for $19.97.

You can also save $20 on $100+ orders (which will more than negate any shipping charges) with code: rmncanada20

If you just want 5 shirts there are fillers you can get to get over $100 like a $5 lint roller or a $7 shoe shiner.

Shipping is free on $195+ orders.

Returns or exchanges can be made in-store or by mail.

“Your satisfaction is the cornerstone of our business. With 105 years of manufacturing expertise, we guarantee our clothing to be of the finest quality. Every item will give you complete satisfaction, or you may return it for a refund.”
There is no time limit for returns to Jos. A. Bank!

HT: YYS

All certificates listed below are currently in stock, but some will sell out quickly. If you find any more kosher restaurants please post a comment!

This appears to be the best sale scheduled for the month of September and it is only valid until tomorrow.

You can only use 1 certificate per table.

Restaurant.com Linky

To get the prices listed below, enter the following code in your cart and then click “apply” to take 60% off of the regular discounted coupon price (Exp: 09/07): MENU

Once bought the certificated never expire! Be sure to read the restrictions that apply to each restaurant before purchasing. Note the hours listed on restaurant.com are often incorrect (it shows many eateries being open on Saturday when they are not, etc).

Kosher restaurants (Remember to verify kosher supervision before eating at any restaurant) include:

Lakewood, NJ

-Circa Lakewood Restaurant & Catering-$5 off $10 dinner, Normally $2, now $0.80 after coupon code.
-$10 Off $20 Dinner, Normally $4, Now $1.60 after coupon code.

-Rimon Steakhouse-$25 Off 2 Dinner Entrees, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code.

Las Vegas:

-Panini Cafe-$15 off $22.50 Dinner, Normally $6, Now $2.40 after coupon code.
-$25 Off $45 Dinner, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code.

Los Angeles Metro:

-Haifa Restaurant-$15 off $22.50, Normally $6, Now $2.40 after coupon code.
$25 Off $37.50, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code.

-Pita Stop-$10 Off $20, Normally $4, Now $1.60 after coupon code.

-Sassi Mediterranean Restaurant:-$15 Off $22.50, Normally $6, Now $2.40 after coupon code.

-Stacey’s Cafe Delish-$10 Off $15, Normally $4, Now $1.60 after coupon code.
$15 off $22.50, Normally $6, Now $2.40 after coupon code.
$25 Off $35, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code.

Miami Metro:

-17 Restaurant and Sushi Bar-$10 Off $20, Normally $4, Now $1.60 after coupon code.
$15 off $22.50 Dinner, Normally $6, Now $2.40 after coupon code.
$25 Off $50 Dinner, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code

-Golda Glatt Kosher Restaurant-$15 Off $22.50, Normally $6, Now $2.40 after coupon code.

-Mozart Cafe-$10 Off $15, Normally $4, Now $1.60 after coupon code.
$25 Off $37.50, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code.

New York Metro:

-Hapina Steakhouse-$10 Off $15, Normally $4, Now $1.60 after coupon code.
$15 off $22.50, Normally $6, Now $2.40 after coupon code.
$25 Off $37.50, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code.

-Roslyn Village Pizza-$10 Off $20 Dinner, Normally $4, Now $1.60 after coupon code.

-Safa:-$15 off $22.50 Dinner, Normally $6, Now $2.40 after coupon code.
-$25 Off $35 Dinner, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code.
-$50 Off $100 Dinner, Normally $20, Now $8 after coupon code.

-Traditions-$25 Off $50 dinner, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code.
$50 Off $100 dinner, Normally $20, Now $8 after coupon code.

-Turnpike Cafe-$5 off $10, Normally $2, now $0.80 after coupon code.
$10 Off $15, Normally $4, Now $1.60 after coupon code.
$15 off $22.50, Normally $6, Now $2.40 after coupon code.

-Turquoise Kosher Fish Restaurant-$10 Off $15, Normally $4, Now $1.60 after coupon code.
$15 off $22.50, Normally $6, Now $2.40 after coupon code.
$25 Off $37.50, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code.

-Wolf & Lamb Steakhouse-$25 Off 2 Entrees, Normally $10, Now $4 after coupon code.

