Southwest Airlines, which will launch service from Logan starting Aug. 16, announced
a big 48-hour sale, with one-way fares going for as low as $30, $60, or $90 based on length of travel.
The move bucks a recent industry trend, which saw the major airlines raising ticket prices over the past couple of weeks as the beleaguered carriers once again find themselves facing volatile fuel prices.
The terms of the Southwest sale go like this: For flights up to 400 miles, you could pay as little as $30; 400-750 miles $60; and more than 750 miles $90. These fares don't include taxes and fees, and you must purchase before July 9 for travel from Sept. 9 through Nov. 18. Also you can't travel on Fridays or Sundays.
The complaints with this kind of deal tend to focus on the fact that sale fares tend to be in rather short supply. But here in Greater Boston we have an advantage because Southwest doesn't begin flying till next month, so, for the most part, there's no shortage of seats available for the fall.
I plugged in a few September and October dates for flights to the Midwest and California and found a number of openings at sale prices.
This sale could also kick off a smallish price war on competing routes, according to one airline analyst who was quoted in a Reuters story.
"While airline ticket prices have stabilized recently from their free fall, airlines are by no means out of the woods as oil prices remain volatile and demand precarious," said Rick Seaney, chief executive of FareCompare.com, in an e-mail this morning. "Later today we should see significant airfare matching activity (even for the modest 2-day purchase period on the Southwest sale) as legacy airlines will not want to be undercut."

Forewarned is forearmed. Recent reports suggest that problems for the airline industry may be near bottoming out, and with the the seasonal uptick of air travel it looks like carriers are trying to may some hay. Bloomberg, citing numbers from Farecompare.com, is reporting that the major carriers may be trying to make another move to raise fares.

American Airlines and United Airlines raised most domestic fares by as much as $20 for a round trip, the second increase in as many weeks, as they try to take advantage of peak U.S. summer travel season demand.

AMR Corp.’s American boosted prices by $10 to $20 on most U.S. routes yesterday, and UAL Corp.’s United matched the move, ticket-research firm FareCompare.com said in an e-mail. Delta Air Lines Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. led carriers in a $20 round trip increase in the second week of June.

Two successful fare increases in a month would support an International Air Transport Association report today that the slump in global airline travel may have reached a “floor” following a 9.3 percent decline in passenger traffic last month. Airlines have slashed prices to win customers in the recession.

“We may have hit bottom, but we are a long way from recovery,” IATA Chief Executive Officer Giovanni Bisignani said in a statement. “This crisis is the worst we have ever seen.”

The Clear registered traveler program, which promised to speed fliers through airport security lines, was shuttered last night.
Clear, which began about four years ago, had enrolled more than 250,000 travelers who paid nearly $200 a year and operated at 18 airports, including Atlanta, Denver, San Francisco and Washington Dulles. At Logan, the program was offered only through Delta Airlines in Terminal A.
Users of the Clear system received high-tech ID cards to verify their fingerprints or iris images at designated security kiosks. Clear faced criticism because TSA decided that registered travelers had to go through the same security screening as everyone else.
A statement on the website of Verified Identity Pass, which runs the Clear program, said that the firm "had been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations."
The note also said that the firm would keep member information secure until it was able to delete it and that "at the present time, because of its financial condition, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. cannot issue refunds.''
Clear was started by Court TV founder Steven Brill, who told USA Today that he had left the company in March to start Journalism Online LLC, a venture to help publications collect revenue for online content.

Bloomberg News photo

Southwest Airlines, which has largely refrained from engaging in the airline extra-fee feeding frenzy, has decided to add a levy for children flying alone, double charges for third checked bags, and allow pets in the cabin for $75 each way.
Southwest, which prides itself on its "no hidden fee'' policy, will add a $50 round-trip service charge for children ages 5 through 11 flying alone, according to a report by Bloomberg News. The levy will apply to fares bought after June 1 for flights starting June 17. Most of the major carriers, including Delta, American, and US Airways, charge $100 each way.
Southwest, which lets travelers check two bags for free, will raise the fee to $50 for a third checked bag and for luggage weighing 51 pounds to 70 pounds. The changes take effect June 17.
Among the major carriers only Southwest and JetBlue don’t charge for a first checked bag, and JetBlue charges for second and subsequent bags.

Good morning, travelers.
For the first time, American plans to let frequent fliers use their miles to book one-way flights for half the miles of a round-trip. The carrier will also let customers redeem miles for first-class seats one way and use fewer miles for a coach seat on the return, according to the Associated Press.

Officials at American, which developed the first frequent-flier program nearly three decades ago, plan to announce the changes Monday and put them into effect shortly.
They say American is the first major US airline to offer a one-way award ticket at half miles. It's hard to know how many people would use miles for a one-way trip -- parents driving a child to college and flying home might -- and American officials didn't offer any estimates.

From Logan, one-way, online prices start at $29 (Buffalo, Charlotte, New York, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, and Richmond, Va.) and rise to $59 (Oakland and SF), $69 (Bermuda, Chicago), $69 (Bermuda, Chicago), $79 (Long Beach), $89 (Austin, Denver) and $99 (Las Vegas, San Diego, and Seattle).
There is fine print: You must buy before midnight. Travel must take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and needs to be completed by June 10. And there are other restrictions and you can scan them all here.

To celebrate Sir Paul McCartney’s exclusive concert at the grand reopening of the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the Liverpool Productions Beatles Fan Club has planned a getaway April 18-20. Participants will get group seating at ‘‘Love’’ by Cirque du Soleil celebrating the Beatles’ legacy at The Mirage, hotel for two nights, group seating at a concert by a Beatles tribute act, a visit to the Beatles Revolution Lounge,and — ta-da! — guaranteed tickets to McCartney in concert April 19.
Visit www.liverpooltours.com or call 866-LIVERPOOL (866-548-377665).
Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

The Society of American Travel Writers has polled its members for advice on how to save on the go.
Among the top suggestions: Travel in the off-season or on the edges of popular seasons; try bus or metro transportation during city stays; instead of eating every meal in restaurants, have a picnic; have your big meal at lunch, when prices are cheaper; make your first stop the visitors center and collect coupons, brochures, and free maps; stay in places that have free breakfast and a refrigerator to store snacks; visit less well-known destinations; try a home swap or home rental; in cities, stay at business hotels on weekends when there are often lower room rates and restaurant deals.
For details, go to www.satw.org.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Trump Hotel Las Vegas is extending its Suite Escape package, priced from $89 a night, through June. Guests stay in a studio suite with floor-to-ceiling windows and marble bathrooms, and also get a $50 credit at the Spa at Trump, good toward any massage or facial, including the aptly named Vegas Recovery Massage. They also get a 4 p.m. checkout.
Visit www.trumplasvegashotel.com or call 866-939-8786 and mention the Suite Escape.

