Tweet if you like hotel, airline deals

There’s a budding travel giveaway trend on Twitter.com. The micro-blogging tool on which users send messages, or “tweets,” of 140 characters at a time to their followers has become a hot networking tool for the Web-savvy travel community.

What’s hot: Airlines and hotels reach out to their customers and offer personal service and tips, travel bloggers befriend and keep tabs on colleagues -- even convention and visitors bureaus have joined the Twittersphere to stay connected. For those who know Twitter, the benefits of participating are endless. But what about the average consumer? Bargain-hunting travelers can get involved with Twitter to cash in on travel giveaways and the quick dissemination of sale information. Recently, I’ve found @fairmonthotels running Twitter-only contests and giving away gift certificates, stays at Fairmont hotels, DVDs, CDs, backpacks and more to its Twitter followers by asking trivia questions or inquiring about their funniest/worst/best travel experiences. Look for such contests on select Fridays. On Mondays, you’re likely to find @NapaMarriott running a contest for its Twitter followers. Besides hotel-stay giveaways, it answers questions about the area and regularly gives advice on restaurants and wineries. The Westin Bonaventure (@thebonaventure) is giving away 50 rooms every weekend through April 18, a total of 200 room nights, as part of its “U.O. Me Tax Relief” promotion.

-- Jen Leo