Has anyone heard of the "ancient trick" that is said to eliminate jet lag by stroking your arm and then pushing on your pinky at certain times in the day? We came across the jet lag cure today from Dr. Joseph Mercola (who admittedly is seen as somewhat controversial) and we're wondering if anyone had tried it. Mercola heard about the trick from a physician friend and says it can help fend off dreaded dragging after a long flight. Skip ahead to 2:00 to see the tip.

The Associated Press took on a question that we at Going Places have been asking ourselves: If oil prices are down, why haven't airfares dropped?

According to the AP, "Fuel makes up about 40% of the total budgets of most major airlines" and in the past year has "surpassed labor as their biggest expense." However, oil prices are just part of the reason why airfares are so high.

According to Bob Harrell of travel and aviation consulting firm Harrell Associates, here are some other factors that are keeping prices high:
- Supply is lower as the major carriers reduce capacity, which is expected to go down even farther later this year and early in 2009 as airlines implement long-range plans.

- Airlines generally are very slow to adjust fare prices and are likely waiting to see if oil stays below $100 a barrel before considering price adjustments. However, Harrell noted that airlines could reduce fares if the economic crisis worsens and demand drops.

So the economy has to tank in order to get lower airfares? We'd rather keep rolling the dice with priceline, thankyouverymuch.

We found this great airport photo by V.Roby on Flickr.

My 8-year-old daughter is going to visit her grandparents in Georgia and she's flying alone for the first time (I'm more nervous than she is!). What are the latest requirements for unaccompanied minors? -Magdalena Klimczak, Chicago, Illinois

We understand your concerns - travel for unaccompanied minors can be complicated, not to mention expensive! Rules for unaccompanied minors and domestic travel vary by airline, but most carriers require that children take nonstop flights, prohibit kids from booking the last flight of the day, and charge up to $150 more each way. Also, many airlines require an Unaccompanied Minor Request for Carriage form, which includes the contact information for the responsible party at both he departure and arrival airports (the person picking up your child will have to sign the form and identify themselves).

It's also a good idea to bring along a proof of age, like a birth certificate or passport (if she has one). Some airlines also require that a parent or responsible party remain at the airport until the child has boarded and the flight has left the gate. Below are links to the unaccompanied minor requirements for several major domestic carriers:

-American Airlines
-Continental Airlines
-Delta
-Northwest Airlines
-Southwest Airlines
-United Airlines
-US Airways

Traveling abroad? Get the latest requirements on new passport requirements for kids.

Courtney Adamo | Babyccino

1. Reset your watches the minute you land, and start getting accustomed to the new time immediately. Don't think about what time it is in the departure city -- it will only make things worse!

2. Don't take naps, and try not to let your kids take naps at odd times. When they do take a scheduled nap, don't let them oversleep.  Pretend you haven't flown across the globe and that you aren't in a different time zone!

3. If your kids wake up in the middle of the night and seem wide awake, try to keep them in their beds by giving them a few books to read. It always seems like my boys are wide, wide awake, but they always go back to sleep within an hour if we keep the lights dim and don't give them the option of waking up for good.

4.  Try to get as much fresh air and natural sunlight as you can. Apparently natural sunlight works wonders on readjusting your natural clock.

5. Eat when you're supposed to eat according to your new time, and drink plenty of water.  Your kids may not seem hungry but you should encourage them to eat so they quickly adjust to the new schedule.

(p.s. we found this amazing photo by SohieMuc on Flickr!)

Yolanda Edwards | Cookie Travel & Lifestyle Editor

On a recent trip to London, we spent some time in the new Terminal 5. I had heard so many negative things about Terminal 5, which opened in late March, that I was a bit nervous...but it seems like all the kinks have been worked out. It's light and airy, and has so many amazing food and shopping options.  We loved the Japanese fast food at Itsu (edamame, udon, rolls), and there's also a huge Wagamama (noodle bar) and Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, Plane Food. Plus there's a Paul Smith shop, Smythson, and our favorite pharmacy, Boots.  The security line went so fast, everyone was so polite and efficient. There was also a really cool water fountain outside that made it seem more like a park than an airport...

