WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Save up to $500 a double on select departures of AAT Kings' 15-day Western Wonderland coach tour. It includes the Margaret River, Kalbarri National Park and Esperance, accommodation, transfers and select meals.

Priced from $4999 an adult twin share for departures July 9 and August 13 and 20. Phone 1300 228 546 and quote BREAK10. See aatkings.com

CANADA AND ALASKA

Travelmarvel is offering air deals on its Canada and Alaska 2017 tour and cruise itineraries. Double bookings receive one free return flight to Canada and solo travellers receive a $1000 air credit.

Phone 1300 196 420. See travelmarvel.com.au

ISLAND

VANUATU

This seven-night Vanuatu holiday package includes return airfares with Air Vanuatu, transfers, accommodation in a lagoon view room at The Warwick Le Lagon with breakfast, and lots more.

Travel on select dates till March 31. Prices a person twin share start at $1540 ex Brisbane, $1590 ex Sydney and Melbourne, $1990 ex Adelaide and $2340 ex Perth.

Book by June 30. See myvanuatu.com.au

BALI

Health and Wellness Travel has some deals going, including this one for the COMO Shambhala Estate near Bali's Ubud. Book any wellness program of five nights or more and receive one additional night with breakfast.

The package costs from $3875 a person twin share for the six nights for travel before July 15. See healthandfitnesstravel.com.au

FAMILY

BLUE MOUNTAINS

Stay two nights and save 20 per cent off the best available rates at Leisure Inn Spires at Leura in the Blue Mountains. Two-bedroom apartments start at $199 a night for up to four people.

Valid for bookings and stays until July 31. Black out dates apply. See leisureinnspires.com.au

LOS ANGELES

Flight Centre's Disney package includes a five-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper ticket for the price of a three-day ticket. Plus, you get five nights at the four-star Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel, private entrance into Disney's California Adventure Park, entry into the Disney theme parks up to one hour earlier than non-hotel guests on select days and transfers.

From $1809 a person twin share. Valid for sale till July 5 for travel October 1 – December 4. Phone 1300 939 414 and quote deal code 4119111. See flightcentre.com.au

CRUISE

EUROPE

Avalon Waterways has extended its single supplement waiver offer on its 2016 and 2017 European river cruises. The offer applies to all European departures and all cabin categories except Royal Suites, giving solo travellers the same rate a person as doubles.

For departures in 2016, the offer is on sale until June 30 and for 2017, until July 29. Phone 1300 230 234. See avalonwaterways.com.au

THE NORTH ATLANTIC

Save up to $8270 a person twin share on a 31-night package that includes flights and 25 nights on board the Norwegian Getaway from Miami to Copenhagen with port visits including Denmark, Russia and Sweden with hotel stays in Miami, St Petersburg and Copenhagen.

Priced from $6789 a person twin share until June 30 Departs Australia April 27. Phone 1300 369 848. See ecruising.travel

HOTEL

BYRON BAY

Winter Warmer Byron at Byron Resort's Winter Warmer package gives a free upgrade to a superior suite, breakfast, one in-house movie with popcorn, a bottle of wine and 10 per cent off spa treatments.

The price is $357 a night twin share for stays till August 31. See thebyronatbyron.com.au

PHUKET

The Sarojin Phuket's Winter Escape Early Bird Offer gives accommodation for two people in a Garden Residence including complimentary all day a la carte breakfast with sparkling wine for THB 6581 a night.

Valid for stays till September 30. Must be booked 30 days in advance.

Stay in a pool residence from THB8746 and a spa suite from THB 9799 375, both of which also include one complimentary 60-minute spa treatment a night.

See sarojin.com

GEBICKI TIP

Book the cheapest car from your rental agency and you'll frequently get an upgrade. If they offer a better vehicle at a discounted fee, call their bluff and refuse.

EXPERT OPINION

Kevin Sumption, Director and CEO of Australian National Maritime Museum

Q: Every city in the world has its major museums and those lesser known. How can a traveller schedule their time to ensure they see the best of what's on offer?

A: Museums often conjure up images of "the old", things from the past, static exhibits, artefacts, and glass that separates the voyeur from the objects encased in it.

When deciding which museum or gallery to visit, I encourage travellers to challenge these traditional images, looking beyond iconic museums such as the Louvre and the Tate. Some of the best museums are the smaller, "underground" museums which are often more imaginative.

Some of the best exhibitions these days are interactive and engaging, often with exciting and stimulating elements for the "touch-screen" generation that bring artefacts to life and allow visitors to not only observe, but experience.

My other big tip for travellers is to research the opening and closing times and days of the museum or gallery carefully, as these change from city to city and you don't want to miss out.

To experience ANMM's new dynamic, high-tech attraction Action Stations, complete with cinematic experience and interactive, learn-by-play exhibits, visit actionstations.sydney

THE BIG ISSUE

Airline Alliances – What's in it for me?

With just a couple of exceptions, when you join an airline's frequent flyer program, by default you become a member of that airline's alliance.

Most of the world's major airlines belong to one of the alliances but there are exceptions. Budget airlines tend to stay out. However 2016 has seen the birth of the Value Alliance, with budget carriers Scoot and TigerAir Australia signed up.

Airline alliances offer several wins for flyers. Frequent flyer points accrued with one airline can be used to buy seats or upgrades within the alliance, which gives you a far greater choice of destinations when you want to spend your loyalty points. However an airline might block or restrict reward bookings made using frequent flyer points accrued on an alliance partner airline's account.

The perks that an airline grants to elite members of its loyalty scheme, such as lounge access, priority luggage, preferential boarding and upgrades, will often apply when flying aboard other carriers in the same alliance.

When your itinerary requires a transfer from one airline to another within the same alliance, speedy luggage transfers and pre-issued boarding passes mean pared-down connection times, and quicker journeys.

Lower prices are another benefit, at least in theory. Alliances allow the sharing of resources among members, offering a cost saving that enables them to compete more effectively with sharper deals for travellers.

There are now six airline alliances but for flyers looking to build credit, oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam are the three that matter.

For most Australian travellers the convenience, global reach and the frequency of services into and out of Australia make either oneworld or Star Alliance the logical choice.

Star Alliance offers the networks of many leading operators which give extensive coverage throughout Asia, Europe and North America.

However oneworld's airline membership is going to be a better fit for most Australians. With Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Qatar, Japan Airlines, LATAM, British Airways and American Airlines on the books, oneworld's coverage includes Europe, Asia, North and South America and Australia. The opportunity to accrue and spend points makes this the alliance of choice for most Aussie travellers.

MICHAEL GEBICKI