Flights are cheap, ranging from 225 each way. And prices in US shops are less than half what they are here.

Dubliner Emer Fitzpatrick and her five sisters are among many thousands who zip off on a yearly trans-Atlantic shopping blitz. Emer reckons she saved over 1,000 by snapping up quality brands for a third of the price of Rip Off Ireland. And she had "an absolute ball" in the Windy City into the bargain.

"Six of us went in March and we all saved as much as we spent on the holiday, " she says. Emer claims she "saved" 2,000- 3,000 for every 1,000 that she spent. And that was with the euro at $1.27, compared to $1.41 earlier this week.

She aims to improve on that record on her next trip in spring. Emer used to live in the States and when she returned to Ireland, found it hard to cope with all the rip-offs. Her solution? To meet much of her family's shopping needs in one massive splurge in the States every year.

She recommends Chicago, where she snaps up bargains galore in outfits such as Marshalls and Filene's Basement.

Shoe-lovers should visit Clarke's Street for every style imaginable, and even whole department stores devoted to footwear. Shoppers should also take the half-hour trip from the centre to Gurnee Mills, a shopping paradise covering four square miles.

Emer mainly buys clothes but accessories can be even better value. She once bought six designer handbags, which she insists are not an extravagance.

"Men don't understand. You need different bags for different occasions."

But even if it is an indulgence, it's one that pays for itself as the total cost was the same as that of one designer handbag in Ireland. Electrical goods such as ipods, cameras and camcorders are also cheap, while jewellery is "fantastic value", she says.

Overall, items are half price, which more than compensates for any duty due on imported goods. And you can get even better deals if you put your mind to it. A Tommy Hilfiger shirt priced in Ireland at 60 would normally set you back less than a third of that stateside. But Emer hunted it down in a value-oriented outlet for just 10.

All that shopping would be a lot of work for some, but Emer and her sisters enjoy it immensely. "We were sitting on top of the John Hancock Centre, the secondtallest building in the US, looking down on the city and thinking, what could be better than this?"

She describes Chicago as a "hidden gem" which she prefers to New York or Boston. "The people are friendlier . . . I think it's because it's the mid-west. New York has a good buzz but Chicago is a more civilised city. It's a big city but not as congested. And very clean."

January and February are very cold but autumn, spring and even early winter can be pleasant. "One September we were basking in temperatures of 30 degrees, " she says.

And despite its name, the Windy City, is not lashed by gales. It gets its name from some Irish-American politician who was famous for blowing hot air. At least some things never change .

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Aer Lingus sells cheap fiights to USA

AER Lingus has just launched a sale on flights to the US. One-way tickets to Boston, Chicago and Washington cost 225- 231 while fares to Los Angeles and San Francisco can be had for 305.

The offer includes taxes and closes at midnight tomorrow (Monday).

These seem like good deals compared with alternative offers we came up with on www. travelocity. co. uk. Flights to Chicago on 30 October started at 536 with US Airways. American Airlines, Virgin, Continental and Delta were next cheapest in that order.

New York is cheaper . . . and a bit closer. Travelocity came up with 484 return, again with US Airways, flying out at the end of this month.

Next in the value chain for that particular quote were Continental, American, Delta and BA. Deals will vary depending on the time of travel.

And whether the airline's pilots are on strike.

The dollar: which way will it go?

SHOULD transatlantic shoppers be snapping up dollars now, weeks or months before they fly over? Many did just that this week as the euro hit $1.41.

"I bought over $1,000 in spending money for my next trip, " says Emer Fitzpatrick. Other transatlantic shoppers had the same idea which led to a mini-run on the dollar that saw some banks running short of the US currency during the week.

Emer seemed to be right on the money as as the dollar rallied later in the week to $1.40. Yet, as we went to press, it still remained stubbornly stuck at that level. And many experts predict that it's more likely to go down than up.

"Every sign . . . financial, economic and political . . . points to a dollar that will continue to drop, making a bet on a weaker dollar nearly a risk-free proposition, " Jeffrey Garten, professor of international trade and finance at the Yale School of Management, wrote in the Financial Times this week. Garten urged the US Fed to intervene strongly in support of the dollar in order to avert a "rout".

If it follows this path, the downward spiral may be halted. But, on balance, the US currency is more likely to go down than up. So shoppers who throng the foreign exchange counters of their local banks when the dollar drops may find that, in the long run, it's probably not worthwhile second-guessing the currency markets.

EMER'S TIPS ? Avoid excess weight charges by bringing no changes of clothes, just two empty suitcases (light and expandable).

? Travel in the offseason for the best flight prices and the most tolerance towards overweight luggage.

? Go with shopaholic friends . . . not grumbling partners who'll slow down your shopping frenzy. It's more fun and you'll have a better chance of getting discounts for group purchases.

? Always ask for discounts.

? Go for the high-quality brands to justify inclusion in your limited baggage allowance.

? Go on a shopping diet before you travel.

Save up all your shopping so that you only get what you really need.

? Roll clothes tightly into the corners of your bags .

EMER'S BARGAINS

USIreland La Perla Lingerie 18 60 Levi's 20 90 Tommy Hilfiger Jeans 16 120 Timberland boots 63 125 Nine West boots 20 150 These are sample prices obtained by one bargain-hunting shopper in valuebased US outlets. The Irish prices are those from mainstream stores and may vary considerably.