If you’re getting married, you have about 400 million things to remember to do, so the last thing you want is to have to remember your frequent flier information when you’re booking your wedding travel. Oh sure, you want to earn those miles, and maybe you even want to use them, but what was that number again . . . ?

You know that you’ve dug into a drawer in some dark corner of your home, hoping to find that card that was sent to you in 1987. Let’s face it. It’s a real pain in the butt. So why not just use a site that keeps everything in one place?

There are a handful of sites out there that do this. TripIt has a Pro version that costs money, as does Mileage Manager. And GoMiles, which is in private beta, is working on relating your miles to what you can get for them. But for my purposes of just monitoring all the accounts, AwardWallet does the job. As long as you don’t have concerns about storing your numbers and passwords elsewhere, this site works really well.

You set it up program by program, entering your frequent flier number or web login along with your password. Then it goes in and pulls out your balances and expiration dates so you can monitor them all from one place.

When you log in, you see your frequent flier number and website logins so it makes for an easy reference point. It can even log you in directly to the websites for those programs and take you there if you so choose.

It’s also not limited to airlines or even travel even general. Yes, I can follow my Starwood, National car rental, and Amtrak balances on there, but I could also look at credit card rewards, and more.

What don’t I love? The pricing plan is really goofy. You get a lot of functionality for free, but the premium version, which includes some bells and whistles, costs, uh, whatever you want. Seriously. You decide what you think it’s worth and pay it. Strange, I know.

But forgetting about that quirk, this site is great. I never remember my frequent flier numbers, so this is an easy way to bring them up. It’s also helpful when you’re trying to log in to the different programs and can’t remember your information. This stores your login info even if it isn’t your frequent flier number. So you really can’t lose this stuff anymore.

Kudos to AwardWallet for putting together a really helpful tool.

Have a cocktail and take The Plunge this V-day.

Intimate, romantic Deluxe Suite.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, and having just returned from a luxe press trip in NYC courtesy of the Thompson Hotel Group, the Hotel Gansevoort and Destination I Do for my magazine, , I am thrilled to report back on what to do in the Big Apple for V-day. Sifting through the best and the hippest travel options out there to save you time and energy with the most amenities (see below) in the best part of town is the goal. In my humble opinion, this V-day package is power loaded with goodies. Throw a  romantic neighborhood meal into the mix (Spice Market and Pastis) and you are good to go. Having stayed in a Deluxe Suite, perusing a view of the city over a glass of delicious wine in my adjoining living room, or a complimentary cocktail at Plunge Bar and roof garden, the only thing missing was my sweetie (okay, it was a press trip). Breakfast at Tanuki Tavern is delish (try the small plates for an intimate tete a tete around happy hour time too)….Next time around, I’ll be sure to bring him (maybe next Valentines Day?). I heart the Hotel Gansevoort and hope you can take advantage of this hip and happening V-day special. Happy Travel Tuesday!

Hotel Gansevoort V-Day Package

Hotel Gansevoort, a chic, full-service urban resort in New York City’s Meatpacking district, is offering a Valentine’s Day Indulgence Escape Package with all the items necessary for creating some naughty distractions this winter.

With prices starting at $615.00* for a Deluxe room and $855.00* for a Suite, this package is offered from January 15, 2010 – February 21, 2010 and includes:

•    Early check-in (1pm)
•    Deluxe Room or Suite accommodations
•    A dozen red roses
•    Chocolate-covered strawberries
•    Pool access and two complimentary poolside beverages
•    Bottle of chilled Moet champagne
•    Mile High Kit
•    Twister
•    Book of Erotic Games
•    Complimentary Continental breakfast in Tanuki Tavern
•    Late check-out (2pm)

About Hotel Gansevoort

Sleek and stylish, Hotel Gansevoort is the first luxury, full-service hotel in Manhattan’s vibrant Meatpacking District.  Located on Ninth Avenue at 13th Street, Hotel Gansevoort’s signature rooftop offers stunning 360-degree river and city views and features a 45-foot heated outdoor pool with underwater music; Plunge Bar and roof garden; and an event loft with soaring 20-foot ceilings. Generously appointed guestrooms blend chic design with hi-tech and include sumptuous feather beds, flat screen TVs, CD players, and complimentary Wireless Internet. The 187-room hotel includes 20 corner suites, one duplex Penthouse, exhale Spa; and Tanuki Tavern Japanese restaurant.