Posted by Richard P. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

It's becoming the latest in airline marketing.
Southwest just unveiled ''S.I. One," a plane graced with the image of Bar Refaeli, cover girl for this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. The Southwest Boeing 737 will ferry the model on a cross-country promotional trip leaving from New York City.
According to the Chicago Tribune's website, the jet will continue to be used for a limited time on flights between New York and Las Vegas.
This is getting ridiculous. First you've got airlines like Ryanair and VivaAerobus (which happens to be partially financed by the family behind Ryanair) putting out swimsuit calendars to boost sales. And now this.
It seems so old school. But I guess it must work. Anybody remember those ads from decades ago in which some attractive young flight attendant offers to let us "fly'' her.

Planning to spend Super Bowl weekend in Las Vegas? Obviously, you’ll have the opportunity to lay down a legal bet on the NFL’s big game (the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently favored over the Arizona Cardinals by 7 points). And why settle for a lame square pool where you can’t even control which numbers you receive? In Vegas, you can make esoteric wagers such as whether the game’s longest field goal will be over or under 43½ yards, or whether there will be at least one scoreless quarter (the odds slightly favor scoring in every quarter). The Vegas oddsmakers had our Patriots, the Colts, and the Cowboys as preseason favorites to make Super Bowl XLIII, and well, that didn’t turn out so well for the teams or those who went with the chalk. If you’re going to be in Vegas, Walters Golf has a nice proposition for football fans who play golf. Tee it up at two of their three local courses in any combination over Super Bowl weekend (Jan. 30-Feb. 1), and you will be entered in a raffle to win one of two signed team helmets (one Steelers, one Cardinals). If you’re bringing your clubs anyway, play at Bali Hai Golf Club, Royal Links Golf Club (which features holes inspired by 11 British Open courses), and/or Desert Pines Golf Club, and you’ve got a shot at owning one of these two helmets (they’re valued at $3,500 apiece). And hey, if you’re a Patriots fan who isn’t particularly fond of either team, you can sell the helmet or just paint it over. Kidding, kidding.

In yet one more reflection of the soft leisure travel market (read good for those who can afford to travel), Alamo Rent A Car has announced a new airport promotion offering $10-per-day rates Thursday through Monday through Memorial Day weekend.
To take advantage of the deal and for all the details, customers should go to the website and click the $10 A Day Weekend Rentals button.
There is a four-day limit on rentals, which range from economy to premium-size cars. You can commence your rental as early as 9 a.m. on Thursdays and the terms of the discount require an overnight Saturday rental. Nonparticipating locations include, but are not limited to, Denver, Aspen, and the New York Metro area.

Here's the deal: Lastminutetravel.com has just launched its World for a Dollar promotion.
Starting in late January, visitors to the website will get a chance to book a room for up to seven consecutive nights for $1 per night at any of the 15,000 hotels in the site's worldwide inventory.
What kinds of hotels? To give you some idea, in Boston you could pick the Onyx Hotel, Nine Zero, or Boston Park Plaza, among many others.
The catch(es)?
Reservations can only be made during one 15-minute period each day, Monday - Friday, over 2 weeks. And they won't reveal in advance what day the promotion will begin or which 15-minute period in any given day. The only way to find out is to keep checking the site.
There are a few more conditions: You can only score a cheap room once during the campaign; the booking must be made online and must be completed within the 15-minute time frame.
Sound hard? You can register on the website for clues to help you out.
Why is Last Minute Travel doing this? The idea is to promote the site's transition to becoming an "opaque" one, like Hotwire, in which you make an offer for a hotel stay, car rental, air flights etc without knowing what specific hotel or company you are dealing with. Thus their interest in having you return to the site multiple times to check things out.
A hassle, yes. But a cool hotel room for $1? With a deal like that maybe you can afford a winter vacation, even in a lousy economy.

Need a getaway to ring in the New Year? If you've got your eye on Las Vegas as a destination any time between Jan. 13 and March 11, you might want to book airfare before the clock strikes midnight.

Southwest Airlines is offering 50 percent off all flights to Las Vegas in its two-day sale which ends today. A quick search for one weekend in January found a non-stop flight from Providence for as little as $75. A Sunday return flight, however, was a bit more difficult to find - at any price. If you're looking to hit the strip for Super Bowl weekend, however, you can secure a non-stop, roundtrip Thursday departure, Monday return for just $159.

Score.

Southwest put fares on sale for the second time in a week to boost business in the slow periods after the holidays.
The three-day sale begins today and ends Nov. 20 for travel from Dec. 9 through Feb. 28. Sale fares are available only on the website, with the cheapest days being Monday through Thursday. Sample deals from Providence: Baltimore-Washington Intl. $49 one way, LA $99, or Chicago Midway $89.
``It is pretty obvious that there are more than a few empty seats hanging out this winter, even with the substantial seat cutbacks,'' Rick Seaney, CEO of ticket-research firm Farecompare.com, told Bloomberg News.

For years, travelers have been screaming for setting limits on how long airlines can leave hapless passengers sitting on tarmacs during flight delays and even the US Department of Transportation's inspector general last fall recommended some kind of rule.
But the best a federal task force could do yesterday was to approve voluntary guidelines for airlines and airports. It failed to come up with any hard rules on how long airlines can keep you shut up in planes before being allowed to exit.
It's hard to find anyone who flies even semiregularly who doesn't have a story of being stranded on the tarmac for hours with no recourse.
(Full disclosure: I've been stuck twice. Both times were in California, once on an American flight and once with United, for three and nearly six hours, respectively, after the jets I was on appeared to be experiencing mechanical problems.)
Passenger rights advocates told the Associated Press that representatives of the airlines leaned on other task force members to reject time limits, saying they wanted the flexibility to design their own response plans.
Right. And what has kept them from doing so thus far on their own?
The DOT says it is working on rules to require airlines and airports to have contingency plans and include a time limit. But who knows when and if that will happen?
Well, you ask, what recommendations did the task force come up with?
They suggest the airlines update you on progress every 15 minutes; provide a secure room for passengers on overseas flight so they won't have to go back through security; provide refreshments and entertainment when practical; and try to keep the restroom clean.
The 36-member task force was created in December by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and was dominated by airline industry and airport representatives.
OK, Barack, I know you already have one or two other things on your plate but let's hope that you will be able to do a bit better by us. Yes, you can.

Lower-fare carrier AirTran joined the major legacy airlines in adding a $15 fee for a first checked piece of luggage on flights starting Dec 5.
Delta, American, United, and Continental all charge for first, and subsequent bags.
Discounters Southwest and JetBlue allow at least one free checked bag.
The move by AirTran reminds us that even the discounters, once thought to be a bit more insulated from the pressures plaguing the industry, haven't completely escaped the drag of the sagging economy and slowing travel demand.

Our friends at Priceline have released their annual holiday calendar of the most fiscally prudent days to travel, and there aren't any surprises: The cheapest days are Nov. 23, 24 and 27 for Thanksgiving, and Dec. 22, 23 and 24 for Christmas; the priciest are Nov. 21 and 26; Dec. 19, 20 and 28; and Jan. 3 and 4.

While those general guidelines are useful, they don't necessarily shed a whole lot of light on the key thing here: what you will need to pay.

