Over the last year, flying has become a pretty big headache, with oil prices driving up airfares and airlines getting more stingy (with food, baggage allowances). But there seems to be hope on the horizon: A New York Times article this week reveals that airlines are actually adding perks to their frequent-flier programs and making it easier to redeem miles. And according to a study by Bing, Thanksgiving airfares have dropped 22 percent, and Christmas and New Year's airfares are down 18 percent from 2008. Check Bing's website for tips on getting the best deals--it suggests, for example, waiting to book flights until early October, when even more significant price drops are predicted.

Photo from jetwithkids.com

Here's a way to cut down on the arsenal of toys and DVDs many of us bring to keep kids entertained on a plane: The always-ingenious mom behind the blog Delicious Baby has a great post on Freebies4Moms about ways to turn the free stuff you encounter when you travel into kids' toys. Our favorite idea: "barf-bag puppets."

Matt Gross' New York Times story from December about where to get a decent meal in select airports is genius, and the article's list of exact restaurants and their locations is worth memorizing (you never know what airport you'll be stuck in). I especially love his tip about going to the In-N-Out Burger next to the LAX parking garage via the black and yellow Parking Spot van...

Now I'll never settle for the quick airport fix again, and I might even plan to go earlier just to catch a good meal.

Posted by: Rebecca Etter

Continental Airlines is offering flights to Europe starting at $110 each way, that means a round trip for less than $300. That's cheaper than it is for New Yorkers to fly to LA. And now with the Euro being back around $1.30, going to Europe actually seems reasonable again.

Fares are not just for the East Coast; cheap flights are also offered from Texas, California, and Ohio.

US Airways to charge $7 for pillows and blankets: The airline on Feb. 16 will begin charing for its "Power-Nap Sack" on domestic flights. Airlines are adding fees in response to a downturn in travel caused by the recession.

Tourists getting big discounts: Tourist destinations like Walt Disney World in Florida, Pennsylvania's Hersheypark, and the Georgia Aquarium, are offering reduced prices and specials in order to attract customers during the economic downturn.

Disneyland to open renovated "It's a Small World" ride: The most popular ride at the park reopens on Friday after a yearlong renovation. Some Disney fans have criticized the changes, but Disney executives say the changes were subtle.

Hotel guests are winners in travel downturn: In the worst travel downturn since 9/11, travelers are getting perks like free upgrades, reduced rates, and last-minute availability at popular destinations.

Yolanda Edwards | Travel & Lifestyle Editor

As exciting as Vienna sounds to me, I couldn't convince the family. Too cold, too much like what we already do here in New York.  We didn't want to fly all that way, and spend all that money, to be walking around a city in the cold.  So back to the warm destinations.

Thank you Amie from Ciao Bambino for suggesting Punta Mita as a destination.  She just recently stayed at the St. Regis Punta Mita, and loved it.  She is based in California, so it's a much easier flight for her-to get there, you fly into Puerto Vallarta. For us in New York, that means a connecting flight, and the best we have found so far aren't on our ideal dates, so we would have to miss a day of school, but they are on Delta (aircraft is Aeromexico) that leaves N.Y. at 2:20, has one stop, and arrives at 11:20 pm.  The return is at 7 am (brutal -- that means waking up around 3:30 am) and gets you home at 3:55 pm.  Tickets were $968 per person as of last night. We're still waiting on the hotel availability, but it sounds promising, because there is also a Four Seasons there, which is also supposed to be fantastic, with an amazing kids club.  It's also close to a town I have always wanted to check out, Sayulita.  One of the more chic women I have ever met, the manager of the Hacienda de San Antonio, from Guadelajara, told me that Sayulita is where she and her friends always rent houses. 

I would love to get to the Turks and Caicos, as our dear friends are staying at the Amanyara, with their 5-year-old son and they say it is really perfect.  I also have been dying to go to Grace Bay -- they have a kids club that is supposed to be really outstanding.  The problem is that for this week I am locked into, the flights are so expensive. There is one nonstop on American (it leaves NY at 6 am, though -- but apparently it's worth it because you are on the beach at 11 am)...and that flight is around $1,500.  So, unless we want to go through another city, it looks like this is a destination for another time.

My latest idea is Florida, so check back later to see what we come up with, and if you have any brilliant ideas for us, let me know.

Yolanda Edwards | Travel & Lifestyle Editor

For the last two weeks, I have been trying to figure out where to go for our daughter's February week off. It's her first year in kindergarten, so it's my first year where I have to take vacation at the same time as all the other families with kid in school.

You might think that it would be easy, because you might think that no one is travelling.  And you would be wrong. As much as you hear that our economy is in bad shape, there are still plenty of people traveling to warm places from February 13-21, 2009.  I have tried so many scenarios (I don't want to take a connecting flight, so I am looking at nonstops), and have not been successful...so I am now turning to destinations that are not so expected, hoping that I will turn up some flight and hotel deals. (One stipulation, since my daughter hates the cold,
I have to find a place that has a hotel with a pool.) This is what I am finding:

Vienna: (above) It's a city that is particularly beautiful in the winter, and has plenty of cafes and cozy restaurants, so maybe that will work for us.  I looked at Austrian Airlines website, and their lowest fares for my dates were $1,169.  Then I looked at Orbitz, and the same flights are $643.  I haven't yet sorted out hotels--more on that tomorrow.

Prague: My husband is half Czech, and I have never been. There are no nonstops on flights to Prague from the U.S., at least on my dates, but it is a three-hour drive from Vienna, so that is a possibility.  There is also a very lovely Four Seasons there, so the next step is to see if they are offering any great deals.

Munich: It is so strange, but why are all the flights there so expensive?? Lufthansa lists the prices at around $1,500, and Orbitz offers its cheapest price at $1,185. I love Munich, and there are so many great things to do from there (the Bregenzerwald region in Austria is magical), but this is double what I want to spend.

Zurich: same situation on the flights--$1283 per person.

On the opposite side both weather-wise and culturally, I checked out the same dates to Los Angeles.  Sadly, it is Oscar weekend (Feb. 22) so there are not the steals you can normally find these days to L.A. (sometimes seeing $109 one way on Virgin America).  I found flights on Delta for $548.

Check back tomorrow to see if we actually find something that works out...

Yolanda Edwards | Travel & Lifestyle Editor

1. Even if I am booking with a travel agent (which I have to do when I am on a work trip), I always look at the flight options online. I like to know what airlines have the nonstop options, what their flight times are, and what kind of aircraft they are using.  That way, if I do that research before I get on the phone with the agent, I already know what is out there, and I don't just take what they offer. No one is going to care as much as you do!

2. Book your flights for the morning to mid-day. Don't leave in the afternoon. If you look at airlines on-time performance numbers, most of the time, their afternoon to evening flights are late. It's better to get up early than to sit for hours on the tarmac.

3. Check out the equipment you are flying before you commit to the ticket. I always prefer to fly on a bigger plane (757) rather than on the smaller ones, because chances are better that it won't be packed. Sometimes I check the seating assignments and see how booked up the flight is, and compare it to a different time, and take the less busy flight.

4. Fly with carriers that your friends love. Don't fly with an airline just because you have mileage with them, unless you have enough status that you get to cut the lines and upgrade easily. I have plenty of friends who fly across country on an airline they don't love, because they want to accrue mileage -- and they are miserable on board, and end up never using the free ticket, because it's never available.

5. Check out if they serve any meals (Continental still serves a hot meal for free), and how much it costs.  So many airlines are charging upwards of $6 for a snack, and you might want to plan ahead and pack your own.

We love this great airplane image from Flickr user The Shane H.

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.