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Tags: Travel Bans / Airport Security / Travel News / European Travel / TSA / → All Tags

EU To End Ban On Carry-On Liquids, But England Still Fussing About

Hallelujah, break out the chianti! On Friday, EU transportation officials met to announce the impending end of the ban on carry-on liquids and gels. Just like our often confusing TSA 3-1-1 plan for carry-on liquids in the States, Europe has only allowed air travelers to carry 100ml or smaller bottles in a clear zip-top bag not exceeding 20cm x 20cm in size. It's been almost three years since they implemented these rules, and it's about time they re-evaluated the law.

Wait a second, hold off on that chianti; there has been no date announced for the end of the liquid restrictions, but the EU officials did vaguely hint at April 2012, or whenever new security procedures are in place. Nonetheless, we imagine there will be a collective sigh of relief when European travelers try to sneak through that just-over-100ml bottle of Cotes du Rhone and aren't stopped.

But what about Britain?...

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Tags: Airline Delays / Travel News / Airline News / Airline Fees / Airports / → All Tags

Think Tank Finds Solution To Flight Delays: New Fees On Passengers

Researchers over at the top-ranked Brookings Institution have taken a look at the airline industry and at airport congestion, and they'd like you to know that they're very concerned. They note that airline delays have increased dramatically over the last decade, until now more than one in ten planes is over two hours late. Very true and very concerning, and thank you for bringing that to our attention, though it's hardly news.

Their solution, which is to raise fees in order to discourage travelers from flying during peak congestion times, seems to us much less smart:

The researchers said much of the problem is due to heavy concentrations of short trips between big cities, but they also cited an "ill-equipped" air traffic control system and other factors. They suggested increasing high-speed rail service to offer travelers alternatives to short flights. They also recommended letting busy airports charge fees on rush-hour flights to make airlines spread trips more evenly through the day.

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Tags: Movie Travel / Travel News / Road Trips / Family Vacations / → All Tags

Where Will The Next Generation Of National Lampoon's 'Vacation' Go?

When we talk about the best road trip movie ever, nothing even comes close to the 1983 classic "National Lampoon's Vacation." You remember it: Clark Griswald drives his family from Chicago to California to have a family fun time at Walley World, but a million little hilarious obstacles occur along the route. The movie spawned sequels, like European Vacation, Vegas Vacation, Christmas Vacation, and even another sequel to Christmas Vacation. But apparently the world hasn't had enough of the Griswalds, and 26 years after the original, yet another sequel is in the works.

This time however, Clark (played by Chevy Chase) is staying home while his grown-up son Rusty, with kids of his own, strikes out on the American family road trip. David Dobkin, the director of "Wedding Crashers" is expected to at least produce, if not direct, the new movie. Right now, the ultimate destination of the road trip hasn't been named, but we have a few ideas of where the Griswalds might be heading this year century...

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Tags: Travel TV Shows / Celeb Travel / Travel News / Jessica Simpson / Television Travel / → All Tags

And The Next New Travel Show Will Be Hosted By...Jessica Simpson

Tonight is the premiere of a new travel tv show, Man Shops Globe, where a buyer for Anthropologie travels the world in pursuit of quirky furniture and products for the chain store. Is it just us, or are floofy travel shows taking over tv? Even if you don't think so now, you will after the news that Jessica Simpson is getting her own travel show, The Price of Beauty.

With Jessica as a host, the series will focus on beauty regimens around the world, and how the concept of beauty varies from culture to culture. Although the series won't air until 2010, hype begins now as Jessica is in the process of shooting the episodes around the world. She's already been to a fattening hut in Uganda and a geisha house in Japan, and she's en route to her next stop of Morocco currently. When "The Price of Beauty" eventually does air, you can find it on VH1, natch.

Jessica's life is so hard...

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Tags: Recession Travel / Tourism / Travel News / Timeshares / → All Tags

Timeshare Pitches About To Get Hardcore As Industry Hurts

We’ve always been tempted to sit through a timeshare presentation to score some freebies, but we usually realize that having a good time and a relaxing evening is better than a stressful 90-minute hard sell. However, if you want some free stuff, or are really interested in vacation ownership, now is a good time. Timeshare sales are down big time, and some experts are thinking that things will drop 30 percent from 2008 numbers.

Marriott’s timeshare group, for instance, is cutting prices and slowing down their plans to expand. They are even thinking about selling some of their prime land—might be worth taking a look if you’re looking to build your own vacation home. Wyndham is doing the same thing, despite being the largest seller of timeshares in the country; they are cutting 40 percent of their sales. The salespeople trying to get rid of these properties might be getting desperate, so beware their hardcore pitches.

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Tags: Mexico Travel / Scuba / Travel News / Green Travel / → All Tags

Mexico Opening Underwater Museum To Protect Coral Reefs

The Mexican government has a creative new idea for getting tourists to stop overwhelming and destroying the coral reefs around Cancun: distract them with something shiny. So they're building the world's largest underwater museum and filling it with art work, hoping that the new attraction will take some pressure off the regional ecosystem.

There's little environmental risk to the area as the concrete will be PH-neutral. Exactly the opposite in fact: the new rocks will allow algae and small invertebrates to flourish, adding rather than subtracting from the local ecosystem. The construction of the museum itself will probably take a bite out of the local environment, but we assume it'll be done in a minimalist way. Can you imagine the headache if it came out that their Green Tourism museum was, well, not?

