Economy Class: Ski Specials

— -- Autumn leaves are still falling, but it’s not too soon to think holiday and ski season travel if you want to scoop up bargains that are limited in availability.

Holiday dreams of American children can be filled with sugarplums and Santa Claus. Little ones in Iceland have visions of Gully Gawk, Window Peeper, Bowl Licker, Pot Scraper and Door Slammer — elf-like spirits who live in the mountains are collectively known as the Yuletide Lads. Beginning Dec. 12 (and through Jan. 6), they descend to the villages to create fun and mischief.

Icelandair Holidays offers Value Season packages to Iceland for December travel, helping to put these (and other) Icelandic traditions in your holiday scenario. Midweek Madness from $299 (roundtrip air travel, two hotel nights, daily breakfast and transfers) is the cheapest way to go. “Christmas in Reykjavik” (from $589 per person, double) departs from Icelandair’s North American gateways on Dec. 23 and includes many trimmings: accommodations; transfers; an excursion to the Kringlan Mall for last-minute shopping; a Preparing for Christmas City Tour of Reykjavik; and festive Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. The tour ends Dec. 26 with late afternoon departure. Contact Icelandair at (800) 779-2899.

Away For the Holidays

Omni and LaQuinta are first to post holiday hotel specials. Omni’s “Holiday Haven” promotion offers a free second room with the purchase of one room. Guests will also receive a pre-paid $10 Charitygift.com card, which lets you donate to the charity of your choice. Holiday Haven is available weekends from Nov. 17 through Dec. 30. Contact Omni at www.omnihotels.com.

La Quinta’s “Home for the Holidays” program offers two rooms or two nights for $99 during the Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s holidays. The offer is available for stays from Nov. 19–26 and Dec. 15 through Jan. 7. Reserve two rooms for one night or one room for two consecutive nights for $99. Up to four adults can stay in one standard room with this promotion and daily breakfast is included. Call (800) 531-5900 and request the Holiday Special. Advance reservations are required.

Leave the Skiing To Us

Skiers have three car rental deals to choose from. Avis and Hertz promotions can be booked and used throughout the 2000–2001 ski season. Book Dollar’s promotion by Oct. 31 for use throughout the ski season.

Dollar offers triple miles or credits on your choice of 11 airlines and free ski rack use on ski rentals of at least three days. This offer is valid for rentals of compact, intermediate and full-size cars, as well as minivans and sport utility vehicles. Rates vary by season. Low season includes Nov. 15 through Dec. 15; Jan. 1 through Feb. 13; and April 1 through May 27. High season includes Feb. 14 through Mar. 31. The Dec. 16–31 holiday period is not included in this promotion.

Low season per day/per week rates: compact, $31.95/$159.95; intermediate, $32.95/$170.95; full-size, $35.95/$186.95; and minivan or sport utility vehicle, $52.95/$299.95. High season per day/per week rates: compact, $41.95/$199.95; intermediate, $43.95/$219.95; full-size, $49.95/$236.95; and minivan or sport utility vehicle, $79.95/$369.95.

Participating locations: Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose in California; Aspen, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Montrose, Steamboat/Hayden and Vail, Colo.; Boise, Idaho; Boston, Waltham and Woburn in Massachusetts; East Glacier, Kalispell and Missoula, Mont.; Reno, Nev.; Manchester, N.H.; Albuquerque and Taos, N.M.; Portland, Ore.; Providence, R.I.; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Seattle and Spokane in Washington.

This offer can only be obtained by booking (with a 24-hour advance) through www.dollar.com, using promotion code SK1 and is subject to vehicle and ski rack availability.