S. Antonio, Texas:

-Cafe Aroma-$10 Off $15, Normally $4, Now $1.60 after coupon code.

HT: jewda, via DDF

Click HERE to participate!

AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY: Not only can you win $25,000 or an ArtScroll Shas, a donor has agreed to match the first $25,000 raised by this Sunday!

For over 78 years, the Rabbinical Seminary of America, popularly known as Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, has been fulfilling its two-fold objective: to provide young Jews with an outstanding Torah education of the highest caliber, and to equip them with the training and commitment to serve in leadership positions for Jewish communities throughout the world. With the majority of the yeshiva’s rabbinic graduates entering communal service, RSA is at the forefront of a Torah renaissance, producing rabbonim, principals, teachers and outreach workers who are revitalizing Jewish life on this continent and beyond.

Free BJ’s 60 Day Pass Linky

BJ’s Store Locator Linky

You must activate the pass by 12/31/12.

The nice thing about BJ’s is that (unlike Sam’s and Costco) they accept manufacturer’s coupons and they have a wider variety of items.

Update: Dead for now, but rumor has it that it may return soon, so stay tuned!
As far as all of you that got the 3pm daily email digest and are busy lashing out at my inbox, what you need to do is follow @DansDeals on twitter. You’ll get a tweet when a deal is posted on DansDeals.com! And you can even opt-in to get a text message (and choose which hours of the night not to bother you) whenever DansDeals.com is updated!
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Until 3pm EDT today, tickets booked on Alitalia.com are 15% off with code: HAPPYUS15
You can book Delta and other Skyteam flights on Alitalia.com.

-Delta has matched El Al and United’s $1,000 winter sale to Israel. I searched for 11/14-11/21, selected the nonstop Delta flights, and then entered the E-Coupon code above on the ticket details screen. The price then fell from $1,003 to $852.55 with tax.

-For JFK-Los Angeles I searched for 11/07-11/14 and the price dropped from $238 to $201.96. The price will be the same to S. Francisco as well.

-LGA to Fort Lauderdale on 11/12-11/19 priced out at $200 and dropped to $169.66

-You can go from Chicago to Istanbul for cheap as well. I searched 12/02-12/09 and the price dropped from $530 to $449.91. From IST you should be able to find cheap flights onto Tel Aviv as well.

“When you purchase a ticket through Alitalia’s U.S. web site, we will allow you to cancel without penalty and receive a full refund within 24 hours after your purchase, if the reservation is made one week or more prior to scheduled flight departure. Cancellations and refunds for qualifying web site purchases may be requested by calling 800-223-5730.”

Find any other great deals? Post a comment!

HT: tdb, via DDF

Related reading for those interested in going to Hawaii:

Related DD Posts:
-Which Miles To Use To Fly To Hawaii?
-The Hawaiian Islands.
-Hawaii Trip Notes: Oahu (2009)
-Hawaii Trip Notes: Kauai (2009)
-Traveling To Hawaii…With A 5 Month Old!

Related DDF Threads:
-Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
-Big Island Of Hawaii Master Thread
-Kauai Master Thread
-Maui Master Thread
-Oahu Master Thread
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www.hyatt.com

The Grand Hyatt Kauai, one of my favorite resorts on one of my favorite places in the world, is having a pretty nice sale.

Daily rates from now through 10/31 are just $299 and from 11/01 through 12/23 are just $279.  After that rates go back up to the standard $459 per night.

Tax adds 13.42% and there is also a $25/day resort fee, making the $279 rate become $341.44 all-in.  The normal $459 rate is $545.60 all-in, so this is a savings of more than $200 per night.

Of course you can also stay free with no blackout dates, no tax, and no resort fees with award nights by opening a card like Chase Hyatt, which gives 2 free nights worldwide for spending $1 and Platinum elite status which gives you room upgrades and free internet. Plus if you already have Hyatt elite status (or are elite with another chain to match to Hyatt) you also get suite upgrades when you apply for the card.
Of course you can also stay for free with Ultimate Rewards points from Chase cards such as Sapphire Preferred Visa, Sapphire Preferred World Mastercard, Freedom Visa, Freedom Mastercard, Ink Bold, Ink Plus, Ink Classic, or Ink Cash.