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Tags: Crime / Sex Travel / Travel News / Cambodia Travel / Travel Crime / → All Tags

New Crackdown On Sex Tourism Targets Criminals In The Air

Sex offenders beware: You can run, but you can't hide. A new international crackdown is zeroing in on American "sex tourists" who could find law enforcement picking them up from the airport when they get home.

Operation "Twisted Traveler" was set up under the PROTECT Act of 2003, strengthening penalties for child-related crimes such as abduction and producing pornography. The act establishes an international age of consent at 16 as well as making it a crime to pay someone under 18 for sex; Americans who break the law can be tried and convicted back at home.

The first three suspects arrested under the international provision of the law were nabbed in Cambodia in February. All had served time for sex-related offenses in the U.S. before. The men have been charged with various crimes from enticing young boys with money and candy to visiting one of Phnom Penh's child brothels.

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Tags: Credit Cards / Europe / Technology / France / Travel News / Paris / → All Tags

Did You Want To Use Your Credit Card In Europe? Sorry.

As if the cratering dollar wasn't enough of a problem for US tourists, the New York Times reports that even trying to use American credit cards in Europe is getting difficult. The problem is in the so-called chip-and-PIN verification technology that much of the world is adopting as an alternative to magnetic strip cards. Instead of swiping your card you're supposed punch in a personal ID that needs to match the one encoded on the chip. Only problem: US credit cards mostly don't have those chips.

The writeup manages to convey the issue with all the cosmopolitan awareness we've come to expect from the NYT Travel section. They relate the story of a passive-aggressive couple in Paris who—having had their cards rejected by bike kiosks—just walked around sullenly telling no one in particular how would awesome if they could ride a bike. Obnoxious. But that doesn't make the problem any less real:

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Tags: Olympics / Olympics Travel / 2016 Rio Olympics / Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Travel / Travel News / → All Tags

And The 2016 Olympic City Is...Rio de Janeiro!

It's time to break out the Mardi Gras beads and barely-there bustiers and learn how to spell "Rio de Janeiro" without hesitating, because Rio is indeed the host city of the 2016 Olympic Games. All this morning and early afternoon, the world was glued to their TVs and Twitter as the Olympic Committee first heard final pleas from the delegations from Chicago (Prez Obama was there), Rio, Tokyo and Madrid and then announced their decision in favor of the first Olympics to be held in South America.

While people rush onto Copacabana and Ipanema beaches to celebrate, we can already imagine the tour operators and airlines brainstorming their deals for travel to Brazil in 2016 and even these next few years as the city strengthen its infrastructure and emerges as a true hot destination.

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Tags: Travel Deals / Travel Websites / Travel News / → All Tags

'Jetsetter' Launches, Introduces Travel World To Trip Sample Sales

We warned you they were coming: vacation sample sales from the luxury discount shopping site Gilt.com. The site launched today, along with their new iPhone app, and they're beginning their life pretty strong, offering "discounted" rates on hotel rooms and cruises from top names like Seabourn Yachts and Peninsula Hotels.

So are you getting a deal? First, the "sample sales" are tremendously limited in time, so you better know that when you're headed to New York in order to book a deal at The Standard New York, prices starting at $225. Now we've definitely stayed there for less, so you have to understand that these sale prices are off the rack rate, which is pretty easy to get around in the first place if you search all the usual travel booking sites.

Even "private" islands get the Jetsetter treatment, after the jump.

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Tags: Volunteer Travel / Disney / Orlando Travel / Travel News / Freebies / → All Tags

Spend One Day Volunteering And Get A Free Pass From Disney

Mickey's giving away free one-day passes to Disney's Theme Parks and all you have to do to get one is spend a day volunteering. Beginning on January 1, 2010, you can sign up to volunteer with any participating organization for just one day, and in return you will receive a one-day pass to any Disney park. Disney is hoping to inspire one million people to volunteer (and spend money at Disney World) next year.

If you're not sure how or where to volunteer, Disney has made it easy by teaming up with HandsOn Network, which links volunteers with more than 70,000 nonprofits across the country. Once you've completed your day of service, it will be verified by HandsOn and you will receive a voucher good for one day at any Disney park.

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Tags: Travel TV Shows / Shopping Travel / Travel News / → All Tags

Sundance Channel Welcomes New Travel TV Show: 'Man Shops Globe'

The Sundance Channel is getting a new travel show...sorta! We're imagining it as like if Anthony Bourdain was a shopper and not an eater, since the series titled "Man Shops Globe" follows the buyer-at-large, Keith Johnson, for international chain Anthropologie around the world as he sources unique and vintage finds for the stores. The eight-part series premiers on October 7 at 10pm.

For any girl or reluctant guy who has spent time in an Anthropologie store, you'll understand how this pairing of TV show and retail buyer matches; an Anthropologie is like a global finery rummage sale, with some pretty $300 frocks peppered around and $250 cutesy cardigans to match. The stores love to show off large-scale furniture as well, like antique four-poster beds swiped from estate sales in the south of France, or patchwork armchairs specially assembled in South Africa. All (non-clothing) products usually boast some such nomadic history, and it's Keith's job to secure these items from bazaars all over.

Where he's headed, after the jump.

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