Fliers dig deeper for holiday tickets
Fliers dig deeper for holiday tickets — Travelers this year have paid an average of $342 round trip for holiday air travel, or 8% more than last year, a new analysis shows. (USA Today)
First-ever space tourism rules issued — Thrill-seekers looking to blast into space would need to be informed in writing of serious risks — including death — and promise not to sue the government under the first-ever rules for commercial space travel. (AP)
Paris’ latest form of transport: the tramway — The latest addition to the Paris public transport system has hit the rails, with officials saying the tramway is the answer to concerns like pollution. (AP)
Airlines’ plans to improve service are barely off the ground — Statistics show that carriers have fallen far short of promises made in 1999 to treat their customers better. (The Los Angeles Times) (Registration required.)
Cruising 2007 — At this time of year, just about everyone devotes a column to predictions for the year ahead. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I can tell you the shape of things to come on the high seas in 2007: more taxes, more tonnage, more talking and — would you believe? — bowling and water balloons. (Anita Dunham-Potter on Tripso)
For skiers, to soon to panic? — Throughout the Northeast, the ski season is lurching out of the gate because so far it has just been too balmy. (The New York Times) (Registration required.)
These bargains are made in Mexico — Handmade jewelry, wood carvings, beadwork — Puerto Vallarta has plenty to offer, and it’s not all on the tourist-beaten track. (The Los Angeles Times) (Registration required.)
Ecotourism: Traveling the world to save it — Nonprofit groups are responding to travelers who seek out more unusual and broadening experiences. (The New York Times) (Registration required.)
Travelers’ rulebook: Behavior 101 — There are no formal requirements to buying an airplane ticket and boarding a plane, other than coming up with some cash and passing security. But maybe flying should be more of a privilege, with its own rule book. (Yahoo! News)
Carrie Charney, Christopher Elliott, John Frenaye, Charles Leocha, Marge Purnell, Valerie Schneider, Mary Staley, Stephanus Surjaputra, Richard Wong.