With the release of the iPhone 3GS and the instant access we have to information, you may rest assured that when you tour with MCI, we understand your need to connect. I found this article quite interesting and for those of us who have busy lives, a comfort. When you tour with MCI, we want you to know you can still speak with your family, and if you’re one of the touring directors, still email those you were discussing important matters with. Below is a well-informed article that will provide some clarity on how you can connect wirelessly in Europe.

“With my mantra being “pack light,” I used to be against packing electronics of any kind. But now, I bring my laptop, iPod, digital camera and mobile phone to Europe. With hotels retiring their fax machines in favor of email, mobile phones getting cheaper and easier to buy, and Wi-Fi hotspots popping up everywhere, it’s never been simpler to get connected.

If you tote your own laptop, you’ll find that many hotels and cafes offer wireless access — sometimes it’s free, other times, you’ll have to buy a drink or pay a fee — while some towns have Wi-Fi hotspots scattered around highly trafficked areas. Just pay for a password, park yourself on a bench in your favorite idyllic spot — overlooking a sandy beach, on a floodlit piazza or along a bustling people-watching boulevard — then log on and surf away.

It’s handy to travel with a mobile phone, whether you’re calling a hotel for directions or getting in touch with that lost travel buddy who missed the train. If you want to use a mobile phone in Europe, you have two choices: Take your own, or buy one once you’re there. ”
By: Rick Steves
Tribune Media Services

Traveling international with MCI? Not only will you be experiencing an educational and life-changing musical tour but you’ll also be given the opportunity to indulge in a few cuisines that you may not find in the States. Not only is MCI dedicated to insuring a quality tour, but we’re also interested in the cultural experiences you’ll engage in. This article shows a glimpse of what you might find in some of these infamous countries.

By: Rick Steves
Tribune Media Services

Eating and drinking in Europe is sightseeing for your taste buds. Every country has local specialties that are good, memorable, or both. Here are many of the fun experiences that stick in my mind after 30 years of travel. Seek out any of these on your next trip.

Germany’s wurst is the best anywhere, and kraut is not as “sauer” as the stuff you hate at home. Only a tourist puts the sausage in a bun like a hot dog. Munch alternately between the meat and the bread (”that’s why you have two hands”), and you’ll look like a local. Generally, the darker the wiener, the spicier it is.

The hallowed vineyards of Burgundy surround the French city of Beaune. Its venerable Marche aux Vins (wine market) welcomes serious wine buyers and tourists into a subterranean, candle-lit world, where fine wines sit seductively in bottles atop old oak kegs, just waiting to be tasted. Pick up a “tastevin” (shallow, stainless-steel tasting dish) and a shopping basket, descend into the dimly lit caverns, and work your way through the proud selection. Sampling a world of $100 bottles in the company of people who live for their fine wine can be both inspirational and intoxicating.

In Italy, sip wine with college students at an outdoor bar in Padua’s market square. Pour some fine olive oil on a dish, season with salt and pepper, rip a long strip from your bread, dip it, and bite. The last time I was there, a student explained I was making the “scarpette” — the little shoe. Soaking up the oil along with the conversation, we travelers become human “scarpette,” sopping up culture as we explore Europe.
Wherever you travel, it’s fun to meet people over food and drink. It’s part of understanding the culture of a country. Take the initiative not to just see your destination, but to experience it.

Read the FULL ARTICLE

New York Times Travel Blog, March 24, 2009

In Venice, a city of odd spaces, Gianni Colombo’s walk-in art installation “Spazio Elastico” (1967-68) at the Palazzo Grassi contemporary art museum, is one of the oddest. A nearly lightless room subdivided into rectangles by thin elastic cords that glow white in the dark and ever so slowly shift position, it’s as disorienting as a hall of mirrors, only without the mirrors.

And so, when my cellphone began to ring as I stood lost in Colombo’s funhouse, I almost chalked it up to art-induced hallucination. I realized the sound was real, and hurried out of the artwork and over to an isolated corner to answer it. It was my uncle, Gary, calling from Connecticut just to see how my daughter, Sasha, was doing on her first trip abroad. We chatted (even though I hate talking on a cellphone in a place like a museum), and four minutes and six seconds later we hung up.

Throughout the call, neither Gary nor I was particularly worried about the cost of the conversation. That’s because, over the past few years of traveling internationally, I’ve developed a system that not only lets me make inexpensive local calls but also allows friends and family back home to reach me cheaply. It’s a little complicated, but bear with me and I’ll explain.