Luxe green travel at Solage

Solage is more than just a resort – it is a complete experience. This new, solar-powered, green-friendly hideaway is part of the Auberge Resorts, and it exceeds the expected level of luxury and high-end style associated with the name.

Situated in beautiful Calistoga, just below Mount St. Helena, Napa Valley’s dormant volcano, this modern California-chic establishment offers affordability and progressive opulence in the wine country, perfect for a destination wedding. With 89 studio-design guestrooms to choose from, each rich with distinctly attractive style, every couple is certain to find true bliss at Solage.

This unique resort offers complimentary bike cruisers for all guests and staff to transport themselves around the resort. In line with their environmentally-conscious philosophy, Solage is also dedicated to serving organic and locally-grown produce.

They are pet-friendly and even welcome your pampered pooch with a water bowl, a plush dog bed, and organic doggie treats! Start your stay with a refreshing splash in their stunning 130-foot swimming pool, then slip into a relaxing yoga class or play a round of bocce ball. Later on, sip cocktails at their hip Solbar, savor the modern Bistro “Sol-ful dining,” and lounge around the cozy outdoor fire pits.

Solage is a strong promoter of health and wellness, so a trip to their impressive 20,000 square-foot Solage Spa is a must. Indulge together in the natural geothermal spring waters, treat yourself to a pampering with Kate Somerville’s skincare line, and pony up to the mud bar to relish in revitalizing volcanic goo. In an adventurous mood, try the “Solage Mudslide for Two,” their signature mudslide spa treatment, and relax completely with a couples massage afterwards.

For more information on Solage, click here.

For more on Autumn Millhouse and her book Romantic Napa Valley, An Insider’s Guide for Couples, click here.

Autumn Millhouse is an award-winning travel writer who specializes in wine, food and romantic getaways. She is also an international trekker who has wined and dined across the globe from Barcelona to Beijing . A self-proclaimed “hopeless-romantic” and author of Romantic Napa Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples, Autumn also has a bi-monthly column called Love Vines published in Napa Valley Life Magazine. She resides in Napa Valley where she cultivates her wine and food relationships with top chefs, winemakers and a slew of other foodies. Besides, sniffing, swirling and sipping wine daily, Autumn is currently working on her next travel book Romantic Sonoma Valley: An Insider’s Guide for Couples.

Enjoy luxe Fall pampering at the St. Julian

While doing research for an upcoming story on great places to have a destination wedding in the United States, I was introduced to one of my favorite towns and as a result one of the town’s best hotels. The St. Julien Hotel & Spa was not only a decadent rustic chic escape nestled in the bustling town of Boulder, Colorado, but it has also been given recognition by the readers of Conde Nast’s Traveler.

For the second consecutive year, St Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, CO, has been named one of the Top 100 United States Hotels in the Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2009 and remains the only hotel in Colorado to receive this prestigious honor. St Julien Hotel & Spa jumps over 20 spots from their 2008 ranking and now shares the title with Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica and Omni La Mansion del Rio in San Antonio, which tied for #51 in this year’s poll.

In celebration of this prestigious accolade, St Julien Hotel & Spa invites travelers to experience the new “Time Well Spent” package, available November 1 through December 31, 2009. Guests receive a special $199 per night rate for stays Sunday through Thursday with a $50 activity credit per night per room. The $50 activity credit can be used throughout the hotel including dining at Jill’s Restaurant, treatments at the Spa at St Julien, and more.

The Spa at St Julien

For a relaxing escape, guests can use their “Time Well Spent” activity credit to indulge in the Yam and Pumpkin Freshener—the Spa at St Julien’s fall seasonal spa treatment ($50). Available through December 2009, St Julien’s 25-minute Facial Freshener treatment is enhanced with a boost of yam and pumpkin enzyme peel for an instant skin-illuminating boost. The Spa at St Julien also offers a new “Happy Hour Beauty Bar” on Thursday nights for ladies and Tuesday nights for gentlemen. Available for $50 per person, guests can enjoy a selection of drinks and snacks from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at St Julien’s newly renovated salon and receive a choice of two mini treatments. Ladies can choose from mini hand or toe polish change; a “night out” up-do such as a fun ponytail or messy bun; or a mini makeover including eyes and lips. Men can chose from a menu of grooming options including: haircut or mustache and beard trim; chair massage; or mini MAN-icure.

