Quick and easy hints for healthy air travel: Take note and maybe next time you won’t have to take the tissue.

We all know washing hands for germ prevention is an important factor in avoiding any bug. But when you’re at 30,000-feet there are a few other contributing factors, including low cabin humidity. One way to combat this is by sipping plenty of H20. And how about a little germ-killing mouthwash? That too can help prevent the spread of germs.

A few minutes of reading now can make all the difference later. Read the complete article with explanations and tips by the Independent Traveler.

Aimee Palacios Tips healthy air travel, healthy traveling, healthy travelling

Before you change that flight, pack an extra bag, tote along Fido or ask for headphones, take a peek at the current costs for flying. Here’s a handy list of airline fees, compiled by USA Today. And with the holiday season fast approaching, it’s a great time to square away your budget.

Check out this updated, comprehensive list of airline fees.

Aimee Palacios Tips, Travel airline fees, holiday travel

A trip through the trees

From the west coast to the east coast, take in the season with breathtaking fall foliage. Your neighborhood park makes a lovely backdrop for a brisk afternoon walk. Or how about make a weekend of it and visit somewhere further afield?

Here are just a few favorite leaf-peeping places:

• Mt. Rainier National Park, WA: Most roads are open through October with a variety of hiking trails to take in the lively colors.
• Yosemite National Park, CA: Even though it’s filled with many evergreens, this 1200-square-mile park boasts big-leaf maple, black oaks and other vibrantly hued deciduous trees.
• Rocky Mountain National Park, CO: Well-planned park roads offer plenty of visitor access to scenic vistas and lowland meadows.
• Acadia National Park, ME: Enjoy 47,000 stunning acres of wilderness — from shore to mountains.

And with our always low-priced last-minute deals, you can easily visit one of the above locales, or one discover of your own. Happy viewing!

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Kids and holiday travel are a fact of life. Sure it can be one of the less pleasant aspects of a vacation, but with a little planning and some useful tips, it can help you make family memories that will last a life time. I found this great list of tips on the Delicious Baby blog for making Thanksgiving Travel hassle-free (or as hassle-free as possible):

• Find a Pit Stop Playgrounds and public libraries (assuming you’re not driving on Thursday) always make great places to stop with kids. On Thanksgiving day, Barnes and Noble, many Starbucks locations, most zoos and many aquariums are open, and they also make great destinations for you and the kids to stretch your legs.
• Pack the Pillows Having familiar sleeptime items from home will help your kids settle down to sleep both in the car and at your destination.

Find more of these excellent tips back at Delicious Baby.

JFrost Tips advice, family travel, holidays, Travel, travel tips, travel with kids

The NY Times has an article up with what purports to be a true air passenger wish list. In it are things like clean restrooms, timely and correct flight arrival and departure information, and a safer better place to rest before or between flights. Those all seem like pretty good ideas. But here are a few of my suggestions for Airports that really want to make customers happy:

1) Redesign security check points so they are not a bottleneck. Frankly, I feel less secure waiting en mass to pass through a metal detector than I do on the otherside. So anything you can do to make that shorten that wait time and make it less like a group the better.

2) If you’re going to charge for parking how about offering proper lighting and regular patrols.

3) Vending machines at the Cell Phone waiting lots. I’m picking up someone whose flight is late, rather than running to Denny’s for a cup-o-joe, how about a vending machine or two and a restroom out at the cell phone waiting lot.

4) Better transportation options to and from your facility. I know the taxi lobby won’t want to read this, but Airports should be the champions for getting Light Rail stations right at the terminal with easy access from around the metropolitan area. No car, no fuss, makes for less stressed out passengers.

How about you, what should airports be doing better?

JFrost Travel air passenger, airport, list, passenger, Travel

Last Minute Travel is giving away free hotel nights at popular locations across the country. To qualify, just follow @LMTTweets on Twitter and RT (re-tweet) the contest Tweets as instructed. Then, those who follow and RT will be entered into a random drawing for those free hotel nights. We’ll have a new RT promo about every two weeks, so be sure to check back for new hotel packages and additional chances to win.

Our next “Travel Temptation” is a 2 night stay at the Marriott New Orleans located in the famed French Quarter of New Orleans? Are you watching “Treme” on HBO? Got a hankerin’ for some down home food and the best jazz and blues in the world? Well then New Orleans is where you need to be.

While searching Last Minute Travel you’ll find that we also have a wide selection of New Orleans transportation and activities that you won’t find anywhere else.

Learn more about New Orleans at our destination guide for the city.

For complete “Travel Temptations” official sweepstakes rules click here.

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I had heard that high altitudes can dull the taste buds; airline kitchens make sure to add extra bursts of flavor to compensate. But what will they do about this discovery? A study by the University of Manchester says that white noise in the background can make food taste less appetizing and airline noise is the perfect combination to produce poor flavor.

That explains a lot.

JFrost Travel air, airline kitchens, altitude, flavor, flight, Food, plane, white noise

SeaWorld Orlando’s Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay both announced major new attractions this week. A new ground hugging Cheetah themed coaster is coming to Tampa and Orlando is getting an 875,000 gallon Saltwater Reef where you can swim with sharks and tropical fish. The Orlando Sentinel has details of the announcement.

A story in the Oregonian has a good lesson on how to make sure you’re eating sustainable fish even when you’re traveling. Check out the guidelines in the sidebars.

The LA Times has a good guide to Daytona Beach’s Daytona 500 Experience. And there’s a brief peak inside the new Queen Elizabeth cruise liner from Cunard.

For those looking for a little adventure with their Florida beach experience, the Miami Herald lists 5 great places to Canoe or Kayak in southern Florida.

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Last Minute Travel is giving away free hotel nights at popular locations across the country. To qualify, just follow @LMTTweets on Twitter and RT (re-tweet) the contest Tweets as instructed. Then, those who follow and RT will be entered into a random drawing for those free hotel nights. We’ll have a new RT promo about every two weeks, so be sure to check back for new hotel packages and additional chances to win.

Our second “Travel Temptation” is a 2 night stay at the Holiday Inn & Suites Anaheim located in the Resort District in Anaheim, CA. Of course, you can’t mention Anaheim without mentioning Disneyland, but there is also the convention center, a new entertainment center called Garden Walk, and the rest of the Southern California attractions to enjoy.

While searching Last Minute Travel you’ll find that we also have a wide selection of Anaheim transportation and activities that you won’t find anywhere else.

Learn more about Anaheim at our destination guide for the city.

For complete “Travel Temptations” official sweepstakes rules click here.

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Polish up your Joie De Vivre, Air France has announced it will begin non-stop flights between Orlando International Airport and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport starting June 11.

“This is an effort we’ve had going on for probably 20 years to get into France from Orlando,” said Phil Brown, executive director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, who said it took, “persistence with Air France to make it work.”

The addition of other international flights over the last few years has allowed Orlando International Airport to set a new annual record with 2.98 million international passengers arriving or departing in 2009. The airport reports that the 2010 pace also looks to be on record pace, up another 10 percent over last year.

JFrost Uncategorized air france, airport, Orlando, Paris