The recent attempted attack on an airplane has once again stirred the pot of airport security, and this time there are some funky ideas floating around.

As the discussion of how to best secure our airports heats up, there are plenty of people throwing out ideas for how to keep travelers safe. Some of the ideas involve tactics that sound like science fiction such as mind reading, advanced lie detection, and three dimensional body scanning. There are more traditional ideas in the mix as well, such as randomizing screening methods, or more intense one-on-one screenings.

It is unclear which proposals will stick in the long run and be added to our security routines, but the ideas are certainly fascinating to read about. Check out this AP article for a more in depth look at some of the security proposals that are currently being considered.

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Anyone who is looking to book a vacation in the next two weeks just got a nice Christmas present from Orbitz.com.

Orbitz is offering 10% off on any hotel stay booked on their site between now and December 31!. Simply follow the link below, and use the promo code ORBITZHOTEL10.

Site: Orbitz
Promo Coce: ORBITZHOTEL10

Remember to act fast, this offer expires on Dec 31st.

We have all heard the travel horror stories of planes being stranded on the tarmac for hours and hours. You can imagine just how terrible it would be to get stuck in such a situation, cramped into an airplane on the runway with no way out.

Today the government has taken action in attempt to prevent these situations from happening anymore. The Obama administration had imposed a three hour limit for airplane tarmac delays.

Under the new regulations, airlines operating domestic flights will be able only to keep passengers on board for three hours before they must be allowed to disembark a delayed flight. The regulation provides exceptions only for safety or security or if air traffic control advises the pilot in command that returning to the terminal would disrupt airport operations.

In addition to the disembarking regulations, airlines must also provide food and water to any passengers stranded for two hours or longer, and working lavatories must also be available.

The regulations will go into effect in 120 days.

Read the full AP article here.

The first decade of the 21st century was tumultuous for the travel industry. Terrorist attacks at the beginning of the decade and internet technology that has evolved throughout the decade are undeniably the biggest factors in the changes of the travel industry worldwide.

Terrorist plots have radically changed airport security measures. Now, every checked bag is examined, liquids are not allowed on planes, and passengers must remove their shoes to pass security check points. This was not the case just ten years ago. Over the course of the decade though, travelers have just gotten used to these measures. It would be nearly unthinkable for any traveler to show up at the airport ten minutes before departure with a bottle of water in hand.

The internet has played just as significant a role in the evolution of the travel industry as the terror attacks did, but in a different way. Travel booking sites such as Orbitz.com and Travelocity allow travelers to book flights, hotels, and rental cars online. Travel review sites such as TripAdvisor.com allow travelers to read reviews of hotels to make sure they don’t get stuck somewhere they don’t want to be. The internet has truly empowered travelers in great ways over the last ten years.

Travel has changed in many other significant ways as well. To get a more in depth take on this topic, read the AP story at yahoo news.

The 2009 Conde Nast Treveler Readers’ Choice Awards have been unveiled, and many of the results are not surprising. The winners are comprised largely of winners from past years. Highlights from this year’s list are below.

These results are based on polling of Conde Nast Treveler Magazine. Complete results can be found here.

The Eagle Creek Tarmac line of luggage has received rave reviews from travel writers everywhere, but the stand-out piece in the set is the 22 inch roller.

The Eagle Creek Tarmac 22 has the best of everything. It is exactly what you should be looking for in a carry-on bag. It is light in weight, durable, and the perfect size for a carry-on bag. If you are taking a trip that is under about three days, this will be the only bag you need.

Reviews of the Eagle Creek Tarmac 22 can be found at:

• Wired Magazine
• Epinions.com
• Flyertalk

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The good news is that hotel rates are expected to go down in 2010. The bad news, on the other hand, is that airfare is expected to be on the rise during the same time period.

Hotel rates are expected to fall by 1%-4% for mid-range rates, and 3%-6% for upper-range rates. According to the provided article, the hotels are being forced to cut rates to try and draw customers back into the travel fold.

Demand for air travel is expected to rise in 2010 and the airline industry is looking to capitalize. They are able to take advantage when demand improves because they were able to cut flights during the recession period. According to American Express Business Travel, overall airfare prices will increase by up to 5% for short, economy flights, and 1%-6% for longer, business class flights.

Source: MSNBC

Many people have never heard of travel insurance, but with the increasing concern over swine flu, or H1N1, you may want to consider it.

A typical travel insurance policy costs between 4% and 8% of the vacation’s total cost and cover trip cancellation or interruption refunds, as well as medical treatment. The typical policy does not cover the “I’m afraid I will get swine flu. Can I get a refund?” scenario. There are policy upgrades that could cover this scenario, but they are much more expensive. If you get sick while on vacation, however, in many cases, your policy will cover the medical care costs, additional stay costs, and airline fees incurred for changing flights.

With that being said, most cases of swine flu have mild and you should not have much to fear. But if you are a worrier, and want to cover all options, looking into travel insurance policies could be a good idea.

Source: USA Today

Everyone knows that if you take your cellular phone out of the country you are setting yourself up for a gargantuan phone bill the following month. Bills can easily climb to hundreds of even thousands of dollars if you are not careful, and that is just on a normal phone that only makes calls.

The features that make the iPhone such an amazing device are the same features that can make the iPhone the most expensive phone to take out of the country. All of the apps that exist on the iPhone are data intensive, and they can eat up hundreds of megabytes without you even noticing. An iPhone owner traveling out of the country could easily find that he or she owes thousands of dollars to AT&T if the correct preparations are not made in advance.

This Associated Press article outlines some of the key preparations iPhone owners should make before traveling abroad.

Some of the suggestions include, setting your iPhone to flight mode, using wireless internet hotspots as often as possible and using skype for phone calls. Check the article for more tips to be sure you don’t overpay next time you leave the country.