The first thing you’ll need is an unlocked mobile phone — that is, a phone that’s not tied to one particular carrier. (In the United States, some carriers will unlock your phone if you ask; abroad, most phones come already unlocked.) Then, whenever you arrive in a new country, you can buy a local SIM card (the tiny, interchangeable chip inside the phone that actually lets you connect to a particular carrier; they’re sold at mobile phone stores and kiosks for $2 to $25, depending on the country) and make phone calls and send text messages without paying exorbitant international roaming fees.

Click here to read more.

By James Martin, About.com

So you’re wandering around Europe and notice stars prominently displayed in front of every hotel. Say you find one that has three stars. What does it mean?

The short answer is: just about anything, but probably not what you’re thinking. Let’s get one thing straight, there is no unified definition of a three-star hotel across Europe. And another thing: most of the ratings are provided by the government (or in some cases, like Switzerland, by a volunteer organization), and will be a quantitative measure used to determine the price range (and sometimes the tax obligation) of a hotel. The ranges will overlap, so don’t even look for that much consistency in price; a three star hotel may be more expensive than a four star, even in the same city. It depends.

Full Article Here

How to Plan an International VacationHow to Plan an International Vacation
By Robert Isenberg

http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=414416

When it comes to seeing the world, the travel is the easy part—especially if you’ve considered entry requirements, health and safety before you take off.

For most of us, foreign travel is a luxury that requires both time and money. Maybe you’re a young beatnik taking your first backpacking expedition across Europe. Or you’ve arranged a honeymoon cruise around the Caribbean. Or you’ve just retired, and you’re going to spend a month or two sitting beneath a beach umbrella in Thailand. But once you’ve carved out a few weeks from your busy schedule and purchased bargain tickets, what’s the next step? How do you plan the practical details of your trip?

Whether this is your first journey overseas or your 10th, we offer some common-sense advice, from staying healthy to staying in touch. Read on, and bon voyage!

Passport, please . . .

Anyone who’s applied for a passport this year can appreciate how frustrating the process has become. A backlog of requests has made headlines and given many would-be travelers headaches; an estimated 3 million applications are currently being processed, with 18 million expected by the end of 2007.

The deluge is a result of new U.S. policies aimed at tightening the security of the nation’s borders. The government will soon require passports for U.S. citizens returning from Mexico and Canada by land or sea—starting as early as summer 2008. And if you’re flying, you already need a passport to travel to these countries, as well as to most destinations in the Caribbean.

If you’re a U.S. citizen thinking about a foreign trip and you don’t yet have a passport, apply for one right away; the sooner, the better. Expect to wait about 120 days for your new passport, unless you’re willing to pay approximately $60 for expedited service. You can also engage a private company (about 200 exist) as your agent; however, this service is expensive, and works only for customers who haven’t already requested their documents.

Once your passport is issued, it remains valid for a full 10 years (five if you’re under 18). For many countries, such as France and the Czech Republic, a passport is all most tourists need to cross the border. Other nations have more restrictions, and may require you to have a special entrance permit called a visa. For example, to enter India, U.S. citizens must have a passport that’s valid for six months past their date of departure, as well as a visa. At customs in Turkey, you can expect that an official will photograph you while your passport is stamped (you’ll also need a visa, which you can buy on the spot for $20). And if your destination is particularly adventurous, the requirements may be even more stringent: Algeria requires a visa to be typed (until recently, they could be handwritten). And to enter Turkmenistan, you must possess a visa that you can get only by having a letter of invitation from a Turkmeni citizen or organization.

The World’s Cheapest Destinations

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Here are 10 places — undiscovered by most tourists — that are incredible bargains for the adventurous budget traveler.
By John Rosenthal

My wife and I think of ourselves as fairly intrepid travelers. So when we set off for Europe last spring, we were undaunted by the shriveling value of the dollar. We were confident we’d be able to ferret out hidden bargains that most tourists couldn’t find.

Boy, were we wrong! With the euro reaching all-time highs against the U.S. dollar, sticker shock greeted us at every turn. Europe is now the land of the $15 sandwich. And we grimaced every time we settled up a hotel bill.