The Grand Hyatt Kauai is a top-tier category 6 hotel, and would require 22,000 points per night in a standard room or 33,000 points per night in a suite. Ultimate Rewards points transfer instantly to anyone’s Hyatt account at a 1:1 ratio.

HT: momo, via DDF

This great deal on a fully loaded laptop will end today!

Buy this computer on an American Express card like the Starwood AMEX Consumer Card or the Starwood AMEX Business Card and you’ll get a 2nd year of top notch warranty coverage from AMEX for free! Have a problem with the laptop during the AMEX warranty year? AMEX will pay to fix the problem or refund the entire purchase price of your computer, free of any hassle!

Buy anything from HP with an American Express business card like the Starwood AMEX Business Card, the Open Gold Charge card, or the Platinum Charge card, and get 5%-10% cash back on top of the regular points earned for the purchase with automatic Open Savings! If you spend $200-$999 from HP in a year then the cash rebate will be 5%. If you spend $1,000 or more in a year then the cash rebate will be 10%!
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HP dv6t Quad Edition 15.6″ Laptop

Use the following coupon code in your cart to drop the price down to $699.99: NB2481

Specs at $699.99:
-Windows 7 Home Premium
-3rd Generation Intel Quad Core i7-3610QM (2.3 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache)
-NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M Graphics with 1GB GDDR3 memory
-8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) RAM
-Microsoft Office Starter 2010 (Word/Excel)
-Upgrade available to 1TB hard drive for free!
-Upgrade available to 9 cell battery for $20 or to a 2nd battery for $60
-15.6″ HD HP BrightView LED Display (1366×768)
-Upgrade available to 1080p Full HD Anti-glare (1920 x 1080) for $150
-CD/DVD Double Layer Burner
-802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
-HP TrueVision HD Webcam
-Standard Keyboard with numeric keypad
-Upgrade available to Backlit Keyboard for $25
-HDMI Output

HT: Name Changed, via DDF

Please note: This is a paid advertisement which is stickied as the top post, please scroll down for new posts.

Orders placed by September 6th are guaranteed to arrive on time for Rosh Hashana!

JWines.com has the lowest prices for kosher wine anywhere. It’s not too late for you to order your wine for Rosh Hashana, so act fast and take advantage of the best pricing on kosher wine!

Plus here is another great offer exclusively for DansDeals readers! Get 10% off on all regularly priced wines with code: dansdeals10
Offer expires September 6, 2012. Not valid for wine club or gift certificates.

JWines.com: The Internet’s premier kosher wine seller!

Update: Now $134.63.

Garmin Nuvi 1390LMT Linky

This is the lowest Amazon price ever for this GPS, the price on this yesterday was $140.23.

This GPS is compatible with Garmin’s Israel maps and is fully loaded with great features like:
-Sunlight-readable, 4.3″ backlit TFT color touchscreen display with 480 x 272 WQVGA pixel resolution
-Preloaded City Navigator NT North America (U.S. and Canada)
-Free lifetime map and traffic updates for the most up-to-date maps, POIs, and navigation info, along with constantly updated traffic information
-Advanced navigation features including voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, lane assist with junction view, fuel-saving ecoRoute
-Integrated Bluetooth wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker for hands-free calling

Related: Basic Starbucks Spending Strategies.

Living Social: $5 For A $10 Starbucks Gift Card

Limit of 1 code per living social account/credit card.

Once you get the eGift card code you will be able to signin at Starbucks.com and transfer over your $5 code onto your existing Starbucks plastic gift card.

HT: asks, via DDF

Bookable on Orbitz (with regular mileage earning, free cancellations until 11pm ET the day after you book, and price assurance refunds).

The routing on Delta will be via JFK.

Sample valid date is 11/11-11/21.

Travel is valid on select dates between November and March, but seats are limited.

Check the Orbitz box to search “3 days before and after” to help find valid dates.