Read the Fine Print

Avis “SuperValue Ski Package” rates apply to rentals of four days or longer at participating Ski The West airport locations in the United States and Canada. Rates include a one-day lift ticket at a participating resort; a subscription to Skiing, Snowboard Life or Ski Magazine; unlimited mileage and ski rack rental. At time of rental, pick up your lift ticket voucher and exchange it for a lift ticket at a participating resort. To activate your subscription to any one of the magazines offered, complete and mail the coupon attached to your lift ticket voucher at the time of rental. The promotion runs from Nov. 1 through Apr. 30. Advance reservations are required. The package rate is available on a variety of vehicles.

Participating locations include: Sacramento, Calif.; Aspen, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Grand Junction, Gunnison, Hayden and Vail in Colorado; Boise, Hailey, Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Twin Falls in Idaho; Bozeman, Mont.; Las Vegas and Reno, Nev.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Wash.; Jackson, Wyo.; and Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver in Canada.

The lift ticket voucher is valid at the following resorts: in the United States: Heavenly, Mammoth Mountain, Squaw Valley, Arapahoe Basin, Aspen/Snowmass, Copper Mountain, Crested Butte, Steamboat, Purgatory, Sun Valley, Jackson Hole, Big Sky, Squaw Valley, Mammoth Mountain, Brian Head, Taos, Mt. Hood Meadows, Deer Valley and Jackson Hole; in Canada, Fernie, Fortress, Kimbely, Lake Louise, Nakiska and Sun Peaks.

Book through your travel agent or call the Avis Ski Reservation Hotline at (888) 754-1212; in Canada call (800) 879-2847. Cite rate code TQ.

Get a Lift

Hertz ski specials are also available Nov. 1 through Apr. 30 and require a four-day minimum rental. SNO Rates include a ski/snowboard rack and unlimited miles. SNOplus Rates add a one-day lift ticket and Loss Damage Waiver. Both programs give you a guarantee of savings and a 4x4 or minivan when you prepay and book with a minimum seven-day advance.

SNOplus lift ticket vouchers give you a free day’s skiing or a discount on the purchase of a multi-day pass. Included resorts: in Canada, Big White, Panorama Mountain Village, Silver Star, Stoneham Mountain, Sun Peaks and Ski Marmot Basin; in the United States, Lake Tahoe USA, Aspen Skiing Company (Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass), Copper Mountain, Vail Resorts (Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail), Winter Park, Squaw Valley, Big Sky and The Big Mountain (Mont.), Waterville Valley (N.H.), Angel Fire, Taos, Deer Valley and Park City Mountain (Utah) and Jackson Hole and Snow King (Wyo.).

SNOplus customers also get a free day of equipment rentals and a free Nastar course run. Present the coupon (enclosed in the packet you receive at the Hertz rental counter) to a Breeze Ski Rental or Max Snowboard Rentals shop to receive a voucher valid for your free Nastar run. Additionally, you will receive a fourth consecutive rental day. Both added values can be used by all skiers in your party. Reserve your rental equipment in advance; call (800) 525-0314 or visit www.breezeskirental.com or www.maxsnowboards.com and you also receive a 25 percent discount.

Hertz specials are available at the following airport locations: In Canada, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Quebec City and Vancouver; Flagstaff, Ariz.; Sacramento, Calif.; Aspen, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Eagle and Hayden in Colorado, Hartford, Conn.; Boise, Idaho Falls and Sun Valley in Idaho; Bangor and Portland, Maine.; Boston, Mass.; Bozeman, Mont.; Reno, Nev.; Manchester, N.H.; Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M.; Albany, N.Y.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Burlington and Rutland, Vt.; and Jackson, Wyo.

SNO Rates require a 24-hour advance; SNOplus, a seven-day advance. If you book at www.hertz.com, enter SNO in the Specific Rate (RQ) section on the Rates and General Information screen (SPLUS for SNOplus Rates). For phone reservations on Prepaid SNO and SNOplus Rates, you must call Hertz at (800) 654-3131 or (800) 263-0600 from Canada) and mention rate code SNO or SPLUS.

Tom Parsons is editor of Best Fares Magazine.