It’s no secret that New Orleans is struggling to rebuild its economy—and that tourism will continue to play a major role in that effort.

So the decision by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to approve a request to begin the privatization process for the city’s Louis Armstrong International Airport may have major implications for the city’s future.

But after Chicago’s failure to privatize its Midway Airport, the implications of a successful airport privatization could resonate far beyond the bayou.

The top position at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has settled on a new leader today after five rounds of fiercely contested voting.

The UN’s leading cultural body elected Bulgarian diplomat Irina Bokova by a vote of 31-27 over her opponent, Egypt’s controversial cultural minister, Farouk Hosni.

After yesterday’s vote ended in a 29-29 draw, what was it that finally tipped the scales for Bokova, and what does her election mean for UNESCO?

The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced that international visitation to the United States is down 10 percent in 2009 compared to the first six months of 2008.

Fewer travelers means less money for an American economy already battered by recession.

But can the new Travel Promotion Act get the United States to straighten up and fly right?

On the eighth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, Peter weighs in on the state of travel security today.

In his most recent blog post for MSN’s Bing Travel, “It’s time to close the airport security loopholes,” Peter shares his thoughts on how the Transportation Security Administration advanced in passenger screening over the past eight years, and laments the lack of common-sense that still exists in airlines and airports.

The days of do-it-yourself online travel booking may be on the wane, according to a new study by a well-known research firm.

Frustrated with the sometimes difficult and time-consuming process of trying to find the lowest prices and best deals on the Internet, many travelers are increasingly turning to old-fashioned bricks-and-mortar travel agents to navigate the maze of options, fees and restrictions.

But should you?

Hundreds of U.S. citizens, emboldened by the Obama administration’s pledge to improve relations with Cuba, have been openly traveling to the country in direct violation of the decades-old travel ban in hopes that they can force a repeal of the law.

But can these tactics really work?

And what does it all mean for Americans who want to travel to Cuba?

As Congress debates the FAA Reauthorization bill that will effectively guide air transportation policy for the next two years, interested parties from the airlines and airports to pilots’ unions and consumer groups are jockeying for their preferred outcomes.

The bill, which passed a vote in the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee last week, includes a number of provisions that should impact areas from the rights of delayed passengers to air traffic control systems.

It should come as no surprise that the results of the 2009 J.D. Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study, which was just released today, show that passengers are anything but satisfied.

It’s been a tough year financially for airlines, and the strain has taken its toll on the flying public. The study reveals that survey respondents’ overall satisfaction with airlines has declined for a third consecutive year, hitting a four-year low.

The three categories that primarily drove the decline were in-flight services, flight crew, and costs and fees, all of which showed notable drops in customer satisfaction compared to last year.