HT: WhyAich, via DDF

Valid through 09/04:

Skagen Men’s Titanium Watch
-Retails for $130, on sale for $78, now just $56 shipped with code (Exp: 09/04): DANSTITANIUM56

Michele Women’s Sport Sail Watch
Features 96 white diamonds.
-Retails for $1,995, on sale for $1,245, now just $1,125 shipped with code (Exp: 09/04): DANSAIL1125
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Valid through 09/07:

Bulova Women’s Crystal Watch
-Retails for $299, on sale for $139, now just $89.99 shipped with code (Exp: 09/07): AFFCRYSTAL89

TechnoMarine Women’s Cruise Original Medium Watch
-Retails for $1,995, on sale for $750, now just $369 shipped with code (Exp: 09/07): AFFTECHNO369
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Valid through 09/10:

ESQ by Movado Women’s Sienna Watch
-Retails for $350, on sale for $179, now just $78 shipped with code (Exp: 09/10): DANSSIENNA78

Baume and Mercier Women’s Riviera Lady Watch
-Retails for $1,790, on sale for $809, now just $519 shipped with code (Exp: 09/10): DANSRIVIERA519
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Valid through 09/11:

Rado Men’s Integral Watch
-Retails for $2,300, on sale for $1,426, now just $879 shipped with code (Exp: 09/11): AFFRADO879
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-2-year warranty on all watches
-30-day money back guarantee
-100% brand-new, authentic watches

Bookable on Orbitz (with regular mileage earning, free cancellations until 11pm ET the day after you book, and price assurance refunds).

El Al and United have nonstop flights from NYC to Tel Aviv this winter for just $999 round-trip with tax. Flights are available from mid-October until mid-March.

A sample valid date for $999 on El Al or $1,003 on United is 01/27/13-02/04/13.

Nonstop flights from LAX are also available on El Al for $1,138 (Sample date: 01/29/13-02/07/13)

Connecting flights from either city can be found for less, but this is a good price for nonstops.

Seats are of course limited as always.  Check the Orbitz box to search “3 days before and after” to help find valid dates.

The El Al flights are from EWR and JFK but are in the U fare class which does not appear to earn any AAdvantage miles. Of course you can earn El Al points but those must be used on El Al only, will expire in 3 years regardless of activity, and include a mandatory fuel surcharge of hundreds of dollars when redeeming.

The United flights are only from EWR but they will earn full Mileage Plus miles which never expire if you maintain activity or have their credit card, can be used on dozens of partners airlines, and never include any fuel surcharges.

HT: yitzyul, via DDF

Coupon Linky (Exp: 09/16)

Not valid on sale items.

Fair warning, H&M’s infant and kids clothing are really cute and I assume no responsibility for the amount of kids clothing you may come home with

Update: The 30K offer is now dead.

Related posts:
-4BM Success! (2 consumer card and 2 business card approvals with just 1 hard pull!)
-Which Miles To Use To Israel? (Hint: You can get to Israel round-trip for as little as 20,000 Starpoints with fuel surcharges or 40,000 Starpoints with no fuel surcharges!)
-Poll: What Do You Do With Your Starpoints? (Also: Using 4,000 Starpoints to save $767 on a hotel in Israel)
-Breaking Down Which Credit Card To Use.
-Credit Score FAQs Part 1: Opening And Closing Cards
-Credit Card Reconsideration: Don’t Give Up!
-Need To Meet A Spending Threshold Deadline? Send And Receive $1,000/Month With No Fees Using Amazon Payments!
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Starwood American Express Consumer Card Linky

Starwood American Express Business Card Linky

This is a limited time offer scheduled to run until 09/04, though it can end at any time.

Keep this number handy in case you are denied, American Express application reconsideration: 866-314-0237.
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Spending on the Starwood card:

The Starwood card remains an awesome card for spending.  While the Chase Freedom card is great for small purchases if you also have a Chase checking account and the Sapphire Preferred card is great for travel, dining, and purchases made outside of the US, the Starwood card remains awesome for general purchases.

Starpoints are the most valuable mileage currency. They also generously allow members at the same address to transfer points between their accounts for free.

The Starwood card earns 2 Starpoints per dollar at Starwood hotels, or a 4.6% rebate at a value of 2.3 cents per Starpoint. It earns 1 Starpoint per dollar everywhere else, or a 2.3% rebate.  There are thousands of uses for Starpoints, some of which have been over 50 cents for me, but I always aim for a minimum value of 2.3 cents per point.

