"43 places" is just the beginning

Out of Atlanta: Check out the two-day fare sale that Airtran is running. The discount airline is offering tickets for travel during the month of May (with some dates excluded). A sample round-trip fare between Atlanta and L.A. is $190, after taxes and fees. That's about $120 less than the typical fares on that route, according to our quick search online comparing other fares. Out of New York City and Washington: On the fancier end of the airline spectrum, MAXJet, the all-business class airline, is running a special that ends today. Travel between Washington Dulles and London Stansted starts at $1,000 roundtrip. Travel between New York JFK and London Stansted starts at $1,200 roundtrip. (To read more about MAXjet's five feet of legroom, four course meals, and other perks, click on this Budget Travel article.) For package deals for travel elsewhere, visit our Real Deals section.

For Budget Travel's May issue, we compiled a list of 15 Places to Visit Before Age 15. Not all of our readers agreed with our list, which you can find by clicking here. Among the passionate complaints is the question: "What planet are you all living on?"... (Feel free to add your own opinions in our comments section.) Did the people who picked this list ever think there might be life outside of the Northeast? I mean 9 out of the 15 are in the N.E., there's a whole lot more country out there! What about the Rockies???? Mount Rushmore??? (AWESOME vacation for children) Iowa State Fair??? (You can't get more Americana than that) Denali National Park, Alaska? (Yeah, cause I can afford to take my five kids to Hawaii too). Any of the Great Lakes (my favorite is Lake Michigan, by the way; Mackinaw Island kids love!) Gatlinburg, and the Smoky Mountains. There's also a little known place called Yellowstone???? By the way do you really think "Ground Zero" would be appreciated by an eight year old? I would not consider that an appropriate "family vacation destination". What's up with Alcatraz? As one of the top 15 places in all of America for children?? Whew-wee! What fun! Do you guys even have kids? I mean I'm all for these highbrow educational vacations, but think they would be better grasped by teenagers. As a mother of five kids ranging in ages 15-7, I've been on A LOT of vacations with children, and have seen what they like and don't. I've also been very discouraged trying to take them places I wanted to go, only to have to hurry through them because they weren't old enough to appreciate it.--J. O'Neal, via the Internet. What planet are you all living on? I am 55 years old and I haven't been to half of those places yet. I like "Budget" Travel because it seems to be a travel magazine for those of modest means. Your list of places to see by age 15 could truly only be accomplished by the very well to do. Perhaps you meant to run this piece in Conde Nast?--Fred Doyle of Alexandria, Virginia. I think someone is on something...in this climate of middle class people trying to keep body and soul together, i find it very disrespectful for you to print an outrageous list of places to see before the kids are 15...not everyone had an unlimited budget for travel and i think we all do what we can...but this is out of bounds...yes, the list is wonderful, and for their l6th birthday how about a BMW?...and then people complain that the young generation is spoiled, self-centered, and egotistical...how about an article giving overworked, under-appreciated parents a break and concentrate on places of interest, educational and cultural, that are within a 100-mile radius of their homes...from that platform, you could branch out to the geographical area they live, etc....i am 70 years old, i have an unlimited budget for travel, and have not been to all of these places (have been to many, many more not listed) and if i had seen all of this before i was 15, i would be bored now...i am very disappointed that you have joined the legions of businesses that are not at all interested in raising children to be sensitive, aware of what they have (and what other people don't), and grateful...instead it is "where are we going this year???????" How about a soup kitchen this Easter, a Salvation Army center food bank, or a meals on wheels trip? Travel is wonderful, but let's not confuse what we want with what we need for body, mind, and spirit......and not put everything on the credit card.--Anne Cameo, via the Internet.

Costs for travelers to East Africa have been on the upswing. Take, for example, the costs of visiting Tanzania's Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which is famous for having a volcanic crater with a spectacularly wide diameter. In 2005, a one-day admission fee was $30 per person. Now it's $50 per person. An identical price jump has happened at the nearby Serengeti National Park. Elsewhere in East Africa, admission fees have jumped $10 per person in the past year at the Lake Nakuru National Park and the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Each spot now charges $40 per person per day. Costs for visas, departure taxes, and accommodations are also on the rise. To stay within your travel budget, you'll need to track down safari bargains. Here are two key options for keeping your safari costs low.... Book an air and lodging package with an established tour company. Many East African lodges sell discounted rooms to tour companies, which bundle them with airfares. The total price hides the lodges' discounts, so their advertised rates aren't undermined. You can save hundreds. A fine example is 2Afrika, whose packages Budget Travel often recommends in its 40 Best Deals and Real Deals sections. The company's vice-president, Michael Kerneklian, admits that it is difficult to avoid increases in accommodations, national park entrance fees, visa costs, and departure taxes in East Africa. But, he says, "by crafting group departures that visit the highlights on everyones safari wish lists, our passengers save hundreds of dollars off of a customized safari." Book locally. If you're a youthful backpacker, you may find safari options that start at $400 per person if you fly to Cape Town, South Africa, and then book a safari with one of the vendors there. Last-minute seats go cheap. Follow the recommendations of well-regarded hostels in Cape Town, whose owners have an interest in steering you straight. For 10 tips on how to get the most out of your safari, click here.

While I was at LAX waiting for my delayed flight to Newark, the Continental agent at the gate announced that because the flight was delayed, some people might miss their connections to Europe. That's life, right? But then he said that the airline, as part of its Customer First program, would put up in a hotel any passenger who missed a connection on an international flight. This was the first I'd heard of it. A lot of frequent travelers I know have been saying that Continental is the best U.S. airline, and I can see why they like it. UPDATE: I should've been clearer. What I found notable was that Continental will put passengers up even if the missed connection is due to weather, something airlines have traditionally taken no responsibility for.