The easiest thing to do is get married on a beach. Then you only need to bring a swimsuit. Problem solved. (I tried this one on my wife for our honeymoon, but it didn’t exactly go over very well.) The reality is that you can find a way to pack smart, and that means you can get things to fit in a carry-on bag.

First of all, how big can that carry-on be? Most of the big guys in the US have standardized around 45 linear inches total (length x width x height). But some low cost carriers will let you bring more. Frontier allows 49 inches. Southwest, Virgin America, and JetBlue’s Embraer 190 aircraft allow 50 inches. AirTran allows 55 inches, and JetBlue’s larger A320 aircraft allow 56 inches. So pick your airline wisely.

Now you’ve got your bag, but you still need to fit everything in there. You can use an old flight attendant trick and roll your clothes instead of folding them. You’ll fit more in your bag that way. But what really takes up the most room? Toiletries and shoes.

Again, I go back to the beach idea. Flip flops are a lot smaller than hiking boots . . . . I find, however, that toiletries are usually the downfall of most wannabe carry-on travelers. That dreaded 3 ounce liquid rule kills most dreams of carrying on. Just remember, anything that you don’t have in a 3 ounce size can usually be dumped into a smaller bottle that will fit. And if it can’t, it’s safe to say that you’ll be able to buy what you need when you arrive. If that’s really not possible, then you can always stick the offending items in a box and ship it ahead. That will still end up being cheaper than paying to check a bag anyway.

I understand that for men, this is a lot easier. I brought a duffel bag on my two week honeymoon in Tahiti while my wife had a huge, honking checked bag full of, well, shoes and toiletries I think. Most people won’t be able to carry on for a trip that long, but for shorter trips, these tricks should help.

Anyone who has been on an airplane has been frustrated with at least one part (likely all parts) of the air travel process.  Now starting at only $30 http://crankyconcierge.com/pricing.php per trip for all passengers on an itinerary (with a money-back guarantee), our clients can have their own airline dork watching over them to help with all aspects of their trips.  Here’s what we provide:

Flight Planning
- We will search for the best flight options regardless of complexity
- We’ll search the web for the best fares and give you specific instructions on how to book (we are not a travel agent)
- We will answer any questions the clients may have leading up to their flights

Flight Monitoring
- On the day of travel, we’ll send an email with full flight details, known delays, weather issues, and the specific aircraft routings leading up to our clients’ flights
- We will actively follow the aircraft throughout the day and then notify clients of delays
- Delay & Cancellation Assistance
- When things go wrong, we’ll look for all possible alternatives, no matter how unconventional, to get our clients to their destinations
- If all else fails, we will find hotels, restaurants or anything else (within reason) to make the situation less stressful
- Post-Trip Dispute Assistance
- If things still aren’t resolved when the trip is done, we’ll research what compensation our clients are owed
- We will help draft complaint letters and identify appropriate contacts

This can come in handy for weddings since it is so important to get places on time.  A couple years ago, I was at a friend’s wedding on the beach in Florida when we found out that her sister-in-law (who was in the wedding) had her plane turn back to Paris because of engine problems.  It looked like she wouldn’t be able to make it in time for the small ceremony.

I was able to jump in and help.  She ended up getting the first flight to Atlanta, and then I had her running across the airport, squeezing on to a flight to Sarasota (instead of the original plan to go to Tampa) just as the door closed.  She made the ceremony and everyone was happy.

This service is not meant for the self-sufficient savvy traveler who likes to do things alone.  This is meant for those travelers who don’t have the time to spend on researching options.  It’s also meant for those people who don’t have the deep knowledge about the industry and simply want someone to help make the process a little less daunting.

You can find full information including more details on the services and pricing at http://crankyconcierge.com/.