The card also carries American Express’ awesome top-notch protections that are light-years better than any other banks. Other banks always look for a way to get out, but that’s not the case with American Express. If you need to return an item they will gladly refund you, if you have an warranty issue they’ll pay to have it fixed or refund your purchase price, if you need to dispute a charge there’s nobody who makes it easier or as pain-free as American Express does, if your item is stolen or damaged you’ll be covered.

With this offer you will get 10,000 bonus points for spending $1 and 20,000 bonus points for spending $5,000 within 6 months.  So spend $5,000 and you’ll have 35,000 Starwood points!
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Annual fee: Making it pay for itself.

There’s no fee on the Starwood card for the first year and $65 thereafter though you can often get bonus points or account credits for keeping it open for additional years. You can always cancel any American Express card within 60 days of being charged the fee on your statement and you will receive a full refund of the fee. If you cancel after 60 days you get a pro-rated refund based on how many months you had the card.

That small annual fee is nothing compared to what you can make from promotions like Small Business Saturday, Link, Like, Love, Foursquare, Twitter, Gift Chain, NYC Mix-n-Match Promo, and tons of other promotions that American Express runs all year long.  I’ve made thousands and thousands of dollars from these and so can you!  Additional cardholders are free on the Starwood card, and each one qualifies for their own promotion credits!

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Business cards and Open Savings:

Getting a business card is simple. If Joe Smith sells items on Ebay or on Amazon, or has any other side business/hobby and wants a credit card to better keep track of business expenditures he can just open a business credit card for “Joe Smith Sole Proprietorship” as the business name.
Just be sure to select “Sole Proprietorship” as the business type and just use your social security number in the Tax Identification Number field as well as in the social security number field.

A perk of business card spending is that it doesn’t count against your credit utilization, so you don’t need to worry about the credit affect of using up a majority of your credit line, something that is bad for your credit if done on a personal card even if you pay it off every statement (which is why I pay off personal cards multiple times per month).

It’s also worth remembering that the credit line (and utilization) of business cards are not reported on your personal credit report, thus closing them also won’t effect your score.

With the Starwood business card you will get Starpoints AND automatic cash back on purchases from these select retailers with Open Savings:

Barnes & Noble online: 5%, Epson: 5%, Fedex: 5%, Flowers.com: 5%, Hyatt: 3%, HP: 5% if you spend $200-$999 annually, 10% if you spend $1,000-$50,000 annually, Microsoft Store: 5%, Courtyard/Fairfield/TownePlace/SpringHill/Residence Inn by Marriott: 5%, Office Max online: 5% on purchases up to $250, 10% on purchases above $250.
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Elite Status:

Just by having a Starwood card you earn Preferred Plus status.  This status earns you the right to checkout at 4pm at Starwood hotels and preferred rooms.

If you spend $30,000 in a year on either Starwood card you earn Gold status.  Gold status gets you free wifi or a 250 point amenity on all stays, even when redeeming points.  You can also get automatic gold status with no spending requirement by opening an American Express Platinum Consumer card or an American Express Business Platinum card.

When you have the Starwood card you also get other benefits like every 3rd night free at Sheraton, 5th night free in French Polynesia and Hawaii with free resort credit, and 2 elite qualifying stays and 5 elite qualifying nights for every Starwood card that you have that count towards earning Gold or Platinum status!

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Using Starpoints:

As points are deposited into your Starwood account you do not lose your points if you cancel your card like with American Express Membership Rewards points.  You do need to maintain some activity in your Starwood account every 12 months though to keep it active.

Starwood’s cash and points chart make expensive hotel stays dirt cheap.  Take the Sheraton at my hometown Cleveland airport for example.  The rate there for tonight is $189+tax=$223.  Using Starpoints you can either pay 4,000 points for a value of 5.6 cents per Starpoint or you can use 1,600  points and $30 cash for a value of over 12 cents per Starpoint!  (I’ll run the numbers for you, if you redeem all 30,000 bonus Starpoints for hotels of a similar 12 cent value, and I have done much better than that example, that would equal a $3,600 signup bonus) Plus award nights even count towards elite status and Gold members receive 250 points back and Platinum members receive 500 points back per stay.  Effectively as a Platinum member I can stay at the Sheraton Cleveland for just 1,100 points plus $30 instead of $223 and be a stay closer towards requalifying for Platinum status.

