Travelocity Introduces Concierge Services

Let's face it: We're not in the business of covering luxury tours. Just look at our name. So why is Abercrombie & Kent—perhaps the luxest of the luxe for 50 years—on our radar at the moment? We like to say behind the scenes that Budget Travel is more about "value" than bargain-bin savings. Sure, we care about the bottom line, but the more important question for us is, "How can you get the most bang for your well-earned buck?"Abercrombie & Kent has unveiled a new line of Connections journeys, small group tours (24 to 28 people) that are priced on average about thirty percent lower than their normal offerings. If your idea of "luxury" involves fluffy robes and spa days and Champagne and caviar, you might end up being a little surprised. The Connections program, as its name implies, is surprisingly intimate and focused on hands-on cultural experiences.True, a tour with A&K Connections will still feel upscale. Hotels are 4- or 5-stars, with the occasional 5-star GL (that means Grand Luxe) thrown in for good measure. But there is also an attention to detail when it comes to choosing lodging. On their "Spain: Seven Cities" Connections tour (10 days from $5,495), for example, you might stay in the Belle Epoque Hotel Ritz in Madrid, literally feet from the Prado, or the Moorish-influenced Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville. These are not, by any means, sterile corporate chains.  But what sets these tours apart is how close you'll get to the action. Activities on the Spain trip are focused on getting you away from the tourist circuit to experiences you'd never be able to have otherwise: a private recital by Andalusian musicians in Granada, in a style based on North African music from over 1,000 years ago; a flamenco show and a dinner at a private palace in Seville; sherry tastings at a bodega in Jerez. Guides are local, and you get the sense that they're approaching their subject from the point of view of a passionate academic (that college professor who, through her sheer enthusiasm, actually made you care about Plato or Pythagoras) rather than a tour guide for hire. The A&K Connections program will offer 17 trips around the world, always with an intimate, hands-on focus: eating oysters with a Croat fisherman, visiting a special-needs school in Kenya, exploring an Australian rainforest with an indigenous guide, or meeting Peruvian weavers in the Andes. In a sense, the luxury of access. Let us know below: What kinds of special activities are worth a splurge? Would you pay a little extra for a trip like this?

Budget carriers like easyJet and Ryanair revolutionized air travel in Europe back in the early and mid-2000s. Last year, Asia underwent its own budget travel renaissance with the launch of low-cost airlines like Scoot and AirAsia. Now, Africa's getting in on the action with the launch of the continent's first low-cost carrier, Fastjet. Fastjet's inaugural flights took off last week, traveling from the company's hub in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to airports in Mwanza and Kilimanjaro from as low as $20 a ticket. While the airline is operating only those two routes for the time being, it will expand within the coming weeks to Zanzibar, Tanzania; Entebbe, Uganda; and Mombasa and Nairobi in Kenya. South Africa may be added to the airline's roster shortly, if negotiations with the bankrupted carrier 1time are successful. Fastjet is likely to be a come as a welcome relief for travelers in Africa, where regional flights can be particularly costly (flights between Dar Es Salaam and Mwanza on other carriers start at about $400), and alternative means of transport (buses, trains) can be slow and difficult to navigate. With seasoned budget airline execs such as easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, former Air Uganda CEO Kyle Haywood, and former Ryanair training chief Harun Cordan on board, Fastjet is in experienced hands, and if turnout on last week's flights is any indication, things are looking good. "Fastjet is delighted to see how the people of Tanzania are embracing the Low Cost Carrier model," CEO Ed Winter stated in a press release. "Clearly, as predicted, our low cost model is stimulating a whole new market of people to fly."

Nothing ruins a great trip like getting sick on the road. We found out the hard way during our family vacation to Italy this summer when my sister and I caught a nasty headcold and  found ourselves in the local drugstore trying to impress upon the pharmacist in a foreign language that we were looking for cold medicine. There's got to be a better way, we thought, and it turns out that there is—these four apps are here to help, whether you're looking for a doctor, emergency help in an unfamiliar place, choosing a restaurant with an adequate food-safety record, or trying to outsmart jetlag. Here are four apps designed to keep you healthy on your next trip. ZocDocFind a doctor—by location, specialty, or insurance accepted—wherever you are. Available for iPhone and Android devices. Free. StreetSafeConnect with a personal guide (on the phone) for advice in an unfamiliar neighborhood and help in an emergency. Available for iPhone and Android devices. $19.99 monthly subscription required. JetLag GenieDesign an alarm clock to gradually synchronize your sleep cycles with another time zone. Available for iPhone. $2.99. DineSafeCheck a restaurant's food-safety records in the U.S. and Canada. Available for Android devices. Free. We want to know: what are your favorite go-to health-related apps? Let us know below!

Last Oscar season, we revealed our top picks for the most travel–inspiring films of the year. But why should the big screen have all the fun? This year, four television shows are inspiring a serious case of wanderlust. Make sure to check this list before you make any plans: Not every show is filmed where it’s set! Homeland Showtime, Sundays at 10 p.m. Without giving too much of the twisty plot away, season two of the Emmy–winning political thriller takes certain characters to Beirut amidst political turmoil. Instead of Lebanon, the show filmed in Tel Aviv and Haifa to capture the feeling of an old Middle Eastern city—think winding alleyways, sun–bleached buildings, busy marketplaces, colorful garb. (Check out the show’s YouTube channel for on–location videos: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.) Fun fact: The American version of Homeland is actually based on an Israeli hit called Hatufim (“Abductees”). Survivor: Philippines CBS, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Season 25 of the reality juggernaut brings the castaways to the Caramoan Islands, an archipelago off the eastern coast of the Philippines. The islands have already hosted a number of international versions of Survivor, and it’s easy to see why: The mix of sandy beaches, waterfalls, lush green hills, and dramatic rock formations will have anyone hoping to get stranded for a few days. Revenge ABC, Sundays at 9 p.m. The glitzy soap opera charts one woman’s quest for, well, revenge in the high–class world of the Hamptons. But the show’s creators may be just as deceptive as Emily Thorne’s (Emily VanCamp) enemies: The series is not shot on location on Long Island! If you’re looking for the beach houses featured in the first season, you’ll want to head to North Carolina, especially in and around the beaches of Wilmington. Exteriors of Emily’s house from the series pilot were filmed in the nearby town of Southport—but all subsequent interiors are filmed on studio lots in California. 666 Park Avenue ABC, Sundays at 10 p.m. Looking to stop by the creepy apartment building in ABC’s new horror drama? If you head to 999 Park Avenue (near East 84th Street), where the fictional Drake apartment building is set, the neighborhood is reliably posh—but you won’t find the shows stars, Vanessa Williams or Terry O’Quinn, anywhere in sight. To see the actual Beaux–Art exteriors, you’ll have to cross Central Park to the Upper West Side: The Drake is actually played by The Ansonia, which is located at 2109 Broadway (between West 73rd and 74th Streets). Which new or returning shows have you packing your bags for a TV–inspired vacation? MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL The 10 Most Travel-Inspiring Films of the Year The 6 Most Inspiring Travel Films of the Year PBS's "Downton Abbey" Returns, and Travelers Plan Their Trips to England