But the travel website does offer a Best Days To Fly tool that I find more useful. This is the way it works: Go to the site and click on the Best Days To Fly box on the right hand side of the screen. A dialog box will pop up. Enter your departure and arrival cities. This will generate a calendar showing the lowest published ticket price found by Priceline customers for days around the holiday, and you can use this info to help you figure out when to fly and whether you're getting a good deal.

Brian Ek, a Priceline spokesman, says the site will continue updating the info.

Westjet, the Canadian discount airline that plans to partner with Southwest, sent out a questionnaire to consumers to gauge their willingness to pay for a menu of services -- or to save money forgoing them.

One of the questions, first reported by Chris Elliott on his blog, involved whether passengers would favor shelling out $10 to not sit next to a parent with a baby.

The Westjet queries are revealing, I think. They don’t necessarily reflect what kinds of fees all the airlines will go for, but they suggest what kinds of things they all must be at least considering (or are already trying).

Besides the baby question, the carrier also asked whether travelers would consider paying $10 for:

• Being among the first to get on or off planes
  
• Quicker baggage delivery
  
• Priority rebooking after flight cancellations
  
• Complimentary meals/hotel accommodations for substantially delayed or canceled flights
  
• In-flight Web access
  
• Guaranteed space in the overhead bin
  
• In-seat power
  
• Premium snacks/meals
  
• Freshly laundered pillow/blanket set that you may keep
  
• Amenity kits with earplugs, eyeshades, and toiletries
  
• Shorter waits to clear security checkpoints

The carrier also asked questions about which services travelers would be willing to give up in order to save $10 on flights of two to four hours. These included

Good morning, travelers. The sale deals by both discounters won't help you with Turkey Day -- in one case the day is blacked out and the other requires a 21-day advance. But if you can travel in the windows they offer there are some pretty good fares to be had. Here's the rundown:
For the first times in months, Southwest is offering systemwide discounts, with fares as low as $49 one way. Travel must take place between Dec. 2 and Feb. 11 and require a 21-day advance purchase. Lowest fares are available Monday through Thursday, and Saturday, and must be booked through the site.
JetBlue is offering 10 percent off a number of flights, but you have to book through this page on the site and enter the promotion code: 10offNov. This deal is good for travel between now and Feb. 10, with blackout dates of Nov. 25-Dec. 2, Dec. 16-Jan. 7, Jan. 15-19, and all Sundays.
Both offers are only good through Thursday and there may be other fees and restrictions. But what else is new?

Delta, the lone holdout among the legacy carriers, says it will start charging $15 for the service. The move will take effect for flights after Dec. 4. Checking a second bag will cost $25, half the current rate.
The airline also said it would trim its telephone reservation fee from $25 to $20, and, drop its $3 curbside check-in fee. And it plans to to eliminating a $25 to $100 fuel surcharge for SkyMiles and WorldPerks award-ticket holders in response to falling fuel prices.
Delta says it's making these changes as it moves to align its policies with those of its merger partner Northwest. Delta said last week it would adopt Northwest's policy of offering coach seats with more legroom, such as those in exit rows, for $5 to $25 extra.

Continental says it will waive the $15 fee for a first checked bag for Continental Airlines Chase credit and debit card members. Continental Airlines Presidential Plus holders will be able to check up to two bags without paying a fee, a savings of up to $40 each way.
Passengers traveling with card holders also will be eligible for waivers if they're listed in the same reservation and check in at the same time. The new policy is effective immediately.
More than 1 million people carry a Continental credit or debit card, the airline said.
Carriers instituted the baggage fees this summer to help offset high fuel prices. Among the major legacy carriers only Delta doesn't assess a first bag fee.

So you travel a lot for work. I know it's hard to make time to exercise, and you can just barely squeeze out time for the dentist a couple times a year and the doc once (note to self: schedule the annual physical).

Flu season is nearly upon us. Clinics for shots seem ubiquitous, but they're always in places you don't go -- like the drugstore or the mall -- or at times that aren't convenient. Thinking about blowing it off? Don't. The flu is not what you think it is. Most people say they have it when all they really have is a simple virus or a cold. If you get the real flu, you could easily be down for a week or more.
So what to do? This year about 21 airports are offering shots, up from about a dozen or so last year, owing to the popularity of the service. Some of the airports have contracted with commercial providers while others have enlisted local hospitals or public health agencies. Besides Logan, the list includes most of the biggies and hubs: Hartsfield in Atlanta, O'Hare and Midway in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, LAX, JFK, Philly, and San Francisco. Hours vary, but most are open at least during regular business hours, and the cost runs from $20 to $35 (actually in Phoenix and San Diego they're free while supplies last).


The good folks at USA Today, have put together this complete list with details. No excuses now. Roll up that sleeve.

If you’re planning to go on a long plane ride but have a painfully short attention span, have I got a book for you. ‘‘747 Things to Do on a Plane’’ by Justin Cord Hayes gives you, yes, 747 things to do to make a long flight feel less tedious. Hayes’s ideas range from no-brainers (read the newspaper) to morbid (write your own obituary) to bizarre (draw tattoos on your arms). His section on making lists is thought-provoking and a possibly eye-opening use of time (list the top 10 happiest moments of your life or the top 10 vacations you’ve ever taken). He gets desperately snarky in the section on pranks. Sneaking into first class (then what?) is one thing, but belching the alphabet and kicking the back of someone’s seat? Not that anyone who knows how to spell air marshal would actually act like such a jerk on a crowded plane, but still. The book is better than a magazine, makes a great gag gift, the word puzzles included are clever, and you won’t mind if you leave it behind when you finally arrive at your destination.

Amid high fuel prices and a soft economy, American is moving to a la carte pricing starting next year. The AP is reporting that American, which was the first (but not the last) carrier to start charging for a first checked bag, plans to embrace the kind of "unbundling'' model that Air Canada has been practicing for about five years.
This is the way it works at Air Canada: Consumers choose from one of four fare levels. AP says the top two classes of tickets, Latitude and Executive classes, "are fully refundable and come with priority check-in, food and other goodies included." Basic Tango class "requires extra fees for upgrades such as a food voucher, advance seat selection, flight changes and airport lounge access," AP writes. You can also save a few bucks by electing to forgo frequent flier miles or by not checking a bag (all Air Canada customers can check at least two bags free).
I spoke with Ned Raynolds, an American spokesman, about the changes. He said he couldn't discuss any details but said it was a necessary move to fill seats and remain competitive. He also pointed out that the notion of al la carte pricing was not entirely new. "Largely,'' he said. "we're already there.''
And it's true. For the most part, it appears that the changes will not be stark. If you're flying coach, you're already paying for things like a refundable fare, food, and airport lounge access. There could be some shifts -- here, I'm thinking of having to pay for seat selection.
So the bottom line? More nickel and diming. Sure. But I don't think on its face that this is a huge shift for most consumers. I think you can, however, safely argue that by codifying the system what this does is make clear that this new era of proliferating and escalating fees, of trying to find out what travelers value so are willing to pay a premium for is here to stay.

