On Saturday morning, I appeared on WCBS here in New York to share some ideas for last-minute Valentine's Day getaways for New Yorkers. Yes, I realize many of our readers don't live in New York, so these suggestions might not apply to you. The overall point of the piece though, is that with Valentine's Day falling on a Saturday this year and also coinciding with Presidents' Day (read: extra day off from work) weekend AND the amazing hotel deals out there -- well, it's a perfect recipe for a weekend getaway. You can watch the video here.

On that note, Travelocity recently named 12 top amazing hotels for romance based on member feedback. You can see the complete list here.

But back to New York. Here's my list -- please chime in with great ideas for weekend getaways from your city.

Call me crazy, but I’m a big proponent of airlines raising their prices a teensy bit to eliminate all these baggage fees. Wait, wait. Hear me out. It’s not that I enjoy paying more. It’s that I like to comparison shop. With extra costs that vary from airline to airline, it’s impossible to compare the prices of flights at a glance. (Though sites like Airfare Watchdog do try to help.) This is the same strategy mattress stores use. They rename their mattresses so you can’t compare them to those carried by competitors. Their Sleep-O-Matic might be called the Snooze Xpress across town and you’d be none the wiser if the prices were different.

Major resorts have reported bookings are down for the 2008 - 2009 ski season. With snow already falling in Colorado and other parts of the country, snowbirds are itching to hit the slopes. Skiing is not known as an inexpensive pastime, but this year it's a buyer's market and chances are you're going to pay a lot less for the snowy getaway. Here are a few tips for saving $600 on your next ski vacation.

- Book a package. A Travelocity study shows that booking air + hotel saves an average of $315 when compared to booking the components of your trip separately.

- Take advantage of every promotion. With the difficult economy, destinations and online travel agencies are teaming up to attract customers. For example, Travelocity will offer a $100 off flight + four-night hotel in Colorado starting December 1.

- Get reimbursed for bags. Airlines will charge you to check your skis, but the new trend from ski resorts is to reimburse their visitors for those charges as an incentive to get on a plane and come for vacation. For example -- $50 off per person at Vail, $25 off from Steamboat; $30 from Crested Butte.

- Ski for free. Mountains resorts all over the country have various promotions that include free ski passes. For example, in Park City, you can convert your boarding pass to a free-same day lift ticket -- about $80 in savings per person. In Crested Butte, a free lift ticket for every night stay for one person – about $60 per day in savings.

- Skip the rental car. Ground transportation to the mountain can often be had at a fraction of the cost. For example, two people on the shuttle from Denver Airport to Beaver Creek, Colorado: $350 RT. SUV five-day rental, about $400 plus gas. Savings: more than $100.

And a few deals to save you even more:

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member NSXEatr

When a good friend of mine told me last month that she was considering spending this New Year’s Eve in Iceland, I nearly laughed her right out of the room. Iceland in the wintertime? You know that’s north, not south, right? Besides, Iceland has such a high standard of living. Who has the kind of cash to travel there now given the state of our economy?

Well, maybe more of us than you’d think. Iceland’s largest bank collapsed yesterday, the last of the island nation’s three major banks to tank in recent weeks. This flurry of financial problems is bad for Icelanders, but potentially good for U.S. visitors. Earlier this year, one U.S. dollar was worth around 70 Icelandic Krona; now it trades for 100 Krona or more. Which means this island nation might actually be a splendid winter destination for budget-minded U.S. travelers.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member Ksu.

Suddenly have a lot of free time on your hands? With the jobless claim at a seven-year high, chances are you or someone you know is out of work. Being unemployed may hamper your finances, but those of the “lemons into lemonade” mentality will consider turning this sudden abundance of free time into an opportunity to travel. So if that severance package is burning a hole in your pocket or you’ve got money saved up, consider these five budget-friendly trips for your extended “vacation.” Who knows? By the time you get back this mess could be cleaned up and you’ll be refreshed and ready to re-enter the workforce.

Anguilla
Anguilla is known for its white-sand beaches, fine dining and upscale resorts. What this island in the northern Caribbean is not known for, however, is being inexpensive. Anguilla makes this list for one reason – a deal offered at the Arawak Beach Inn geared at guests staying for one month or longer that makes living the good life affordable. Guests who book extended stays are eligible for a rate of $825 / month – or less than $30 per night – with a three month stay. According to the website, a two month stay it is an additional 20 percent and 25 percent more for one month stays. Accommodations are in an oceanfront room with a kitchen.

Asia Cruise
A month touring Asia? Who has that kind of time? Well – you do. An Asia itinerary on offer from Azamara cruise line is priced from just $1,999 (not including airfare) for a November departure, or about $84 per night. A great value, considering the price includes your accommodations, all meals and transportation between ports. The ship departs from Athens, Greece and calls on exotic locales like Cairo, Dubai, Mumbai and Taiwan before the last stop in Singapore. That should give you enough bragging rights for a lifetime. This particular cruise departs on November 22; there are many shorter cruises and different itineraries available depending on your needs.

