Hello from sunny Miami! The Florida sunshine has me yearning to travel somewhere cold to experience proper winter vibes, preferably with snow and Christmas markets.

Speaking of, here’s what’s in store in today’s newsletter:

• 🎄 Savings in European Christmas market destinations this winter

• 🛍️ Our Travel Tuesday recommendations

• 💬 Jumpseat Gossip - industry news, rumors, and scuttlebutt

🎄 Savings in European Christmas market destinations

The tasty treats, hot glühwein, artisan crafts, and festive flair of Christmas markets always puts me in the Christmas spirit. 🎅

Loads to Europe are also typically lighter in winter, and airlines still operate regularly scheduled service to major markets where the best Christmas markets set up shop for the season.

Here’s how you can take advantage of airline staff rates at three of our favorite Christmas market destinations - Munich, Vienna, and Paris.

Munich 🇩🇪

This Bavarian city is home to one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany, the Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz. And if you’re feeling a little adventurous, Nuremberg, home to arguably the most famous market in the world, is only 1 hour and 15 minutes away by train.

Our recommendation here is the Hampton by Hilton Munich City West.

We found airline staff rates from €71/night! Think of all the spiked cider you could have with that savings. 😋

Hilton does require airline staff to access rates through a specific booking portal. Check out our post on booking Hilton industry rates.

Vienna 🇦🇹

Vienna’s Christmas markets are a magical experience, with the most famous being the Wiener Christkindlmarkt in front of the beautiful City Hall. The market offers a stunning atmosphere with traditional stalls, handmade crafts, and delicious treats like Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancake) and mulled wine.

Our recommendation here is the Moxy Vienna City East.

We found airline staff rates from €84/night! Other more centrally located, full-service Marriott properties are also available at a discount.

In order to book Marriott airline staff rates, you’re going to need a specific promo code. Find the code here.

Paris 🇫🇷

Paris transforms into a winter wonderland during the holiday season, with Christmas markets scattered throughout the city. The Tuileries Garden Christmas Market is one of the most popular, offering festive treats, handcrafted gifts, and a magical atmosphere beneath the iconic Eiffel Tower.

Our recommendation here is the Holiday Inn Paris - Gare de Lyon Bastille.

We found airline staff rates from $127/night! That’s an unbeatable price for this historic property located in the heart of the city.

IHG does require airline staff to access rates through a specific booking portal. Check out our post on booking IHG industry rates.

🛍️ Our Travel Tuesday recommendations

While there are tons of Travel Tuesday deals on hotels, cruises, and you-name-it, we wanted to focus on a few under-the-radar Travel Tuesday deals that nonrevs may enjoy.

Perfect for standby kings and queens, ResortPass lets you book day passes to hotels, so you can relax by the pool, enjoy the spa, or access other hotel amenities while in between flights.

There are a number of great options on there!

For example, you could spend all day enjoying the pools and amenities at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista for only $19 a person! 🤑

They even have airport hotels too if you find yourself stuck after a day of rolling over from flight to flight…

Be sure to use code BFCM2024 to save an additional $50 on bookings of $200 or more. Hurry, that offer expires today!

If you’re sick of that hotel life (we hear you, crew members…), VRBO is offering some nice savings on longer stays.

Book a stay of seven or more nights and you’ll get an average of 10% off when you select the “weekly discount” filter in the app. Planning an extended stay of 28 days or more? Use the “monthly discount” filter to score properties up to 20% off.

Boy could I use a 28-day vacation. 🙏

There’s a number of great options throughout the world from big cities to small towns.

If you’re thinking of a long-ish stay, be sure to take advantage of this VRBO discount before it ends on December 4.

Sometimes the uncertainty of standby travel can make checking luggage a hassle. That’s where LuggLess comes in.

Instead of dragging your bags, golf clubs, skis, or bikes around, you can ship them directly to your destination. LuggLess offers an easy, door-to-door luggage shipping service.

TODAY ONLY, use code TRAVEL24 to get up to 10% off your luggage shipping.

💬 Jumpseat Gossip

👀 Oh boy. Two Delta flight attendants apparently failed a random breathalyzer test at AMS last week. The flight proceeded to JFK without them, offering a reduced service to passengers. Read more.

🍪 Spirit flights could get a lot tastier. As part of their bankruptcy restructuring plan, Spirit is apparently looking to add free snacks and Wi-Fi to all. Could it work to lure back travelers to the budget airline? Read more.

🧑‍✈️ JetStar lands a new plane and uniforms. On the heels of its 20th anniversary, Australian budget carrier Jetstar has unveiled its first A320neo and new uniforms for employees. We’re quite fond of the them! Read more.

If you do end up in Europe around Christmas time, keep a lookout for me drinking hot wine out of a porcelain boot! It’s my favorite thing in the world. 🥹

As always, feel free to reply to this email if you have any questions on anything. Our crew is standing by to help!

Blue skies and tailwinds,

Matt
Captain, Standby Steals 💚