Discounters reign. The folks at Forbes.com have put together a ranking of the nation's 10 major airlines, and Southwest rose to the top. Continental was No. 2, JetBlue No. 3, and AirTran 4.
The top dogs were followed by Alaska, Northwest, American, and Delta. And bringing up the rear were United and US Airways.
Now you're probably wondering which factors Forbes.com considered. They looked at five year's worth of federal data on on-time arrivals, cancellations, complaints, and mishandled baggage, with heaviest weight given to delays and cancellations. They then also took into account consumer satisfaction by looking at J.D. Power rankings from 2005-2008 as well as the airlines' financial stability as measured by their asset-to-liability ratios.
I like this ranking because it confirms my own prejudices and experience. However, on-time arrival figures for August, which were just released today, suggest that this ranking has limits in predicting anyone's actual travel experience.
Of the Big 10, the airlines that did best were Northwest, Southwest, and US Airways, followed by Alaska, AirTran, Delta, Continental, United, and American, And the worst? JetBlue. Go figure.

Among the things I like best about JetBlue and Virgin America are their in-flight media offerings. But as I fly around I increasingly see travelers listening to their own iPods or MP3 players and watching films on portable players or laptops.
I guess the folks at Hudson News have noticed as well. The ubiquitous-in-airports Hudson chain in September started selling (renting, really) Flexplay self-destructing movie DVDs for $6 at most of its 350 newsstand locations.
Why self-destructing? The big advantage of this system is that you don't have to remember to return anything. Once you open your DVD's sealed pouch, a chemical process kicks in, which will allow you to watch the film as many times as you want for at least two days. After that, the quality degrades. Once the DVD is kicked, you recycle.
Each Hudson store will offer about two dozen DVD titles, refreshed with new films every week or two, according to Laura Samuels, a Hudson spokeswoman. Currently, Flexplay has licensing deals with Warner Home Video, Paramount Home Entertainment, and DreamWorks.
You can also order online from Flexplay and have discs mailed to you for $4.99, which includes shipping. Flexplay discs are also available at Staples.
The new Hudson/Flexplay system is convenient and "Mission Impossible'' cool, but it's not the only option for airport DVD rentals.

Welcome to the land of bizarre travel ads. Please fasten your seat belt and make sure your seat-back and tray table are in the secure upright position for takeoff.
There's a theory among some ad guys that anything that brings attention to your brand -- good or bad -- is good. The people at Extended Stay Hotels must be adherents.
A new commercial by them is popping up around the Net. The commercial features a series of shots of various people engaged in fairly innocuous, routine activities in hotel rooms, all to a jaunty operatic score. The single commonality? They all appear to be passing gas.
That's right. The whole ad is one visual fart joke. And the tag line? "No place makes you feel more comfortable.''
I dunno. Do I want to feel comfortable in my hotel room? Sure. Do I want to be thinking of how others have been "comfortable'' there too?
I leave it up to you, my good friends. Loosen your belts and enjoy the show.

Verified Identity Pass's Clear program, which speeds prescreened travelers through security checkpoints at participating airports, will debut at Logan this month. Clear gives travelers who pay the $128 annual fee a high-tech identification card to verify their fingerprint or iris image at designated security lane kiosks. Clear spokeswoman Cindy Rosenthal said the Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs Logan, was one of the first agencies interested in this fast-pass program since it was tested in Orlando in July 2005. But she said Massport's long approval process has held up Clear's arrival, so instead Delta is sponsoring the program at its Logan terminal. More than 200,000 travelers have registered for Clear and used their fast passes nearly 1.5 million times across 18 airports nationwide since the program began three years ago.
Posted by Nicole C. Wong. Globe Staff

Hertz, which had been testing rentals by the hour, says that it is planning to launch a major push into the car-sharing market later this year. What does this mean to you, dear travelers? The prospect of a multinational concern like Hertz getting into the business is potentially huge.
Rich Broome, senior vice president for corporate affairs and communications, wouldn’t offer much in the way of details, but said that the company would initially roll out the program in a handful of major US cities. Boston, he said, would "probably be part of a second wave."
Broome said, “Many people think of Hertz being primarily at airports but we also have 1,600 off-airport locations in the United States, and when we roll this thing out we will have leading-edge technology in place to be able to get customers what they want where they want it.’’
For travelers the potential upside is clear. Hertz has 8,100 locations in 147 countries, so it’s not hard to imagine that eventually customers will be able to sign up in Boston, but use car-sharing services around the nation and the world. Sweet, yes?
It's also a safe bet that this will juice up competition, a good thing for consumers. Right now, the leader in the field is Cambridge-based Zipcar, which has seen a tremendous amount of growth and currently has more than 200,000 members in 50 cities in North America as well as a presence in London.
But others will also be interested.
As my pal Scott Kirsner wrote a story detailing this a few months ago, UHaul and Enterprise, noting Zipcar’s success, have been testing the car-sharing waters.

American says it will raise fees and mileage requirements for upgrades and free trips.
Under changes that take effect Oct. 1, an upgrade from economy coach on a domestic flight will cost $50, plus the 15,000 miles that was already required.
Miles and fees for upgrades were also raised on international flights.
The airline told members of its AAdvantage frequent-flier program of the changes in an e-mail message. Its moves follow changes in Delta's mileage program last week.
Delta said it would give frequent fliers a guaranteed ability to redeem miles for a free trip but sometimes at the cost of many more miles. Under a new three-tier program, fliers who spend more miles will get a better shot at winning one of the limited number of seats set aside for reward tickets. (AP)

What next, you ask?
JetBlue says it will start charging for blankets and pillows. The discount carrier plans to stop giving out recycled blankets and pillows, and will instead sell an "eco-friendly'' travel blanket and pillow for $7 on flights longer than two hours.
But the news is not all bad: The kit will come with a $5 coupon to Bed Bath & Beyond. (Somebody say, Wa-Hoo!)
The blanket and pillow deal is just the latest in a string of a la carte items airlines have started charging for to help offset the soaring price of jet fuel.
Another nick in this death by a thousand cuts.

There's just no end in sight.
Citing high fuel costs, Delta says it will kick up the fee to check a second bag from $25 to $50 for most domestic passengers.
The carrier says it will also boost levies on domestic and international flights for items that require special handling such as surfboards or ski equipment.
Even the lowliest of domestic passengers will still be allowed to check a first bag free, and First Class, BusinessElite, and Medallion customers can check up to three bags at no charge. Travelers on international flights may continue checking a first and second bag at no charge.
Need more details? It's all here.

