More Travel Porn: Jetsetter

With the recent amazing weather in New York, you may have forgotten that we are still smack-dab in the middle of resort season.  Those of us who don’t winter in St.Barts are less likely to pay attention to those seasonal designations but that doesn’t change the fact that it is indeed a time when people are supposed to leave the confines of the city for sandy-er, more balmy destinations.

I, myself, have only been to a resort but a few times.  In eight grade my family went to Bermuda.  We had a great time, notwithstanding the third degree sunburn I received.  I was incapacitated by it and was forced to bribe my stepsister into fanning me with a magazine to cool my burning flesh.  Even with my burn, I still wanted to continue going to the beach.  Alas, my parents forced me to go to some lame fort instead of snorkeling and swimming in 75 degree water.  I have held on to that pain for a long time now.  At the time, I assuaged my pain as any 14 year old would with about 70 virgin pina coladas.  That helped.  Fort field trip, aside, we still had a lot of good old fashioned family fun.

I aspire to return some day to a resort.  One where I can spend as much time on the beach as I want'and ride a moped'and parasail'take that dad!

My hopes for this venture have been heightened since I heard about Jetsetter.  Jetsetter is a service brought to you by the same people who began the shopping craze Gilt Group.  Jetsetter, however, is specific to luxury travel.  All you have to do is sign up online at www.jetsetter.com.  The sales last for a few short days and supply members with offers for deeply discounted hotels across the globe.  Since Jetsetter operates on a first come, first served basis, you need to place a deposit to hold the rate and the date through the website. Jetsetter sends you weekly emails that preview the sales complete with photos of the property and an interactive calendar of available dates.  Another benefit to using Jetsetter is that you receive a $25 credit when someone you referred to membership books a hotel through their site.  At this point, I am putting all my eggs into this basket as this seems like it will be the only way I can save up enough to actually afford to go on a trip myself.

If you are like me and you have no funds to travel, Jetsetter has an effect similar to what Stuart was talking about in his post about cheap airfare'it becomes travel porn.  Day after day I receive updates about the flavor-of-the-week'what new and exotic piece of property I can gawk at on Jetsetter.  They almost fool me into thinking I can have those luscious honeys for myself.  I look at them all, irregardless of location or style.  I salivate at the pictures, sometimes I even let the fantasy go to where I allow myself to click on the dates that I would want to travel.  It is an elaborate tease really since I have no intention of going.

Pathetic?

Maybe.

A necessary evil?

Definitely.

So join Jetsetter if you want to go on an luxury trip for less, or if you just want to tease yourself with the unrealistic hope of resort travel.