Even Central and Eastern Europe are no longer the bargains they once were. Tourists have begun flocking to new hot spots such as Hungary and Croatia, and prices have risen accordingly. These days, to get the most bang for their bucks, budget travelers must venture farther afield, to places like Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. Your flight will be costlier, to be sure, but once you get to your destination, you’ll find no shortage of exotic adventures — as well as comfortable beds — at discount rates.

ASIA

Bali: Tropical splendor on a shoestring

A world apart from the unrest that sometimes grips other parts of Indonesia, Bali seduces visitors with its magnificent beaches, lush volcanic peaks and impossibly green rice paddies. This serene tropical island, dotted with thousands of Hindu shrines and temples, is the stuff of escapist fantasies.

A few dollars buys a lot of luxury here — even budget accommodations feature beautifully carved wooden furniture and jewel-toned fabrics. For $10 to $20, you can bunk in a simple guesthouse or rent a beach bungalow. Even Bali’s most lavish resorts cost a fraction of what you’d pay in other beach destinations. Surfers congregate at the late-night dance clubs in Kuta — and why not? You can always afford a $20 massage to soothe your hangover the next day.

Laos: Tranquility off the beaten track

Laos is one of the best bargains in Southeast Asia —a nd that’s saying something, since most countries there are relatively cheap for travelers. Because tourism is only beginning to make inroads in Laos, visitors are not seen as mere revenue streams; locals extend a warm and genuine welcome.

Life moves at a languid pace in the former royal capital of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There, French colonial architecture coexists with dozens of graceful Buddhist temples, and monks in brilliant orange robes stroll the streets. You can find an inexpensive guesthouse for less than $20 a night; open-air cafes along the Mekong River offer absurdly cheap French and Lao specialties.

If you’re backpacking, set off into the rugged countryside for caving, jungle trekking and a taste of traditional village life. In Xieng Khouang province, don’t miss the Plain of Jars, a mysterious field lined with hundreds of ancient stone urns.

http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=414811

http://travel.msn.com//Guides/MSNTravelSlideShow.aspx?cp-documentid=427275

Taxes and charges on airline tickets are growing even as fuel prices skyrocket.

By Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: May 15, 2008: 2:18 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — As if high fuel prices aren’t enough, airlines and passengers are getting pinched by rising taxes as the U.S. government demands a bigger piece of the pie.

About 20% of the price of a $300 domestic round-trip ticket goes to taxes and fees, according to the Air Transport Association, compared with 13% in 1992 and 7% in 1972.

“When the government decides to throw another tax on passengers, that is greatly hurting an already financially hurting industry,” said ATA spokesman David Castelveter. “We’ve long said that we are one of the most overtaxed industries, and we now are dealing with record-level fuel increases. The airline industry is in a worse financial situation than it was on 9/11.”

A ticket price dissected

Rick Seaney, chief executive of online ticket vendor Farecompare.com, estimated that the U.S. government reaped $40 billion in airline ticket taxes in 2007.

Seaney broke down the price of a $300 domestic round-trip flight:

$146.15: Roundtrip airfare
$93.02: Fuel surcharge
$18.00: Passenger facility charge toward airport improvements
$14.00: Federal flight segment tax to Federal Aviation Administration projects
$10.00: Sept. 11 security fee to the Transportation Security Administration
$11.85: Federal sales tax (7.5%) on airfare
$ 6.98: Federal sales tax (7.5%) on fuel surcharge.

Click here to read more

By Marnie Hunter
CNN

With complaints on the rise and industry performance on the decline, what can passengers do to up their chances of a smooth journey? CNN asked industry experts for air travel strategies.

Click here to read the full article.

In the May 2008 issue of SYTA’s “Student & Youth Traveler” magazine we find what destinations made the top 10 in the United States, Canada & Mexico, and “Across the Sea” after a survey was conducted with tour operators around the country. Music Celebrations has been sending tour groups to the following destinations for several years and all locations offer stimulating educational and musical opportunities for any type of ensemble.

The following are the results:

Top 10 Destinations within the United States are:

1) Washington, D.C.
2) New York City
3) Orlando
4) Chicago
5) Boston
6) Historic Triangle (Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown)
7) Southern California
8) Philadelphia
9) Baltimore
10) Hawai’i

The Top 10 Destinations in Canada & Mexico are:

1) Toronto
2) Montréal
3) Quebec City
4) Vancouver
5) Cancun and the Yucatan
6) Calgary
7) Edmonton
8) Ottawa
9) Oaxaca
10) Mexico City

The Top 10 Destinations “Across the Sea” are:

1) United Kingdom (England & Ireland)
2) France
3) Italy
4) Spain
5) Australia
6) Germany
7) Greece
8) Brazil
9) Peru
10) China

As the airlines implement stiffer fines for oversized, overweight, and the amount of luggage, we thought we should take the initiative to educate the traveling public of such policies and offer suggestions on how to best avoid the extra charges.