Photo courtesy of IgoUgo.com member Koror

Whether it’s the high cost of gas, the troubled economy, or new fees piling up everywhere you turn – traveling sure feels expensive these days. While it is true airfares are up, travelers can often offset any additional cost on their hotel stays by taking advantage of the bargains and discounted room rates that come with fall. Want to take it one step further? There are lots of freebies out there – that’s right, free – that make that well-deserved vacation within reach. From free airfare to free room upgrades, you can’t afford to miss out on these autumn offers.

Free Airfare
Fall is an ideal time to travel for couples, especially to the Caribbean – still-warm weather, lower prices and fewer families to contend with. All-inclusive Sandals Resorts “Love is in the Air” deal is good for bookings made by October 23, 2008 and credits guests up to $1,100 to offset the cost of air travel with a minimum three-night stay. With resorts in Antigua, St. Lucia, Jamaica and the Bahamas, there are plenty of places to tuck your toes in the sand with the one you love – for a lot less.

Free Cruise Upgrades
Cruises are an excellent way to stick to a budget – after all, they include your accommodations, meals, transportation between ports and nightly onboard entertainment for one price (just beware of the pricey poolside cocktails). The lowest prices are found when you book an inside cabin, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a room with a view? When you book a cruise on NCL before October 12, future sailings are eligible for free stateroom upgrades. Other cruise lines offer onboard ship credit, making it possible for you to sip a few of those poolside cocktails after all.

photo courtesy of IgoUgo member LorenGul.

Higher airfares, new fees, pain at the pump – who can afford to travel anymore? You, actually. Sometimes it’s less about where you go than when you go, and autumn is a prime time to get away for a lot less than what you’d pay during the peak summer months. Hotels are looking to fill rooms in the slow months between now and Thanksgiving, so take advantage of the lull and book yourself on a weekend (or longer) getaway to one of these fabulous fall destinations that won’t break the bank.

Beaver Creek, CO
The Rocky Mountains really peak – in both tourists and price – come the first snowfall, so come early and enjoy all the autumn activities for outdoor enthusiasts. Hiking, horseback riding, fishing and golf will keep you busy during the day, and top-notch restaurants and luxurious hotels will keep you rejuvenated and ready for the next day’s adventures. Sample savings: the Beaver Creek Lodge, an all-suite boutique property situated in the heart of the town has rates from $169 per night this fall, compared with over $400 per night in the winter months.

Bonus: Use promo code COSUMMER75 before September 19 and get $75 off your four-night vacation.

I recently conducted an interview for Howdini.com on holiday travel for families. With capacity cuts, higher prices and baggage fees on the rise, holiday travel may be trickier than in years passed. Watch this video for a few tips on making your holiday travel as smooth as possible.

Family Travel: How to Plan for the Holidays

It was the buzzword of the travel industry this summer. You may call it a "staycation" but I call it a "nocation." And if you think about the premise behind what a staycation really is -- staying home and doing nothing -- you'll realize that it really just means not going on vacation. From here on out I will no longer call this phenomenon as a staycation -- I prefer to call it what it is. A nocation!

An article in today's New York Times details the staycation of one man whose cancelled trip to Jamaica forced him into a nocation. He stayed in bed, mostly, and watched Judge Judy. His back started to hurt from being in bed so much. People -- this is insanity. Nocations will eventually lead to bedsores if we're not careful!

The irony of all this nocation talk is that maybe you didn't need to take one after all. Maybe you could have afforded that summer trip. I was convinced that traveling was not as expensive as the media hype would have you believe and it turns out I was right. Analyzing flight and hotel data from July, I was able to easily identify 14 cities where the cost increase of a trip was no more than $50 more expensive than it was last year. Some cities were even less expensive in July 2008 than July 2007. Here are the complete findings.

I don't want to say that $50 isn't a lot of money, because when it seems like the cost of everything is up -- from gas to groceries -- even a few dollars can seem like a lot. To offset any additional costs, here are a few tips:

Sometimes working for a travel company is hard on your friendships. I know, I know. Somewhere the world’s smallest violin is playing a tune that can only be heard by dogs. But really, not a happy hour goes by without someone asking me the age-old question: Can you hook me up?

And now that the cost of travel is skyrocketing, I’m getting this question more and more. I used to tell my friends that I couldn’t help them out, but now I send them to the Insider’s Guide to Booking Cheap Travel. In addition to linking to Genevieve’s great blog about how to save $500 on your next vacation, it also teaches you how to work the system to your advantage. Knowing how to find the lowest fares is half the battle.

Think you’re already an expert at finding travel deals? Here’s a quick quiz I give my friends to test their knowledge.