Time for a gut check. There was a story out Thursday morning about a government report showing that average domestic airfares rose 4.4 percent in the first quarter. No surprise, right?
But if you take a closer look at the Department of Transportation press release you see that the agency notes that from the first quarter of 1995 to the first quarter of 2008 average domestic itinerary fares rose 11.7 percent while inflation surged 41 percent.
Average fares include round-trip and one-way fares, taxes and fees and exclude abnormally high reported prices as well as freebie frequent-flier deals.
So I took their numbers, adjusted for inflation, graphed it out, and discovered that there's actually been a trend downwards -- a 20 percent drop from '95. Witness my handiwork above.
Surprising? Not really. Think about it. One of the first times I flew, in the mid-1980s, I did it on the budget-pioneer People Express, which basically priced itself out of existence. A round-trip, coast-to-coast ticket was about $200, which is a bit over $400 in today's dollars. About three weeks ago, I flew from Boston to Sacramento for a total of $465.
Some will want to quibble about details (Is the Department of Transportation Domestic Average Itinerary Fares the best way to gauge prices? And is the Consumer Price Index the best way to compare rates of inflation? Are first quarter prices the best period for comparing numbers), but apply your own life experience to this. Think about a flight you took about 10 years ago. Then plug those numbers in the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator. Not look around to see what that fare is now. And be fair.
Bottom line: Airfares are on the rise and for good reasons (in '95, a gallon of regular gas set you back $1.10-$1.20). But, historically speaking, they aren't that high. Yet. So let's turn down the volume on the kvetching.

I was in an airport in Sacramento earlier this month, getting ready to board a flight back here. And for those who have not traveled in a while, let me make this clear: The airlines are deadly serious about new baggage rules, including size and weight. We're talking both checked and carry-on.
While checking in, there was a woman in front of me who had been told that her suitcase was about 5 pounds over and her options were either to make it lighter or pony up about $80. So she popped it open right there and started pulling out a travel iron, knick-knacks, various articles of clothing (I leave this to your vivid imagination). And got the bag down to fighting weight.
Similarly, I saw a man trying to carry on a questionable-sized suitcase who was forced to check it (and pay for a second bag).
Anyway, the Washington Post, compiled this list of the current rules and if you are planning soon it might be worthwhile printing, clipping, and saving on the fridge:

I'll fess up: Jet lag does me in. I just got back from a quick trip to the Golden State. There's only a three-hour time difference, but it takes me about a week to get so I'm not still squinting quizzically through bloodshot eyes at the sun at 8:30 a.m. on the T.
I'm willing to try anything. Reader's Digest (I once had an English professor who likened the reading of digested material to the consumption of already digested material) has some tips. Most of them involve trying to get your body ready for the changes in advance; some focus on your general well-being; some are fabulously ridiculous. Here are a few (along with my own insights):
ACCLIMATE. If you’re going to be gone longer than a couple of days, begin acclimating your body to the new time zone by altering your eating schedule three days before your plane takes off -- cool, dinner at 3 sharp.
AVOID AIRLINE FOOD. See above. It seems if you're going to be tricking your body by eating closer to the new time zone you don't want at airline repast to mess up your schedule. Besides the food usually sucks anyway.
CHUG. Stay hydrated, but avoid alcohol and caffeine, as they can dehydrate you, mess up your internal clock, make you unpopular with the seatmate you have to climb over to get to the restroom, and exaggerate jet lag symptoms.
HIT THE LINGUINE. Or any other carb-dense food at dinner on the night before your flight. Recent research suggests carbs boost your ability to sleep — particularly when you fly westward. Wonder whether a Sam's summer ale would count. Carbs is carbs, right?
REFRIGERATE. Particularly if you need to sleep on the plane. I call this the suspended animation tip. Use earplugs to cut noise, an eyeshade to kill the light, and turn the air-conditioning valve on high. A lower temperature lowers your body’s core temperature and signals it’s time for sleep.
Here's the whole, unadulterated list.

I'm thinking with the skyrocketing price of gasoline that we may see a resurgence of interest in hitching. But, let's face it. The plaintive extended thumb on the highway on-ramp ... It's just so creepy, Rutger Hauer, old school.
Thank god we've moved on to Hitchhiking 2.0. Those interested in snagging a ride should take a look a couple of specialty message boards: hitchhikers.org for European travel and Digihitch for the United States and Canada.
On the sites, drivers who are willing to offer riders post listings, with info on departure dates, how many seats are available, and whether they're looking to share expenses (some drivers don't want any money; just a little company to keep them awake on a long ride).
Could be a win-win.
But if you're a driver and some old Teutonic-looking dude with a trench coat and a shotgun wants a ride... Let's just say this kind of thing usually doesn't end well.
Thanks to the Great Travel God Arthur Frommer for this one.

At long last. American plans to start testing its in-flight Internet access on flights starting tomorrow. And if it's successful, they're primed to roll it out to more planes in the next few weeks.
The test of the Aircell system will begin on one flight from New York to LA and one return flight, said Doug Backelin, American's manager of in-flight technology. The test service will be free.
The carrier says it's poised to initially launch paid service on its Boeing 767-200 jets that fly from New York to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami. It plans to charge $9.95 to $12.95, depending on flight length.
Besides the paid service, passengers will be able to connect free to American's site, Frommer's travel guides, and limited news headlines, Backelin said.
Besides American, Aircell is also working with Virgin America, and JetBlue started testing free e-mail, instant-messaging and some Amazon.com services aboard one of its planes in December.

Orbitz is offering a very interesting deal right now. If you book on the site and pay their $7-$12 service fee they promise to reimburse you the difference if the fare for your flight drops before you take off.
This is the way it works: Orbitz will track prices from the time you buy your ticket until the day of the flight and will issue qualifying refunds of $5 to $250, according to details on the site.
There is, however, a good bit of fine print involved. Two big things to keep in mind. First, the reimbursement won't apply if your carrier goes under. And the second involves the way Orbitz keeps track of fare decreases: Specifically, another customer must get a lower priced fare on Orbitz for the exact itinerary you have. So, if a lower fare is available, say, through a carrier's own website it doesn't count. And since Orbitz only sells a fraction of the tickets for any flight (the folks at Online Travel Review put their estimate at about 7.5 percent on average) and since flight prices tend to go up as you get closer to departure the odds that they'll need to pony up a reimbursement seem a little low.
Orbit's plans were first reported by the WSJ.
A little complicated but what a concept, yes?

It's kismet. A kind of magical convergence. Here we are at the beginning of the weekend and the beginning of travel season. You are thirsty, and you have wanderlust.
Thanks be unto Matador Nights for compiling a list of how to order a second beer in 50 languages (for the first one you're kind of on your own).
Anyway, say you're in China in the Hou Hai Bar Area in Beijing. Turn to the nearest friendly publican and utter: yī gèng pí qí (yi geng pee quee).
Or how about if you're in Turkey: Bir bira daha lutfen. Or Finland: Vielä yksi olut (don't you just love a good umlaut?). Or Greece: boro na echo ena beera separakalo.
You get the drift.
OK, so maybe you can't afford international travel. Head over to the Sunset Bar & Grill in Allston-Brighton. I've heard they've got like 130 beers on tap and more than 300 bottled ones. Many from foreign countries. And when you want that second Dos Equis? Dame otra cerveza, por favor.