By clicking on the links below, you will be directed to these airlines’ baggage policies so you may know weight and size limits and the amount of “free checked baggage”.

Southwest, JetBlue, Northwest, United, Delta, Continental, US Airways.

There may be some differences in allowed sizes (noted in linear inches - height + width + depth) of baggage as well as weight of baggage between each airline. Be sure you know the restrictions BEFORE you pack!

Here are some websites that give tips on packing light:

RickSteves.com
OneBag.com
SmartPacking.com
SnapShotJourneys.com

Pack smart, pack light, and pack appropriately. A good rule of thumb is to spread everything out on the bed/floor that you plan on packing and then putting half of it back in the closet. Nobody has yet said, “I wish I had packed more” while on tour.

By DAN REED, USA TODAY
Feb. 19, 2008

Americans flying to Europe in spring will be paying more — in some cases, a lot more — largely because of skyrocketing fuel costs.

An analysis for USA TODAY of ticket sales through Sabre, the world’s largest distribution system, shows that the average price paid through Jan. 31 for U.S.-Europe air travel in April or May was 6.9% higher than during the comparable periods in 2007.

The analysis looked at round-trip sales regardless of fare categories.

Travelers are paying those higher prices despite a 10.3% expansion of trans-Atlantic flying capacity by the airlines. Typically, when the supply of a product rises, prices rise little, if at all.

Click HERE for full article

By Marilyn Adams, USA TODAY
Millions of passengers who like to pack heavily on trips soon will have to pay extra to check a second bag on United Airlines (UAUA).

Citing the extraordinary cost of jet fuel, United on Monday became the first major U.S. carrier to impose a $25 fee each way on domestic passengers who buy the cheapest tickets and check two suitcases. Checking a third bag will cost an additional $100 each way.

Until now, checking two bags on flights has been free on United, the USA’s No. 2 airline, and every other major carrier.

But luggage is heavy, and extra weight requires more fuel to transport. In the October-December quarter, fuel cost United $1.4 billion, 26% more than a year earlier. Fuel is airlines’ largest expense, eclipsing wages.

“The passenger who checks two bags should pay the extra cost of carrying two bags,” said Robin Urbanski, spokeswoman for the Chicago-based carrier.

Yesterday, NPR’s Talk of the Nation covered an interesting topic - traveling on commercial airlines with odd-sized carry-on items, such as harps and double basses.

You can listen to the segment here.

There was a time in this industry when airlines worked together to move passengers who were affected by aircraft mechanical delays/cancellations and weather issues to their final destinations. Although those safeguards are still in place, the reality of the situation is that airlines are flying at higher utilization ratios than ever before, and sometimes passengers can be stranded en-route for periods of time at their own expense, because the other airlines are booked to capacity. It is important to understand that airlines, by law, are not responsible to compensate passengers for circumstances outside of their control and, unfortunately, mechanical failures fall under that broad category. Being delayed is much better than flying across the North Atlantic in a broken airplane, and that is the basis for the legality issue involved.

Groups and individual passengers wishing to safeguard their financial interests would be wise to consider additional travel protection, especially if they are unable to “self-insure” for unexpected costs.

MCI strives to offer realistic base air estimates to groups in proposals but due to the dynamic nature of airline costs, a prediction that is accurate today, can change tomorrow. The sooner a group locks in its air by a $100.00 per person air deposit, the more assured they are of successfully securing in-budget air.

Groups interested in purchasing price and keeping costs low would be wise to consider the following:

