Got a travel question?

Now, getting an answer is as easy as sending an email.

PLAYING THE FREQUENT-FLIER GAME

My husband and I have been planning a trip to Costa Rica with our kids for a few years now. We planned to use our Mileage Plus Visa account. We finally have enough miles and have been totally flexible with our travel dates (leaving any day from the end of January to mid-February and returning eight to nine weeks later). They can find an outbound flight for us, but state that the partner airline United did not have any return flights available (not for any day in February, March, or even April!).

Qantas Guilty of Fixing Prices on Air Cargo

World’s Largest Flying Machine Graces LAX

Veggies and Hydrogen: Fuel’s Latest Power Couple

Voice of the London Tube Fired for Funny Business

Dangerous Exhibit Cracks Definition of Art and Injures 15

It’s time for another Web site of the week to help you travel better.

This week is a great one for those of you who may still be a bit nervous about crashing when you’re flying.

Web-savvy traveler Johnny Jet finds out how you can get the scoop on the likely level of turbelence on your flight.

You may not be able to really avoid turbulence, but at least you’ll be prepared.

It’s not too early to start planning for New Year’s Eve! The Doubletree Hotel Boston-Downtown and Doubletree Club Hotel Boston-Bayside hotels are offering a First Night New Year’s package. The package starts at $129 per night, and includes overnight accommodations and two passes for First Night Boston for a city-wide celebration of theater, dance, music, film, visual arts, and more. This offer is only valid for reservations on December 31, 2007. www.hiltonfamilyboston.com/packages

It even snows in heaven! Heavenly Mountain Resort in Lake Tahoe is rewarding pre-holiday vacationers who are cashing in their sick days. Enjoy a three-day weekend starting at $74 per night, per person, at …

One of our favorites, and one of yours, The New York Times columnist Joe Sharkey stops by Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio to chat about what he’s thankful for this Thanksgiving.

At the top of his list? The fact that, against all odds, he’s alive.

Check out all of the interviews available online from PeterGreenberg.com here.

Instead experiencing other cultures through a museum exhibit, why not travel with a museum? Some of the world’s most respected museums offer educational tours around the world.

In Europe, the Smithsonian’s field experts walk you along the Waterways of Holland in the footsteps of Rembrandt.

In the warmer climates of Honduras or Guatemala, the American Museum of Natural History lends a dramatic look into the cultural treasures of Meso-America, such as sculptures and hieroglyphs.

Community leaders escort travelers on private visits to museums with Government Ministers and UNESCO World Heritage conservationists.

Or, you can sail with curators from the Metropolitan Museum from Moscow to St. Petersburg, with on-board lectures and private views of the cities’ greatest museums.

The downside is that these tours are pricey, …