When you redeem points for a hotel stay when using just points you also get the 5th night for free!  Plus there are no blackout dates or capacity controls on standard rooms starting at 2,000 points per night.

Of you can transfer your Starpoints into miles with dozens of airlines at great ratios.  20,000 Starpoints becomes 25,000 miles on most of those airlines.  20,000 Starpoints becomes 50,000 kilometers on LAN, a South American OneWorld carrier.  LAN never charges any fuel surcharges.

The Starwood card is much better than other cards (Like HAS advantage) for going to Israel. With HAS you are stuck with just the availability on El Al. Plus El Al charges hundreds of dollars in fuel surcharges on award tickets.
With Starwood you have thousands of routing possibilities for free flights to Israel for less points than with HAS. And even if you want to only go to Israel on El Al you can just transfer Starwood points to AA and they will book you on El Al without any fuel surcharges!

There are also often bonus miles promotions for even more miles when you transfer points to airlines.  In the past bonuses for transferring have ranged from 25% to a whopping 312% for transfers to Air Canada, AA, Delta, and USAirways on top of the standard 25% transfer bonus.

Starwood Nights and flights option makes 5 night stays even cheaper when you transfer Starpoints to miles at the same time as when you book the stay.

Curious about the 31 Starwood transfer options and ratios? Here they are!  With so may different airlines to transfer to it’s just a matter of figuring out which one has the lowest rates to where you want to go.  I’ve separated them by alliance so you can know which airlines are partners and will therefore let you book award travel on partner airlines.  Of course airlines also have lots non-alliance partners, but by definition they are partners with all airlines in the same alliance.

OneWorld Alliance:
AA: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Air Berlin: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
British Airways: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
JAL/Japan Airways: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
LAN: 20,000 Starpoints=50,000 kms
Mexicana: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles

Skyteam Alliance:
Air France/KLM Flying Blue: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Alitalia: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
China Eastern: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
China Southern: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Delta: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles

Star Alliance:
Air Canada: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Air China: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Air New Zealand: 20,000 Starpoints=385 points
ANA/All Nippon: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Asiana: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Lufthansa Miles & More: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Singapore: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Thai: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
United: 20,000 Starpoints=12,500 miles
USAirways: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles

Unaligned:
Alaska (Partners with many various airlines): 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Emirates: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Etihad: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Hawaiian: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Kingfisher: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Qatar: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Saudi Arabian: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles
Varig: 20,000 Starpoints=12,500 miles
Virgin Atlantic: 20,000 Starpoints=25,000 miles

Related deal: Paul Fredrick White Dress Shirts, Normally $44.50 For Just $19.95/Shirt! Plus Get Free Monogramming!
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Jos A. Bank Linky

Last week many people’s orders for the now discontinued stays-cool shirts were cancelled due to them overselling how many they had.

Their buy 1, get 2 free sale runs until tonight and you can get some good deals here as well.

You can get 3 of the top-rated:
-Traveler Wrinkle-Free 100% Cotton Dress Shirts or
-Traveler Wrinkle-Free 100% Cotton Tailored Fit Dress Shirts for $87.50.

These shirts are more durable and less see-through than the stay-cool shirts.

You can also check out their top-quality Signature Winkle-Free 100% Cotton Dress Shirts which will be 3 for $135 with this deal before the $20 coupon savings.

You can use the buy 1, get 2 free sitewide and you can mix-and-match with any other items, like Wool Dress Pants.

You can also save $20 on $100+ orders (which will more than negate any shipping charges) with code: rmncanada20

Shipping is free on $195+ orders.

Consumer Reports ranked the Jos A. Banks Traveler Pinpoint 100% Cotton wrinkle-free cotton dress shirts higher than any other brand, and they tested them against Brooks Brothers, Lands End, Nordstrom and more!
Click to enlarge:

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Returns or exchanges can be made in-store or by mail.

“Your satisfaction is the cornerstone of our business. With 105 years of manufacturing expertise, we guarantee our clothing to be of the finest quality. Every item will give you complete satisfaction, or you may return it for a refund.”
There is no time limit for returns to Jos. A. Bank!

Get A Free 8×8 Hardcover Photo Book From Shutterfly (Facebook Like Required)

Shutterfly’s hardcover photo books are just awesome. Make one and you’ll be hooked! Though I do wish they would have some freebies for their awesome 8×11 photo books.

-Up to 20 pages will be free.
-A shipping and handling charge of $7.99 applies.
-Offer expires 09/24/12.

HT: jewda, via DDF

Cuisinart DLC-8S 11-Cup Pro Custom Food Processor Linky

In your cart the price will drop from $179.99 to $107.99.

Then use the following code to drop the price down to $97.19: KS4GRL

Now you need to spend $99 to get free shipping, so if you have nothing else that you want to buy you can add these Mikasa Linen Napkins to your cart. The total will now be $99.86 and shipping will be free.
Or 2 food processors would be $194.39 with free shipping.

Post a comment if you find a better/cheaper filler item to get free shipping.
You can always return the filler item (or the food processor itself) to a store.

The food processor has 5 star reviews on macys.com and 97% of purchasers recommend it. It sells for $142.99 from Amazon.

HT: MnM1130, via DDF

Find more articles like this by clicking on the “Trip Notes” tab on top of the DansDeals banner at the top of this site.

Rafi may be just 13 months old, but he’s one well-traveled infant with 33 flight segments and some 40,000 flown miles in his trip log since he was 2.5 months old when we took him on his first airplane trip to Miami.  Gotta take advantage while he still flies free! (Don’t forget to bring a birth certificate or a passport to prove they’re under 2).

I thought we had it down to a science at this point. We fly with his Chicco Keyfit 30 rear-facing carseat, the Uppa Baby Vista stroller frame, and the Chicco car seat adapter.  (I’ve posted good sales for all of those items in the past).  Each piece is under 20 pounds and falls within the guidelines of every airline to be able to be gate-checked. We started off when he was born with a Bugaboo and a Graco Snugride, but ditched  those long ago as they were so inferior to our current combination that it was laughable.

Rafi is an excellent traveler and falls asleep very well in his carseat.

We used to bring the car seat latch base along in checked luggage but of late we stopped doing that as it just adds bulk to the plethora of items you need to travel with a baby and isn’t any safer than just buckling in the car seat.  Granted that it is slightly more convenient to just snap the car seat into the latch base in your rental car, but not convenient to make it worth shlepping along the base.

We check the actual Uppa Baby stroller seat into a floppy luggage bag as it serves no use in the airport.  We do bring it along as these days Rafi prefers to take walks or to eat off his snack tray in the stroller seat rather than in the car seat.  Remember that you can check such a bag for free as an infant exception item.

The one nice thing about going through airport security with a baby? You and your whole family are allowed to use the metal detector lane rather then be subject to the virtual strip search that are being deployed at more and more checkpoints.

In coach on planes with a 3-3 configuration I’ll book us a window and aisle seat with an empty middle.  Nobody has ever taken the middle seat yet, and if they did I’m sure they’d be happy to trade for one of our seats.  At the gate I just ask the agent if the middle seat is still open for us to put the carseat in and have always been able to do that.

On a regional jet, aka Barbie’s dream jet, with a 1-2 configuration, I’ll typically book the 2 seats and then ask the gate agent if there is another seat open for me so that there can be a seat for the carseat next to my wife.  Never had a problem with this strategy either, though I have learned that on United’s Embraer jets only rows 3, 7, 11, 16, and 19 are equipped with an extra oxygen mask and parents with lap children must sit in those rows.

We flew with Rafi in BusinessFirst on a United 767 to Hawaii when he was 4 months old in the bulkhead.  There were no extra seats but he played on the floor and didn’t cry even once. We did have bassinet seats but he did want to be in the tiny bassinet for more than a few minutes.

We flew to Argentina in First class on an AA 777 and after some reluctance they did give him use of an empty seat and he proceeded to sleep in his car seat for the whole way down.  On the return there were no extra seats, but the AA first class suite actually has a big seat and a little seat and that suited our purposes.  For that international trip we used BA Avios to pay only 15,000 miles for Rafi’s ticket instead of 10% of the full fare or $1,000 when using AA miles or when paying at the airport.