1. Traveling internationally on weekends often involves weekend surcharges for travel on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Avoiding these days can save $25.00 - $50.00 per person that can be better utilized elsewhere.
2. Groups hoping to travel on a lower budget should always avoid travel on holidays. Airlines frequently raise fares when demand is heavy and demand is always heavy when potential customers have paid time off from work.
3. Seasonality for group travel now includes school break periods in the peak or high season vs. shoulder where they were set in the “good old days.”
4. Traveling domestically sometimes requires overstaying a Saturday night in order to secure the lower fare levels.
5. On transcontinental domestic flights, red-eye options sometimes can provide substantial savings and get your groups to their destinations with more time to spend sightseeing prior to their hotel check in. (Groups that arrive earlier are normally restricted from checking into their hotel earlier due to housekeeping issues at hotel properties.)
6. The air department works with deviators individually to fulfill their needs for customized itineraries for a service fee of $100.00 per person plus the cost of additional airfare involved in the new itinerary.
7. The sooner a group provides sufficient funds to cover air deposits, the more scheduling options they will likely have available to them.
8. After contract acceptance, changes to dates or itineraries can incur additional cost and are best avoided whenever possible.
9. Inflating group numbers in order to reduce land costs can increase air costs and negate savings depending upon the market and space availability. Market driven pricing allows airlines to change fare levels automatically with a key stroke, if demand is high.

Groups who are adamant about traveling on fixed dates without flexibility will likely be paying a higher fare for that privilege. In essence, each group decides to buy either price or schedule and should be counseled early on to consider whether they are more interested in price or schedule, because it is likely that both may not be simultaneously available.

“Ports of Entry” are main gateways where international flights can land. These gateways (AKA hubs) have customs agents on staff to clear passengers arriving into the United States. International flights cannot land at airports that are not ports of entry. The key ports in the U.S. are Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Charlotte (CLT), Chicago (ORD), Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW), Denver (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK/LGA/EWR), Orlando (MCO), Philadelphia (PHL), Portland (PDX), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), Washington, D.C. (IAD).

Many groups originate in “offline cities” where they have a regional airport that serves their needs. These “non-port of entry airports” are in many instances large enough to operate larger aircraft but the major American domestic carriers including UA/DL/CO/NW/US, etc. have decided to strike strategic alliances with regional feed airlines that operate smaller aircraft in order to have greater frequency in these smaller markets. When our groups choose to originate locally, if they are not in a port of entry gateway, they will now likely be split into various smaller groups for transport into the hub. The aircraft in use on these routes i.e. CR7, CR9, DH (various) limit groups to 25-30 passengers per frequency. These smaller aircraft also make it difficult for instrumental ensembles to transport large pieces of musical equipment.

Groups within realistic motor-coach transport of a gateway may be wise in considering this option, although it might not, in all cases, be less expensive from an airfare perspective. Sometimes offline cities have marginally lower fare levels (i.e. $25.00 to $40.00 pp) and small amounts of married segments for sale. It is important to remember that these published fares exist for the use of individual passenger traffic, and not group traffic. Whether or not low fares exist for our group passengers is a matter of seat availability at the time of the space search. In many instances, we fly groups into hubs in more time than it would take for them to board a motor-coach and transfer to a main hub, thus avoiding splits and additional security hassles.

By Barbara De Lollis and Barbara Hansen, USA TODAY

Responding largely to high fuel costs, the USA’s six big network airlines continue to trim their U.S. schedules despite strong travel demand.

The six carriers — American (AMR), United (UAUA), Delta (DAL), Continental (CAL), Northhwest (NWA) and US Airways (LCC)— have scheduled 4.4% fewer seats for January than a year earlier, according to a USA TODAY analysis of flight schedules that includes their regional feeder airlines.

To trim capacity, airlines can eliminate routes, fly them less frequently or switch to smaller planes. Whatever the course, travelers face reduced options and fuller flights.

The U.S. dollar has been steadily sliding against the euro for years, but now that it takes almost $1.50 to buy one euro and more than $2 to buy one pound sterling, it’s finally sinking in with American travelers that a trip to Europe is going to cost a bundle. Paying for a European vacation can feel like buying a diamond engagement ring: Your ballpark budget could easily be two months’ salary.

I recently met with tourism bureau representatives from close to 20 European destinations. Most believe 2008 is going to be the year that tourism from the U.S. either flattens out or drops. Some are facing that probability with resignation, while others are trying to find ways to ease the bite for those carrying battered dollars. If you are a budget-minded traveler determined to visit Europe, you will have to plan carefully and be willing to try something different.

Nontraditional destinations

“Everyone wants to go to Tuscany,” sighed one villa rental representative I met with in November. “We can offer twice the space for half the money elsewhere, but it’s hard to get clients to look beyond the well-known regions.” This sums up one problem that causes a vacation budget to go through the roof: going where everyone else is going.