During our time at Heathrow, we were lucky enough to experience the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Lounge in Terminal 3.  The lounge is so over-the-top that I wish we got to the airport six hours early so we could actually take advantage of everything it had. Think food made to order served at booths (yes, with waiter service)...a candy bar...a kids' playroom...a library...a spa with services like haircuts, massage, mani/pedi (all you have to do is pre-book -- everything's free once you are in the lounge). There's even a sauna and a hot tub, and they sell bathing suits for the unprepared! It was so insane...a buffet with the most delicious and healthy food--we were out of our minds! Even better, we were able to be in there because I found out about an amazing deal on Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class fares from one of my favorite travel websites, Joe Brancatelli's Joe Sent Me. The flights were at least a third of the price, in high season!

United Airlines is ramping up its nickel-and-diming (or five and ten-spotting) with its announcement yesterday that it is doubling the cost of checking a second bag. Like Continental, United charges $15 for the first checked bag, and the carrier is now charging $50 for a second piece of luggage for flights booked starting today for travel on or after Nov. 10 (just in time for the holidays!) Business Travel News Online reports that Delta in July raised its second bag fee instead of instituting a charge for checking a first bag. Instead of getting frustrated, maybe we should be zen about this. After all, maybe these fees will finally cure our overpacking problem. Yeah, probably not.

So much for customer appreciation--in the latest round of new airline fees, carriers are charging frequent fliers to redeem their hard-earned miles (and for those who have experienced the recent scourge of delays and cancellations without so much as a gratis bag of mini pretzels, you know you deserve those miles).

USA Today reports that Continental is cutting the number of miles it awards for short flights and is "lowering the bonus miles it gives to many of its most-frequent fliers. Last month, US Airways ended bonus miles for its most-frequent fliers."

Here's what some carriers are are charging:

- Delta last month added a fuel surcharge for frequent fliers, so now SkyMiles members redeeming trips online pay $25 for a domestic ticket and $50 for an international one.

- Northwest on Sept. 15 will begin charging $25 to redeem a domestic frequent-flier ticket, $50 for a trans-Atlantic ticket and $100 for a trans-Pacific ticket.

-  Continental will stop giving a minimum of 500 points on flights shorter than 500 miles on Jan. 1. Fliers will instead earn the number of miles flown.

- Frontier Airlines will stop awarding a minimum 250 miles on most short routes on Sept. 15.

- United Airlines stopped giving a minimum of 500 miles in July, and US Airways eliminated its mileage minimum last year.

And another one bites the dust.

We've been quite proud of Continental Airlines in the past few months. Besides that small blip where they upped the fee to change your flight from $100 to $150, they have managed to resist the black hole of stinginess that has struck so many other airlines this past year. They're even still offering free blankets, drinks, and meals.

Alas, this morning they announced that they would begin to charge $15 for the first checked piece of luggage, meaning you'll have one more airline's overhead compartments that you and 742 other passengers will be cramming your roller bag into. Continental's change in policy leaves Delta as the only of the six so-called legacy airlines to hold out on the insidious fee.

Be sure to check out those handy little charts popping up all over travel sites outline which airlines are charging for which formerly free services.

Mere weeks after heavy criticism about charging $7 for airplane blankets and pillows, JetBlue is back in the news--this time as the major carrier with the highest percentage of late arrivals. More than 35 percent of JetBlue's flights arrived late for the month of July, according to the Department of Transportation's monthly survey. United Airlines trailed just behind JetBlue with 31.8 percent of their flights arriving late.

JetBlue says the reason for the delays stem from a variety of reasons, but that their high level of activity in the Northeast and New York City areas, which often suffers from poor weather conditions, is a major factor.

Speaking of New York, the city's loved and loathed travel hubs were ranked the worst among major airports. John F. Kennedy International had an on-time arrival rate of 57.4 percent, while Laguardia Airport scored 58.4 percent and Newark International scored 59.5 percent. For departures, JFK was on time 65.5 percent of the time, while Laguardia had an on-time departure rate of 70.8 percent and Newark scored 63.6 percent.

Okay, now for the good. Southwest (whom we're really liking right now, particularly as they are the least stingy of the airlines) led major carriers with more than 83 percent of their flights arriving on-time. Salt Lake City International Airport takes the cake in the airports category, with on-time rates of 86.9 percent for arrivals and 87.2 percent for departures.

If you're planning a family trip this fall, you might want to reconsider flying. According to the New York Times, U.S. carriers "had hoped for a fresh start after Labor Day, with streamlined schedules and smaller fleets that were meant to help them cope better with the high cost of jet fuel." That was before Hurricane Gustav caused airport closings and flight cancellations in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas. Airlines like Southwest over the next few months will ground older planes and cut flights and routes, which will reduce the overall seats they fly by about 8 to 10 percent, according to the Times. Carriers hope that fewer seats and higher prices will enable them to recoup some of the damage from "a year that may yet bring the biggest losses in the industry's history." What do you think? Has your family changed your travel plans because of higher gas prices and airline fees?

Southwest Airlines' winter schedule reflects a decrease of 196 flights systemwide and an addition of just six, according to USA Today's Today in the Sky blog. The blog's coverage of a Dallas Morning News story noted that the hardest hit cities are:

- Chicago Midway, losing a net of 22 departures to 20 cities;
- Baltimore, losing a net of 13 departures;
- Las Vegas, losing 12 departures; and
- Phoenix and Nashville, losing 10 departures each.

Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King says some flights might be added back in March. The airline said it might not expand at all in 2009 amid economy and fuel price concerns.

In an attempt to stem losses due to the record fuel prices, United Airlines has announced that they will stop offering free in-flight meals and snacks in the coach cabin on some of its international flights, according the Washington Post. The airline will become the first U.S. carrier to replace the free meals with buy-on-board options.

The airline is also dropping complimentary meals in domestic business class, effective Oct. 1, with the exception of premium transcontinental flights from San Francisco and Los Angeles to New York, adds the San Francisco Chronicle. Oh, but no more pre-arrival snacks for those transcontinental flights either.

United will charge $6 for snack boxes that include cheese, crackers, fruit, yogurt and a pastry, and $9 for salads and sandwiches.

With all the service cuts, United says there will be fewer flight attendants aboard as well.

We say: Do airlines do anything but fly anymore? So much for the friendly skies.

Last week we posted about Kayak.com's new chart that details different fees for various popular airlines. Today (thanks to Conde Nast Traveler's Perrin Post blog) we came across another great airline-comparison chart, courtesy of FareCompare.com, showing which airlines will pick your pockets for pennies and which still have a semblance of a save-you-money soul. Plus, we're really digging their print-out PDF version of the chart; we'll be keeping it close by the next time we're booking a flight.

Genevieve Brown | Senior Editor, windowseat.travelocity.com 

Almost every domestic airline now charges for a second-checked bag, and most of the major airlines charge for the first. Parents know that traveling with the kids often means traveling with lots of gear, and no one wants to waste their vacation dollars on services that were once free. Shipping services and UPS are gaining popularity among families, but even if the charge is nominal, it's still going to cost you. Instead, get creative and use these five ways to get around the fees.

1. Stay loyal or travel with someone who is. We all know those frequent-flier miles are getting harder and harder to use, but those with elite status are generally exempt from the checked-bag fees. That and being first to board (more room in the overhead!) are a few of the remaining perks of being an airline loyalist.

2. Upgrade. If you can't use miles for a free ticket in coach, you may be able to use them for a free upgrade to business or first class. Customers traveling in these cabins don't have to pay for checked bags.

3. Choose carefully. A few airlines still allow at some free checked baggage. AirTran, Delta, Continental, and JetBlue, Mexicana , Midwest, and Virgin America charge for the second-checked bag, but still allow passengers to check one for free. Southwest allows two free checked bags.

4. Jet set. International travelers - particularly outside of North America - are with few exceptions, still allowed two free checked bags.

5. Stick it to the hotel. First it was gas cards, now it's baggage reimbursements. Hotels early to get in on the trend of paying you back for checking your bags include several properties participating in the "Pack Your Bags for Amelia Island" promotion, giving guests a room credit of up to $80 when you stay three or more nights and show your checked-bag receipt before September 30. Loews Hotels reimburses guests up to $30 per room (enough to pay for the first-checked bag to take a round-trip flight) on their final bill with a bag receipt from the airline through September 1. Kimpton Hotels "We Got Your Bag" offer issues a room credit of up to $25 when guests show proof of the baggage charge through September 9.