Have you ever been headed to an exotic, far-off destination and suddenly felt unprepared because of a language barrier? Well, why not learn the language in-flight? Several airlines have teamed up with learning companies to provide a different–and educational–kind of in-flight entertainment. Virgin Atlantic was the first airline to introduce in-flight language learning courses when they joined up with Linguaphone and Univerb in 2004, as part of their V:port in-flight entertainment system. Virgin Atlantic’s program currently offers instruction in Spanish and Japanese, with Chinese coming soon.

Air France will offer language instruction courses in 23 languages on its Boeing 777-300’s beginning in April of this year. Singapore Airlines made a deal with Berlitz International, a fairly well-known American language school, as …

While the number of low-cost airlines has proliferated in recent years, finding flights on them can still be a chore.

The truth is, most major travel search engines, such as Kayak, Sidestep, CheapFlights, and Farechase, have a very limited selection of flights from low-cost carriers, especially the vast array of start-ups.

The good news is that some new websites have emerged, and some of the older websites have been retooled, making the task of finding cheap flights internationally a little bit easier.

The following are a few you may want to check out.

Keep in mind that these sites don’t sell tickets– you’ll have to go to the airline’s website for that.

But the good thing is …

More and more hotels are tacking on hidden fees to your hotel bill. According to accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, hotels will charge travelers almost $2 billion in hidden fees and surcharges in 2007. That’s up from just $550 million just four years ago. These days, most hotels and travel websites often won’t disclose all of their charges up front, especially on the Internet.

Among the most common fees that aren’t normally disclosed are housekeeping fees, early check-in and check-out fees, internet service charges, and in-room safe surcharges. You’ll need to ask the hotel directly about these fees, because third-party websites and brokers don’t always know — or care to mention — these charges. So allow yourself a little extra time at checkout. …

Time in Moscow

Moscow is a dichotomy of a grand old city steeped in history and culture, and a bustling, modern metropolis filled with flashy cars and flashier models.

When to Go
There’s not a whole lot of leeway here. It gets pretty darned cold and snowy from November to April (we’re talking deep into the negatives) and hot in July and August. If you do head to Moscow in the winter, well, that’s why vodka was invented!

If you’re planning an international trip, especially to a destination that’s not a developed country, keeping a travel emergency kit can be a lifesaver. The first item you should have in your emergency kit? Cash. You don’t need much, but some ones and a twenty can be crucial in an emergency, like if the power goes out and ATMs shut down. Pack a little bit of duct tape, i.e., a foot-long piece. If your luggage handle breaks, it’ll do the trick.

Also, some people bring along a rubber doorstop. That way, you’ll have peace of mind that even if the locks on your hotel room doors don’t work, your doorstop will. Bring a list of your prescription meds, along with their …

April 25, 2007

So much about U.S. airports and airport design is counterintuitive. Not long ago, I remember seeing a billboard as I was driving to the Fort Lauderdale airport proudly proclaiming the facility to be “plane friendly.”

A cute, possibly catchy slogan, with one important red flag: what about PEOPLE friendly?

I am now convinced that airports were designed by people who have never flown. It seems that nothing in a real world scenario is ever considered.

So, let’s consider a few things:

How do you travel? With one or two carry-on bags? (Answer for most of us… two.) And if you buy anything at the airport, it can often be three bags.

It’s …