A willingness to go to less-heralded places is essential to bringing down the cost on the other side of the Atlantic. Whether you are renting a villa or staying in hotels, these destinations will nearly always cost you significantly less. Head to Eastern Europe instead of the West. Try a Greek island none of your neighbors has heard about instead of Santorini or Mykonos. Ski in the Alps of Slovenia instead of Austria or Italy. With any of these strategies, your total cost can easily drop by a third or a half.

As I noted in an earlier column, rural areas are almost always easier on the budget than capital cities. Visit Moravia instead of Prague, the English countryside instead of London, or the towns of Andalusia instead of Barcelona. If you are heading to Croatia because it’s suddenly “the hot place to go,” or if you plan on following the 75 million vacationers visiting France each year, plan on paying top dollar.

Click here for full article

From CNN.com

The big goal these days is to pack so little that you can carry on your bag. That means doing more with fewer clothes — in other words, it’s a question of style. Who better to help than Clinton Kelly, cohost of TLC’s “What Not to Wear”? Budget Travel asked him to teach our editorial production manager, Lauren Feuer, how to pack for a long weekend in the Berkshires.
art.packing.jpg

Clinton Kelly, cohost of TLC’s “What Not to Wear” coaches Lauren Feuer on what to pack for a long weekend.

“I’m the master of the three-day weekend,” says Clinton. “I haven’t checked a bag in four years!” (With all the traveling he does, he says, the time involved with checking bags was adding up to at least one day a year.)

Enough about Clinton: Let’s get to packing. “Well, the good news is, I don’t see anything that I immediately want to throw out,” he said, looking into Lauren’s closet.

Packing with Clinton

The big rule: “Nothing gets packed unless it goes with at least two other pieces. In fact, be careful whenever you buy something that only goes with one thing. You get stuck.”

Commit to neutrals on half the body: “Let’s do neutral bottoms. We’re going to bring one pair of jeans, one skirt and one pair of trousers.” Clinton bails on the skirt when the one he likes doesn’t go with anything else, opting for cropped black pants instead. “Gray is the easiest neutral to make work for day and evening. Brown is OK, but it can end up being too casual, especially for men.”

Darker jeans are better: He chooses darker jeans because they can be dressed up for dinner. “Straight-leg jeans are preferable to wide-leg ones, for the same reason.”

The other half gets patterns: “A shirt with a pattern goes well with a neutral bottom. I’m no big fan of jeans and a solid — even though I’m wearing it now.” You can mix prints if they’re in the same color family and you vary the patterns’ sizes.

Keep secondary colors consistent: He throws in an extra knit (a pink top), because it’ll go with the jeans and the trousers. “The fewer colors you have, the more likely it is that different pairings will work.”

Accessorize strategically: “The right shoes and jewelry can take an outfit up or down.” It’s fine to mix gold and silver, but when you’re traveling, it’s easier to stick to one. “Dramatic earrings like these will make this outfit dressier.”

On the actual packing: “Wear bulkier items on the plane, so you have more space inside the bag.” He puts the jewelry in Ziploc bags to protect it, then stuffs the bags inside the shoes. Next he packs the shoes, in shoe bags, in the bottom of the suitcase.

An excuse to go shopping: “A cotton or poly jersey dress, like a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress, is great for traveling. You just roll it up in a ball.” Finally, Clinton says V-necks are better than crewnecks. “They elongate the neckline, which makes you look taller. And that makes you look thinner. I’ve never met a woman who didn’t want to look thinner!”

Check Out Clinton

“What Not to Wear” airs Fridays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on TLC. For info on Clinton’s home-renovation special, visit tlc.com

By Dan Reed, USA TODAY

Air travelers face higher fares and reduced flight options as carriers grapple with persistently high fuel costs.
Oil prices dropped slightly on Wednesday, but continued their flirtation with $100 a barrel. Oil closed Wednesday at $97.29.

U.S. airlines, barely out of the their deep post-9/11 slump, have been dealing with unexpectedly high oil prices since Labor Day by pushing up fares and trimming flights.

Average business fares on the USA’s top 280 routes have jumped 8% from a year ago, according to price tracker Harrell Associates. And leisure fare prices on those same prime routes are up 26% from a year ago. This week, Arizona-based US Airways imposed a $5 across-the-board fare increase on every ticket sold.

Whether that price increase sticks depends on other competitors matching it. But in general, fare increases will continue, because “people keep wanting to fly, even at these much higher prices,” says analyst Terry Trippler of travel website TerryTrippler.com.