Airlines already charge us for things that used to be included in the ticket price: headphones to watch movies and snacks, for instance. Now some airlines have begun to charge a fee to check a bag ($15) and for a window seat ($5). Outrageous, you say? Think again, say I, and brace yourself for these possible new fees:
1. Bathroom. $1.00 per use. There are two ways the airlines could charge for using the bathroom. One is to provide flight attendants with a key. Pay a dollar, get the key plus three squares of toilet paper. (Extra paper: 25 cents per square.) The second way is to have a coin lock on the door: Deposit 4 quarters (one Euro on international flights) and the door twists open. Unlimited use of tiny squares of paper included.
2. Light. Just like in churches in Italy, the overhead light would be controlled by inserting a token. Each dollar token would provide 15 minutes of illumination, almost enough time to complete the crossword at the back of the in-flight magazine. Which reminds me:
3. In flight magazine: $1.00. You think glossy paper is free?
4. Questions. $1.00. If you press the button for the flight attendant, you had better have an important question to ask, something more compelling than "Which gate number did you say my connecting flight will be at?" Which reminds me:
5. Connecting flights: $15.00.
6. Air: $5.00. You want to twist that little nozzle on? It's gonna cost you.
7. Reclining Seats. $10.00. If airlines stopped selling seats that recline they could fit an extra row in each aircraft.
8. Beverages. No more free ginger ale, diet cola, or tomato juice for you. $1.00 per beverage. Cup with ice (if you B.Y.O.B.): 50 cents. Napkin: A quarter.
9. Mini-pretzels or peanuts (.05 ounces): 50 cents. Bundle price $2.00: above, with cup, ice, beverage, and napkin. A bargain!
10. Blanket. $5.00 (used) $10.00 (in sealed plastic bag).
11. Pillow. Ditto.
12. Child-free Zone. $30.00. This ticket guarantees that no child under the age of 12 will be seated within 5 rows of your seat.
Unthinkable, you say? Check back in six months. Or add your own predictions now.

How refreshing to find a hotel "deal" that is actually a bargain! Shell Vacations Hospitality is offering family-friendly summer deals at some of its resorts in the US and Canada. Included are a $15 gas card (OK, that's not even half a tank these days, but at least it's something), room rates ranging from $68-$189 for guests staying four nights or more, and a gift pack of beach games for the kids. Packages are valid from June 2 until Sept. 5 and can only be booked online through Shell's website. Shell's resorts include:
Peacock Suites, Anaheim
Orange Tree Golf Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Legacy Golf Resort, Phoenix
Starr Pass Golf Suites, Tucson
Desert Rose Resort, Las Vegas
Carriage Ridge Resort, Horseshoe Valley, Ontario
Mountainside Lodge, Whistler, British Columbia
Waikiki Marina Resort, Oahu
Kauai Coast Resort, Kauai

Once again it's Us vs. Them. Beantown vs. The Big Apple. Final score? 667-142. We lose. Say it ain't so, Papi.
Actually, this isn't about baseball but restrooms in public places as measured by Imodium's Bathroom Finder, an admittedly unscientific, incomplete -- and potentially inaccurate -- yet for our purposes authoritative and informational source of Where to Go in America. (Thanks to Consumerist.com for the tip.)
OK, the battle of Us vs. Them is obviously unfair, they being not only much bigger but so full of it.
But let's see how we stack up against a handful of cities of our approximate size. At 142 we absolutely rock next to El Paso, Texas (94) and Milwaukee (134).
Sadly, though, we compare unfavorably with Seattle (247 -- but all that coffee those people drink...), Denver (200 -- I'm sure it's somehow related to that Mile High thing), and Washington (220 -- perhaps the only American city that could probably outdo New York in per capita generation, given the unfair advantage bestowed by Capitol Hill as well as the White House).
So we end up someplace in the middle. At least this time there's no Curse of the Bambino. Besides, who could wait 86 years?

If you're looking to fly this summer, maybe you'd better think about buying soon.
Delta and United have once again raised fuel surcharges, the second time in two weeks. This time the increase amounts to $10-$40 round-trip.
This increase pushes the domestic tote board figure for round-trip fuel surcharges to as much as $110 (!!) and the transatlantic figure to $230 (!!!).
Thanks to Rick Seaney at farecompare.com who has been keeping track and doing the math.
The latest hike comes a week after United pushed a similar one, which was joined by all the majors by Saturday.
And it was a week ago today that Delta CEO Richard Anderson said that US carriers would need to raise fares 15 percent-20-percent to offset rising fuel prices. They are most of the way there at this point so it would not be surprising to see a couple more increases heading our way.
Bear in mind, that these increases are not simply across the board. It's still possible to get a sale or a good deal on highly competitive routes. But this trend isn't going away any time soon.

A friend recently sent an email asking for travel tips. She was about to leave for Geneva and hadn’t been abroad for a very long time. Here was my response. (Blog readers: Feel free to comment with your own ways to make air travel easier!)

*The best way to get through a long flight is to upgrade to business class. (This is a joke, of course, but also serious! It's sooooo much better. I save my frequent flier miles for this.)

*Bring earplugs and eye mask as you never know when a screaming child will be in the next row. Also, the eye mask helps shut everything out when you want to snooze. If you sleep, make sure the flight attendant can see your seat belt is buckled--especially over a blanket--because if the captain turns on the "buckle seat belt" sign while you are sleeping...and you aren't buckled...the attendants will wake you up. What a pain!

*Speaking of blankets, I was told by an attendant that these and pillows are the worst source of germs on the plane. I bring a light shawl and use that instead. Also--I always wear socks & shoes because my feet get cold.

A friend recently sent an email asking for travel tips. She was about to leave for Geneva and hadn’t been abroad for a very long time. Here was my response. (Blog readers: Feel free to comment with your own ways to make air travel easier!)

*The best way to get through a long flight is to upgrade to business class. (This is a joke, of course, but also serious! It's sooooo much better. I save my frequent flier miles for this.)

*Bring earplugs and eye mask as you never know when a screaming child will be in the next row. Also, the eye mask helps shut everything out when you want to snooze. If you sleep, make sure the flight attendant can see your seat belt is buckled--especially over a blanket--because if the captain turns on the "buckle seat belt" sign while you are sleeping...and you aren't buckled...the attendants will wake you up. What a pain!

*Speaking of blankets, I was told by an attendant that these and pillows are the worst source of germs on the plane. I bring a light shawl and use that instead. Also--I always wear socks & shoes because my feet get cold.

OK, so you've been delayed. What now. Well, you can perhaps get some compensation from American, but it depends on how much you've been put out. And you'll need to tell them about it.
If your cancellation forced you to stay overnight somewhere, you can send a message to American's customer relations department and apply for compensation. There is a hot link on the website that gives you access to a form along with instructions. You will be eligible for refunds, hotel and meal vouchers, and a $500 voucher for future travel as an apology, said Tim Wagner, an airline spokesman.
American also will award vouchers of varying amounts to other passengers who message them from the site or write to them via snail mail (American Airlines Customer Relations/P.O. Box 619612 MD 2400/DFW Airport, TX 75261-9612) and detail how they were inconvenienced.
If you are scheduled on a flight that gets scrapped you can get a refund or apply the value of your ticket to future travel (Say Wa-Hoo, somebody). Travelers flying on any MD-80 flight from April 8 – 11, even if their flight has not been canceled, can rebook without fees. Travel must begin by April 17.