Last week we flew on Cathay Pacific in first class from JFK to Vancouver and in business class on the return.   We had flown on Cathay Pacific last year on our round-the-world adventure in first class and they became my favorite airline, so I figured this would be a great way to try them out again on a flight that doesn’t require flying across the world.

I had always assumed that every airline would accept our FAA approved carseat, but boy was I wrong on that.

For this trip we actually used Avios to purchase 3 seats (thanks BMI for the free trip ) so that Rafi would be guaranteed his own seat.  On the Cathay 777 in First class there is basically a 4 person section and a 2 person section.  There was 1 person in the other section and there were just the 3 of us in the 4 person section.  Much to our chagrin though the flight attendants informed us that Cathay Pacific does not abide by FAA regulations and does not allow rear-facing car seats to be used in any class.  They actually tried to convince us to set up the carseat to be forward facing, but it’s simply not designed to do that and would have been downright dangerous, though technically would have been fine by their rulebook.  Well, there went any chance of having a nice peaceful flight.  The lead flight attendant consulted with the captain and the only compromise they would agree to was to hold Rafi during takeoff/landing, allow him to be in the carseat during the flight, but we would have to wake him up and hold him every time the seatbelt light came on.  Apparently they feel that holding a child during turbulence is safer than being buckled in a 5 point harness.

But everything with Asian carriers are strictly by the book and nobody is willing to do anything to bend any rules, so the only acceptable option was to hold Rafi during takeoff/landing and then try to secure him in a regular plane seat.  We had our own personal flight attendant in First and she really did try her hardest to accommodate us.  She made an elaborate bed with pillows on all sides to try to secure Rafi from rolling off the bed. At home of course we don’t use pillows or a blanket in Rafi’s crib, but here they were needed to secure him from falling down. Unfortunately the buckle did practically nothing as it could not be made tight enough for him, but Cathay is fine with that in turbulence and wouldn’t make us wake him up even though he would be totally unsecured, so long as wasn’t in that 5 point harness during turbulence…

At any rate I just stayed up for the 5 hour flight and checked on Rafi every few minutes to make sure he was OK and indeed he slept on the flat bed for the entire flight.

Had we had a forward facing carseat we would’ve been able to secure him in that in First Class.  I was about to go out and buy one for the return trip but I started doing some research on their website and it turns out that in business class you can’t even have a forward facing carseat.  On some planes you can’t even have a forward facing carseat in coach.

On the return trip we went through the same rigmarole, except that now it was 10:50pm PDT/1:50am EDT and Rafi was not happy about being held.  He cried before takeoff but fell asleep as the wheels went up.  In business the service isn’t nearly as personal as in first and the seat though still lie-flat is much smaller and less secure.  I used our pillows to try to secure the bed for Rafi but it was far from ideal and we had to constantly check on him.

I started researching the subject even more.  I learned that despite the fact that the FAA requires US based airlines to accept FAA approved carseats, you actually can’t have any carseats in Delta’s new lie-flat BusinessElite seating on their 777 aircraft.  Lots of other foreign carries also will not allow carseats and parents of small children should definitely try to avoid them.

Lesson learned from this trip: Always check those carseat policies before buying a ticket!  Had we done that I would have gladly given up flying on a world class airline and stuck with a US carrier like American or United that allows carseats without any issues.  The Cathay trip may have been 7th heaven when we were pre-child but now it was anything but.

I’ll talk more about Cathay business class vs. first class and all about Vancouver in an upcoming trip notes post.

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Pretty soon we’ll be shopping for a convertible carseat. Have any recommendations? Are there any that are better for travel or are they all monstrosities?

Have any other travel tips or lessons learned from your travels? Post ‘em in the comments! Learn anything useful in this post? I’d love to hear that as well.

As for me, all I can say is Gd bless my awesome wife for putting up with my travel addiction!

Cathay Pacific First Class

Cathay Pacific Business Class

Rafi’s flight paths since birth.

Coupon Linky (Exp: 09/30)

HT: chaya