Click here for full article

With packed flights and Americans still committed to air travel, airlines are increasing fares to compensate for soaring jet fuel prices.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Holiday travelers are as likely to have record high oil prices bite them at 30,000 feet as they are at the gas pump.

Gasoline prices have lagged far behind the run-up in oil prices since Labor Day, but jet fuel prices have soared by about a quarter during that time.

And with strong demand for travel - the Air Transport Association estimates that 4 percent more American will be flying over the Thanksgiving travel period than did a year ago - airlines are passing on some of the higher costs to passengers in the form of higher fares and fuel surcharges.

Last week United Airlines (Charts, Fortune 500) raised fares $10 on most round-trip tickets, hikes that were matched by most of its old-line airline rivals known as network carriers, such as American Airlines (Charts, Fortune 500), Delta Air Lines (Charts, Fortune 500) and Continental (Charts, Fortune 500). Those increases followed a series of $20 fare hikes started by American announced Nov. 2, along with scattered increases in October.

Even bigger fare increases and fuel surcharges are being put into place on many international routes. Tom Parsons, president of Bestfares.com, said he’s seen some international routes where the fuel surcharge has more than doubled the published fare. The weak U.S. dollar is adding to higher fares on overseas routes by increasing travel to the U.S. The weak dollar also gives U.S. carriers greater pricing power when competing against overseas rivals.

Click here for full article

Just as it is important to consider the type of aircraft being used to transport a group that could restrict the size of equipment that can be transported for their use at the final destination, it is also important to recognize that equipment that is larger than the standard baggage dimensions is likely to be charged as excess baggage. Sometimes the cost involved in this, payable in both directions, can be considerable and a group may be better off renting equipment at their final destination. If the group is originating in an offline city that requires them to fly on smaller regional jets, it is important for the Director to understand that renting may be not only the best, but the only option.

01 Jun 2009 - 30 Jun 2009 Date to be confirmed

Every other year the Paris Air Show displays all that is new in the aviation industry and looks back over some of the great historic achievements in this field. Open initially to the trade, the show welcomes the public during the closing weekend. Attractions include impressive flying displays and exhibitions showcasing the latest cutting-edge technology in the aircraft industry. The French Air Force contributes a large number of military aircraft to the flying displays and also put on a show of their own. Flight simulators, space launch vehicles, traffic control systems and anti-aircraft defence systems also feature among the exhibitions. The Air and Space Museum’s permanent collections are open throughout the show. This popular event attracts about 500,000 people each year.

How does this affect groups participating in the American Celebratin of Music in France in 2009? Because of the many thousands that attend the Air Show, hotel rates in and around Paris during the Show are increased, thus making it difficult to find hotel space within budget. Most of the MCI groups traveling during these weeks will be staying in hotels outside of the city OR they will be paying a premium on hotel rooms in Paris.

(AP) — I’m driving to the Poconos for Thanksgiving and flying to Paris for Christmas. Should I buy travel insurance for both trips?

A: You should consider purchasing travel insurance if you can’t afford to lose the money you invested in the vacation or if you can’t cover unexpected medical and emergency costs at your destination.

Most comprehensive travel insurance policies offer three types of coverage — financial reimbursement for trip cancellation or lost baggage, medical coverage and emergency medical transportation. You can also buy a la carte coverage from some insurers.

The cost of the policies depends on the type of coverage, your destination, your age and gender and the cost of your trip.

For example, an all-inclusive package for a $3,000 trip to Paris for Christmas week runs between $278 and $550 for a 60-year-old and between $172 and $367 for a 30-year-old, according to InsureMyTrip.com.

While you probably can go without coverage on your road trip, you might want to think about insuring your more expensive vacation that has nonrefundable deposits.

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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The U.S. dollar hit a new all-time low against the euro on Thursday, with the euro trading above $1.40 for the first time since the common European currency was introduced.

The euro bought $1.4023 in early European trading, up from its previous high of $1.3987, hit in New York late Wednesday.

A higher euro makes goods from the 13-nation euro zone more expensive for customers elsewhere, and cuts into manufacturers’ profits if they try to keep the dollar price of products constant. While it makes U.S. exports cheaper, it cuts the spending power of Americans visiting Europe.

The euro has benefited from healthy economic news in the euro zone and the European Central Bank’s campaign of gradual interest rate increases.

However, its current strength is widely seen primarily as a result of problems afflicting the dollar.