And then there were four. Continental says that it will start charging most customers who buy the cheapest tickets $25 to check in a second bag. The new baggage policy applies to passengers traveling within the United States, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Canada on or after May 5 if they hold economy-class tickets, unless they are premium members such as Elite OnePass members in the airline's frequent flier program or holders of the airline's Presidential Plus credit card. The service charge, which will help defray rising fuel costs, was also adopted by United, US Airways, and Delta in the past two months.
Posted by Nicole C. Wong, Globe Staff

There are plenty of things you can do to make traveling with very young children easier. Some of those things work — in theory. In practice, though? Well…
In theory: Taking an 8:10 p.m. flight — right at bedtime — would mean that my adorable 3-year-old and my angelic 16-month old would sleep on board, and we'd tuck their sweetly slumbering selves into their beds at my in-law’s home in Florida.
In practice: Not so much.
O. — he’s the baby — soaked through his diaper, his onesie, his cute little shirt, and his overalls before we had even cleared security. Of course, I had a gorgeous, brand-new, color-coordinated designer outfit for him in the diaper bag, which I whipped out in the beautifully appointed and clean changing area at the airport. Wait, what? Hahahahah… no. I whipped out a pair of pajamas that may have fit him 6 months ago and certainly did not fit him now, squeezed him into it while trying not to let him touch any visible surface in the ladies bathroom, and prayed that he wouldn’t have a blow-out on the plane.
L.–- she’s 3 — watched all sorts of wildly inappropriate cartoons and other televised programming in-flight and finally fell asleep 10 minutes before we landed in Fort Lauderdale. At 11:45 p.m. I’m opposed to the whole give-them-Benedryl-and-they-will-sleep school of traveling with small children, but there was a point there when I would have gladly given it a try. Except that I already know my kids are in that slim minority of people who get hyper, rather than sleepy, after taking antihistamines (unlike me, who conks out when a pink-and-white capsule is waved in my general direction).
In theory: There are things you can bring and things you can do to make traveling with small children easier.
Posted By Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff

Magellan Press is out with a guide for hungry travelers: ''Where the Locals Eat: The 100 Best Restaurants in the Top 50 Cities.'' That's US cities, and Boston is included.

Entries include a range of food and prices. Boston restaurants include Brown Sugar Cafe for the best Thai and the Cask 'n Flagon for the best sports bar.

If you think the $11.95 price is too steep, particularly for a guide that includes only one New England city, check their website for more foodie news and blogs.

And if you have your own local winner, share your tip with us.

Dude, it'll never work in Boston.
The TSA (it's like Pavlov: I feel like I should shed my shoes and empty my pockets) is testing a system in Denver and Salt Lake City in an effort to speed security lines at airports: color-coded lanes.
How does it work? Think skiing. Green circle for beginners (families or those needing special assistance), blue squares for intermediates (a casual traveler, perhaps, but one who's been around the block a couple of times -- although never without multiple carry-ons), and black diamonds for experts (Special Forces in Gray Flannel camo with limited carry-ons and the rules of engagement with liquids, gels, laptops. and footwear tattooed on the insides of eyelids).
Basically, you decide which lane is for you, and in theory it makes the process more efficient and less stressful.
Earl Morris of TSA says that the tests are working well and that they will be completed in about a week in Denver, but that Salt Lake City will continue for the foreseeable future. He says the agency will look at possibly expanding it.
But let me be on the record first: It will never work here. Know why? Because here everyone would queue up as black diamond until it filled up and then the wise guys would start trying to speed the green one like a breakdown lane on the Expressway at rush hour. While yammering on the Bluetooth. And cursing. Never mind the new hand gestures the kids would learn.

Travel with teens at your own peril: if your teenager isn’t happy on vacation, chances are no one’s happy. Some good news: Loews Hotels' ‘‘Edu-cations’’ are year-round packages that include a one- or two-night hotel stay and activities that will appeal to hard-to-please teens. Some examples: at Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego the teen package includes private surfing lessons on surfboards custom-designed to take home. At the Loews Vanderbilt in Nashville, a music package includes a song-writing session with songwriter Thom Shepherd, a Gibson acoustic guitar, and a one-hour guitar lesson. And on it goes: golf lessons for aspiring PGA pros at Loews Lake Las Vegas, a culinary arts package for would-be cooks at Loews Miami Beach Hotel, and even a behind-the-scenes look at the financial markets for executive wanna-bes at the Loews Regency Hotel in New York. These packages don’t come cheap: they cost between $600-$2,000. But for these one-of-a-kind experiences, your teen will owe you big time.

It is good to be wired. Sha. This is why I keep the JiWire in my favorites list (right next to my Starbucks store locator because I like to stay wired, too). JiWire is so excellent. It keeps a registry of 236,834 free and pay Wi-Fi sites in 135 nations.
The top city? Moscow with 8,237, followed by London (3,442), Paris (3,179), Taipei (2,751), and Seoul (2,498). (But there is no Starbucks in the real Moscow; the one in Idaho has one, and this may influence my travel plans).
Here in Mass., Boston comes in first with 225 hot spots, followed by Cambridge (61), Hyannis (46?!), Newton (29), and Waltham (22).
A grande Guatemala Casi Cielo and the Cape in winter. Sweet.

Let the howling begin. Uncle Samuel may not know when you've been sleeping or when you're awake but he seems to have a pretty good grip on when The American Traveling Public is not happy.
It should come as no surprise that he keeps lists. So, without further ado, here are the
Top Six travel agents that inspired the most complaints in 2007 (according to the Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report ):
5. (tie) Priceline.com & Cheapoair.com
4. CheapTickets.com
3. Expedia.com
2. Travelocity.com

And the No. 1 most-complained-about agent:
1. Orbitz.com (Most of Orbitz's complaints dealt with ticketing, boarding, and refunds.)
Now the moment you've all been waiting, last year's rankings for the Top 5 in complaints for US airlines (drumroll, please):

5. Comair
4. American
3. Delta
2. United
And, the top -- or perhaps bottom? -- dog:
1. US Airways
You should know that this ranking wasn't based on overall complaints but on grousing per 100,000 flights.
In individual events, US Airways lead the pack for flight problems, like cancellations and delays, with American running a close second. It also was the frontrunner in bumping problems and customer service. But American took the Gold for the worst in baggage complaints, with Delta snagging the Silver.
So, tell us your stories. Go ahead, kvetch till it hurts. You know you want to.

Away from the madding crowds and the limitless glitz of Las Vegas Boulevard lies so-called Downtown Las Vegas. It's an older area, and somewhat faded in tone compared to the new, mega-funded casinos on the Strip, but it's a nice escape from the hub-bub. A friend of mine brought me to the Victorian-themed Main Street Station Casino Brewery & Hotel in Downtown Las Vegas, which felt relaxed compared to the aggressive gaming on the Strip.

Main Street Station, located at 200 N. Main St., is filled with antiques rather than modern touches. There are chandeliers from the Figaro Opera House in Paris, a fireplace from Scotland's Preswick Castle, and bronze doors from the Kuwait Royal Bank. There are also stained-glass ceilings and a pullman car for dining. But what I most enjoyed was its Triple 7 Brewpub, where beers are brewed on site, including a black cherry stout that put my friend and me back on our haunches. They also serve sushi.

