Something's fishy about the travel industry: Travelzoo makes a splash at the Georgia Aquarium

April 2, 12:04 PMAtlanta Luxury Travel ExaminerStephanie Oswald

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The TZoos took place at the Georgia Aquarium, the largest fish tank in the world.

I was a fan of Travelzoo back in the days when you could arrive at the airport 30 minutes before your flight, even when you were checking a bag, with no worries about the plane leaving you behind.

If you're not already a Travelzoo subscriber, shame on you. Signing up is free -- it only takes a few minutes and afterward you'll receive a weekly list of travel bargains in your e-mail box. But you say you have no money, no time and no travel plans in sight? Sixty percent of the travelers who book a trip they discovered thanks to Travelzoo thought the same thing. Fabulous deals have a way of inspiring wanderlust.

The New York City based company held its annual Travelzoo "TZoo" Awards Wednesday night in the ballroom of Atlanta's leading attraction, the Georgia Aquarium. The fish jokes were pretty lame (Q: Why is it easy to weigh a fish? A: Because they have their own scales.) but the rest of the evening was an upbeat display of pride, prizes and camaraderie shared by members of the suffering travel industry. This was the third annual awards ceremony for the 11-year-old company. 

I've always described Travelzoo as the "Filene's Basement" for travel bargains: it's a trusted name, with some amazing deals if you're lucky enough to have good timing. It's also addictive. The Wednesday release of the week's Top 20 is anxiously awaited by millions of travel enthusiasts.

More than 80,000 deals were evaluated, more than 90 companies were honored as finalists -- but only 23 awards were handed out. Here are the results, along with a few comments from those who left the aquarium with a big silver "Z" in hand:

Leading Provider of Domestic Airfare Deals: AirTran Airways

Leading Provider of International Airfare Deals: British Airways

Best Overall Provider of Airfare Deals: United Airlines

Leading Provider of Lodging Deals by an Upscale or Boutique Property: Wynn Las Vegas

Outstanding Deals by an Individual Hotel: Swissotel Chicago

Outstanding Deals by an Individual Hotel Marketed in Canada: Marriott Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel & Spa (When he accepted the award, the hotel's representative said with a laugh, "I'd like to personally invite everybody to the Niagara Falls Marriott.")

Outstanding Deals by a Hotel Chain or Brand: Kimpton Hotels (Note, there will be a new Kimpton coming to Atlanta soon!)

Best Overall Provider of Vacation Package Deals to Warm Weather Destinations: CheapCaribbean.com ("It's about time the 'Cheap' name became cool," announced the recipient of the TZoo.)

Best Overall Provider of Vacation Package Deals to Asia or Europe: Sceptre Tours ("At the end of the day the consumer wins, and that's what counts," said the Sceptre Tours rep.

Most Outstanding Provider of Cruise Deals by an Agency: CruCon Cruise Outlet

Best Overall Provider of Cruise Deals to Europe, Asia or South Pacific: Royal Caribbean International

Best Overall Provider of Cruise Deals to the Americas, Caribbean or Bermuda: Norwegian Cruise Line

Leading Provider of Outstanding Car Rental and Bus Deals: megabus.com (We featured them in a recent issue of travelgirl magazine!)

Most Outstanding Achievement in Marketing of Travel Deals for a Destination: New York State Department of Economic Development/I LOVE NEW YORK (Don't we all?!)

Outstanding Deals by an Online Travel Agency: Orbitz (They beat out finalists Expedia, Travelocity, TripRes.com and BookIt.com.)

Best Overall Provider of Show & Event Deals: National Basketball Association (Stay tuned -- The NBA rep said "We're just starting to scratch the surface on this thing!")

Outstanding Innovation in Creating WOW! Travel Deals: Qantas Airways

Best Overall Provider of Travel Deals, U.S.: American Airlines (Kudos to AA; they triumphed over finalists British Airways, CheapCaribbean.com, MGM Mirage and Starwood Hotels and Resorts

Best Overall Provider of Travel Deals, Asia Pacific: H.I.S. Co., Ltd. (Japan)

Best Overall Provider of Airfare Deals, Canada: WestJet

Best Overall Provider of Vacation Package Deals, Canada: Sunwing Vacations

Best Overall Provider of Travel Deals, Canada: Delta Hotels

Best Overall Provider of Travel Deals, Europe: African Safari Club (UK)

Each category had five finalists. Winners were chosen based on a five-point scale that judged reliability, appeal, competitiveness, consistency and quality. Travelzoo on-air reporter Gabe Saglie kept things lively and entertained the crowd with a couple of witty wardrobe changes. He opened the event in rain gear, "weathering the storm" of today's travel arena; then revealed a cheerful Hawaiian outfit to suggest optimism and sunny skies for the future.

Photos, from top: Luxury Travel Examiner Stephanie Oswald and her daughter Taryn enjoy an afternoon at the Georgia Aquarium; Travelzoo's Gabe Saglie entertained the crowd with his wardrobe changes, switching from rain gear to Hawaiian garb.