Looking for Travel Deals to Connect NYC '09? We've got 'em!

I know it might seem hard to believe, but the cost of travel has come down considerably over the last few weeks.  A pleasant side effect of falling fuel prices and a slow economy is that airlines and hotels are getting aggressive in attracting your business.  Now is one of the best times in a long while to book travel; especially to place like, oh, I don't know--  New York City on January 7-9th.  ;-)

Just this morning, flights for me from Richmond, VA to NYC were $120 round-trip on JetBlue.  Sweet.  You might be traveling further than me, but chances are, you can do it for a lot less than you thought.  

Same story on hotel rooms. We were able to negotiate a lower room rate with the Marriott Marquis, which has been applied to anyone who previously registered there. If you are looking to save even more, there are plenty of hotel deals to be had. Here are some sites you can check to find the best available deals:

• Farecast -- Winner of the 2008 Webby Award in the travel category. Farecast searches for cheap flights and gives free airfare pricing predictions.

• Kayak -- Kayak searches hundreds of travel sites to give you the widest possible choice then offers direct booking from the selected travel site.

• Hotwire -- JD Power Award winner for 3rd straight year. Hotwire lets you compare prices against other major travel sites to make sure you're getting the best possible deal.

• Expedia -- The World's leading online travel agency. Offering great package deals and top notch customer service.

 We're also very pleased to be able to offer one lucky Connect attendee a very special deal: 

Register for Connect NYC '09 through December 21st, 2008 and you will be entered into a drawing for the chance to win 3 nights at the Marriot Marquis, a $720 value, plus a dinner voucher worth $80. The winner will be announced Monday, December 21st right here, on the Inman Blog.  

Wait, there's more. . .

I know that the folks who attend Connect NYC are some of the friendliest folks in the industry.  I know that many of you are probably interested in sharing a hotel room.  After all, there's nothing like making a new friend, right?  If you are interested in finding a roommate, or you found an awesome travel deal that you really want to share with everyone, head on over to the Connect NYC '09 group in the Inman Community and find a roommate or share your deal.  

If you were thinking, "man, I really want to go to Connect NYC '09, but I'm not sure about the travel," you're not the only one.  The reality is, it's a lot more affordable than you might have guessed.  With our help, and the help of the Inman Community, you can make the trip to NYC on just about any budget.  Don't miss out!

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