And within walking distance is the Plaza Hotel & Casino, which has a great sports-motif bar looking down fun-filled Fremont Street. The bar in the Plaza has old-style banquettes that make it a cool place to watch a game and chill out.

Posted by Steve Morse, Globe correspondent

And then there is the hassle of airport parking. According to a survey by Park ’N Fly Network, 50 percent of travelers cited dragging their luggage from the car to the airport and back as one of their biggest annoyances.
Seventy percent expressed concerns about long waits for the shuttle to and from the airport. Park ’N Fly, with facilities at 65 airports across the nation, notes that it offers luggage assistance from drivers who also provide pick-up and drop-off at the travelers’ cars, as well as continuous shuttle service. The company maintains that savings average 25 percent vs. compared with airport parking lots.

Posted by Richard C. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Why it seems like just yesterday that oil hit $100 a barrel. That's because it was. So now it's time to play: Why Should I Care.
OK, you like to travel, right? And you've noticed that airfares have been increasing along with rising fuel prices, yes? Nothing gets by you.
There are some guys who get paid a lot more than you or me to figure out what the airlines are up to. There is a growing buzz, according to Reuters, that the carriers will soon be looking to charge a separate fee for fuel so you, The American Traveling Public, can share more of the pain.
Let me spell it out: You would pay for your ticket and then you would get assessed a separate fee for fuel. The fuel payment could come as late as just before you board, which is reportedly the way some charters did it during the 70s energy crisis.
Sound farfetched? Consider that many carriers, like American and United, already tack on a fuel surcharge. The airline wise guys think that this could be just an intermediate step, so they can get us used to the idea of ponying up separate for the fuel (like in high school when everybody gave the driver a buck).
I know, I know, this could be just so much second-gunman-on-the-hillside-outside-Dealey-Plaza talk. But stay tuned.

So you're stuck at Baton Rouge Metropolitan and it's going to be a while. It's raining You're dying for a cancer stick, and, frankly, at this point you wouldn't say no to a tall cool Sam. You pop your laptop, go to airport haven.
Turns out there's a smoker's lounge where you can stick your cigarette into a hole on a wall device that will light it, and there's a sliding service window to a place where everyone may not know your name, but they can likely tap you one that Norm or Cliff would be proud to share.
Airport havens is a website where travelers volunteer tips on cool, useful, and interesting places where you can go at a number of different airports. The site appears to be relatively new as the info for some spots is thin.
And most of what is there involves a quiet WiFi hangout where you can get some work done or a favorite bar or restaurant. But there is also some cool stuff.
For instance, if you have a little time to kill at McCarran in Vegas and you don't feel like arm wrestling the One-Armed One -- which is an option -- you can get in a workout at a place called 24 Hour Fitness.
At Baltimore Washington International there's a meditation room. In Honolulu, a part of the airport has been given over to a rain forest area.
OK, so you're not into self-improvement. You want to shop. Try Pittsburgh. There's apparently a local law that prohibits gouging at shops and eateries there. All of them are banned from charging any more than at the closest comparable place outside the airport.
With all these options you might not even want to leave. Right.

I typically eat on the fly when I’m in Vegas — I go for the $1 hot dogs and all-you-can-eat buffets, where quantity trumps quality — but on my last visit, I slowed down enough to discover the finer side of Vegas’ dining experience. Friends and I splurged on a multi-course meal at Fleur de Lys, a restaurant in the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino that serves modern French cuisine. It wasn’t cheap —average entrees went for $30 to $50 — but it had a cozy, chic setting (picture comfortable, cream-colored leather chairs, tables tucked away in little nooks, stone walls, and a display with more than 3,000 live roses) and a great selection of seafood, meat, and vegetarian meals.
Our favorite appetizers were the seared ahi tuna and smoked salmon raviolis with guacamole. And for entrees, the grilled scallops and filet mignon with braised oxtail tortellini were hits. The waiter thankfully urged us to try to chocolate soufflé, for which the restaurant is famous — if I could have bent over at the end of the meal, I would have kissed his ring for the suggestion. Plan on spending a good $75 per person, but the meal is well worth your hard-earned dollars, or, with luck, chips.

Posted by Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

My father is the one who started the rumor that truck drivers know the best places to eat. He said it so often it had to have come from him. My mother would wrinkle her nose and make a joke in Japanese, something about a priest, a rabbi, a Unitarian minister and a case of shared gastrointestinal distress.
But it just stands to reason that folks who cruise the nation’s highways and byways for a living must have picked up a thing or two about survival on the road.
In the interest of sharing the wealth, Atlas Van Lines recently released the results of their annual King of the Road survey of their drivers’ preferences.
According to the drivers, the most scenic highway stretch in the nation is Interstate 70 through Colorado and Utah. Interstate 10 through the Southwest got the nod for the most boring.
The safest roads? Interstate 80, Interstate 10 and Interstate 95, in descending order.
And since every army travels on its stomach, it may interest you to know that the drivers’ fave for fast food is Subway sandwiches, followed by Wendy’s, KFC, and Arby’s (and that they believe Tums to be the antacid that gets rid of heartburn quickest, with Rolaids not far behind).
I wonder if Mom still remembers that joke?

Taxi drivers can be such great resources for local information. On a trip to Vegas, one driver told me about a quirky “museum” that I never would have found on my own. The Neon Boneyard, also called the Neon Graveyard, is a fenced-in area downtown (at the corner of McWilliams and Encanto streets) with dozens of neon signs that once lighted up casinos, hotels, motels, and businesses along The Strip. The nonprofit Neon Museum has refurbished about a dozen signs and put them on display around town.
You can only tour the Neon Boneyard by making advance reservations (call 702-387-6366) or simply do what I did: find something to stand on (luckily, an abandoned shopping cart happened to be nearby) and peer over the fence into the “graveyard.”

Posted by Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

I was surprised to discover on a recent trip to Vegas that Sin City is actually within a five-hour drive of seven national parks. I never really equated Vegas with the great outdoors, but it turns out that it’s a good jumping-off point for trips to Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Joshua Tree, and Great Basin national parks, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
While there, I decided to escape the city and went for a hike and mountain bike ride in Red Rock Canyon, just 19 miles from Vegas. It was like stepping into another world: I hiked alongside 7,200-foot cliffs with red and yellow striations, and by fields of juniper, sage, and barrel cactus. Then I biked by petrified sandstone rocks that were 200 million years old and had “zillions” of embedded seashells. After spending time along The Strip, going to musicals and comedy shows, and listening the incessant dinging of slot machines, it was nice to focus on nothing more than the sounds of the wind, the birds, and our guide.
Escape Adventures runs guided hiking and biking trips to Red Rock Canyon and parks across the Southwest, and provides transfers to the canyon and back again from your Vegas hotel, so there’s no need to rent a car. (Rates: half- to full-day mountain biking, $99-$159; half-day hiking, $109.)

Posted by Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent