Airlines: Flights are taking longer gate to gate

"Affordable" and "Europe" might seem to be contradictory concepts right now, but don't lose sight of your dream vacation. Rough Guides has just published The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget, the first in their new budget series. We picked the brains of Natasha Foges, contributor, and Andy Turner, editor, to get their tips on frugal vacationing. Q: What's the best meal you've eaten in Europe and that cost less than $10? Natasha: Definitely a hearty dinner of pork and potatoes in Prague—but the world's crispiest pizza in Naples comes a close second. Q: In terms of nightlife, where can people get the most fun for their hard-earned buck? Andy: Right now Belgrade, Serbia is the hottest place to head for nightlife with a huge range of bars and clubs and cheap drinking (half liter of beer for $1.90). Q: Even on a budget trip, are there things you never cut corners on? Natasha: Health insurance—worth every penny, but do shop around to get the best rate. And accommodation: it's easy to get into a penny-pinching, budget traveler's mentality, but staying in hell-holes—albeit at rock-bottom prices—is no way to enjoy your holiday, especially when there are plenty of decent budget alternatives. Q: With the notoriously shrinking dollar, what do you say to people who are unconvinced that they can travel Europe on a budget? Andy: Don't give up! You'll find the dollar still goes a long way in most of Eastern Europe, Morocco and Turkey—all yet to adopt the euro. If you have your heart set on seeing Paris or Rome, try coming in the fall around October or November when you can negotiate hotel rates and escape the crowds. Q: Tell us about your new book. What kind of information can people expect? Andy: You can expect to find everything you'd need to plan and take a trip to Europe. Some key features include a full-color ideas section, "ultimate experiences" from our travel writers, itineraries, quick reference "rough costs" sections, culture and etiquette tips, reviews of all the best hostels, cafes, shops and clubs, "treat yourself" ideas for when to break the budget and over 200 maps and plans, the most we've ever included in one title. (recently on sale at amazon.com) MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Even with the weak dollar, there are ways to save when traveling abroad. Here are 10 tricks to beat the high cost of Europe.

Last summer we encouraged you to tell the Feds your views on the bumping game. The Department of Transportation sought comments from the public on its airline compensation rules for passengers who are involuntarily bumped from an oversold flight. Yesterday, the agency issued its decision, doubling the compensation that airlines pay to travelers who buy tickets but wind up without a seat. The new rules go into effect next month. How much compensation you will receive will depend on the cost of your fare, the size of your plane, and the length of your involuntary delay. In general, the airlines will be required to pay you double your one-way fare, up to a cap of $400 one-way for short delays for rebooking (meaning two hours) and a cap of $800 one-way for long delays (meaning more than four hours). For example, if you bought a ticket whose one-way value is $250 and you are bumped from a domestic flight and delayed for more than two hours, you would receive $500 and be flown out on the next available flight. If you're on another flight within an hour, you get nothing however. The airlines can continue to offer incentives for travelers to voluntarily give up their seats, without any federal rules about the value of the compensation required. According to the press release: The new rule also covers more flights, including those operated with aircraft seating 30 people or more; the current rule covers flights with 60 seats or more. The amount of these payments are determined by the price of the ticket and the length of the delay, and are in addition to the value of the passenger’s ticket, which the flyer can use for alternate transportation or have refunded if not used. EARLIER Tell the Feds your views on the bumping game.

Starting May 7, US Airways will offer customers the chance to pay a fee (starting at $5 one-way per flight) for an aisle or window seat assignment in the first several rows of coach class. About 8 out of every 100 seats will be up for reservation in this way, though some flights, including the US Airways Shuttle between D.C. and New York City, won't offer the option. US Airways' elite frequent-flier members will be able to book these seats free of charge, says USA Today's Ben Mutzabaugh. The seats have no extra legroom. No extra anything! You'll be able to select one of these "choice seats" during online check-in at an airport kiosk or on usairways.com from between 24 hours and up to 90 minutes before departure. Choice Seats will be available to US Airways' Dividend Miles Preferred members (and companions traveling on the same reservation) for free. They can book theses seats at any time after booking. They'll also have exclusive access to exit row seats. Note, you'll be paying for the upgrade per-flight, so if your itinerary includes a layover, you'll have to pay a second fee for the second flight on the same journey.

Tourism to China is at a record level. Last year, 350,600 Americans visited—a 10 percent jump over the previous year. And this summer China is hosting the Olympic Games, leading the country to spend billions to make itself more welcoming to foreign visitors. So we decided to publish a story in Budget Travel's May issue that gives tips on how you can book your own travel to the country instead of going on a tour ("Do-It-Yourself China"). I would like to add a few thoughts about the benefits of making your own travel arrangements, especially if you want to see more than the main cities. When I was living in China eight years ago, my most memorable trips were the ones that I planned on my own through the countryside—many times with a very loose itinerary. And I'm testament that anyone can do this, given that I spoke absolutely no Chinese when I got to the country. Travel in China has changed a lot in the past 10 years or so, too. With Western hotel chains opening up all over the country, the Chinese chains have been forced to compete, and many have improved their standards as a result. Check out Jin Jiang Hotels—the chain is an established, business-class chain. Chinese trip-planning sites like elong.com and ctrip.com also offer far better deals on airfare than what you'd find on U.S.-based search engines like Expedia and Kayak. You can book internal flights on the sites from the U.S. and pay with your credit card—and the sites are in English so there's no language barrier. Here are some other travel tips to get you started: → Search out unique travel destinations. This doesn't mean skip out on the traditional tourist centers of Beijing, Xi'an, or Shanghai. But try to incorporate travel to lesser-known places—you'll get a far greater sense of what the country is like. On the way to Shanghai to Xi'an by train, for example, are two incredible cities: Kaifeng and Luoyang. Luoyang, one of China’s ancient capitals, has an amazing mountainside carved with thousands of statues of Buddha dating back 1,500 years. The Longmen Grottoes are just as impressive as Xi'an's terracotta soldiers, but nowhere near as famous. Kaifeng is also an ancient capital of China. The city has one of the most beautiful pagodas I saw anywhere in China—the graceful Iron Pagoda, built in 1049. Kaifeng is also home to one of the oldest Jewish populations in China. → Pick up English-language city magazines in Shanghai and Beijing to get the most recent information on museums, galleries, restaurants, bars, music venues, sporting events—you name it. There's a thriving English-language press in both cities, mostly centered on the arts and nightlife. You can find the magazines in most Western-style restaurants or bars; a particularly thorough one is called that's. It's available in both cities. → Use Chinese travel agencies in the major cities—they’ll help you book air and train tickets for a nominal fee. Your hotel can help you find a good agency; we recommend Kingdom Travel in Beijing and Shanghai. The biggest agencies will have English-speaking sales assistants. → If you're curious about Beijing, you'll find a slide show of the newest architecture, an etiquette guide, and a video tour of one downtown neighborhood at budgettravel.com/beijing2008. If you have any tips on saving money, or just getting around, post them here. I'd love to know other ways tourists are finding to travel around China!