Budget Travel reader reaches out from Japan

An 8.9 magnitude earthquake off the northeast coast of Japan on Friday triggered a massive tsunami, which was threatening to hit Hawaii and numerous regions around the Pacific Ocean, including the west coast of the U.S. The hardest hit by far has been Japan, where hundreds died in the aftermath of the devastating quake, according to news reports, as water surged across northeastern Japan. Other regions and countries along the Pacific Ocean, from Australia to Russia and Alaska to Chile, waited to assess the possible threat, but it appeared by Friday afternoon that the impact of the tsunami beyond Japan was relatively minor. Those who are in Japan or planning to travel there soon, the U.S. State Department cautions, should be aware that strong aftershocks are likely for weeks following a quake as large as this one. The State Department has issued a travel alert for Japan, advising American citizens to avoid tourism and nonessential travel there for the time being. Tokyo airports are currently closed, and other airports across the country might shut down or limit access to flights, the State Department reported. Several airlines have posted notices about canceled or changed flights into and out of Japan; travelers should check with their airline for flight details. American Airlines stated on its website that due to the earthquake, the airline will waive a one-time change fee for flights into and out of Tokyo for the next week. Delta Air Lines also advised customers that the cancellation or significant delay of any flight entitles them to a refund, or affected customers can make a one-time change to their ticket without a fee. American citizens in Japan or elsewhere who need information or assistance regarding the earthquake and tsunami can contact the State Department at JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov, or at 888/407-4747 from within the U.S. and Canada, or at 202/501-4444 from outside the country. Google has launched a Person Finder tool to help people who are looking for someone or who have information about someone possibly affected by the quake. Travel insurance provider Access America advises travelers who sustain an injury on their journey to call their provider’s assistance department immediately to learn about their emergency medical coverage and to obtain a referral to a local doctor or hospital, as well as to find out about medical air-evacuation options. In the aftermath of the political uprising in Egypt, insurance providers advised that travelers with "cancel anytime" coverage had the best options for assistance. And just last month, travelers faced with the 6.3 magnitude earthquake in New Zealand were also left scrambling to figure out whether to continue with their trip. More from Budget Travel: Is Egypt ready for tourists? Rebuilding Sri Lanka one house at a time Australia goes on sale, Oprah tries to help

Tourism officials in Israel now offer a free, do-it-yourself guide to walking in the footsteps of Jesus's mother, says the Associated Press. The booklet, which includes information on the historical sites, their operating hours, and accessibility issues for the physically impaired, is being distributed to tourism wholesalers and tour operators. To get the booklet, go to the tourism ministry's special Catholic site: holyland-pilgrimage.org. Download the 59-page PDF by clicking here. (Some web browsers may require you to download free Adobe Acrobat software to be able to read this free document.) Each month, Israel tourism sends out an e-mail newsletter with updated travel news relevant to Christian pilgrims. Sign up by clicking here. Last year, 3.45 million tourists visited Israel. More than two-thirds were Christian, with more than half Catholic. One of the most popular sites is Bethlehem's The Basilica of the Nativity. The church protects the cave that's said to be the where Jesus was born. Many of the sites of historical significance are part of territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority. American visitors can pass to all of these sites using their visa to enter Israel. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Israel: Trips That Can Change Your Life Excavation Vacations in Israel and Beyond Real Deal: Jordan, 8 Nights, From $1,175

Some major hotels have a question: Would you pay a fee—say, $20—if you could pick your own room assignment? Here's the backstory: Today, you usually only book a "type of room." When you reserve, say, a "superior double," you don't know where in the hotel your room will be. But some hotels would like to change that. They want to show you online floor plans, with details about each room's size, amenities, and location. Based on that information, you could then pick the room you want, within 36 hours or so of check-in. The result: No more being placed next to the ice machine or above a noisy hotel bar. To help make your decision, you could check out the room's rating on an independent room review site. Is a room quiet? Is the hotel's WiFi signal strong from this room? if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('c73db9dc-5da3-49ea-8d5e-2b5e2686dd43');Get the Poll Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info)Case in point: New review site, Room 77. It aims to show how previous guests have rated 425,000 rooms at "three-star and better" hotels in 16 cities. It also offers photos of the views from each room. But Room 77 doesn't allow booking of individual rooms—yet. The company is in talks with Starwood to let people book individual rooms, reports CNET. Hotels now want to do for rooms what airlines have long done with seats. Airlines, as you know, let all fliers pick their seat assignments. But they set aside their best seats for their most profitable customers. United charges extra for its Premium Economy seats, Spirit sells upgrades to its Big Front Seats at the gate (from $25), and Continental often holds its roomiest seats for elite members of its frequent flier program, Elite Access. Hotels have been slowly rolling out similar offerings for room assignments. Already, most Hilton Hotels let HHonors rewards members choose their room number ahead of arrival. Homewood Suites goes one better with its room-picking option. As the blog Tnooz has reported, anyone who completes an online profile can reserve an exact room. A guest makes a reservation and then, within 36 hours of their check-in, selects his or her suite. Guests pick up their key at the front desk. Demand will be high for the best rooms, of course. So, hotels are likely to start charging a fee for reserving them. As a rule, hotels can't simply raise the rates on these rooms up front. The problem is that they can never be sure until the last-minute how many rooms they have. Cancellations and other factors make things complicated. So room assignments are generally made at the eleventh-hour. A hotel wanting to charge extra for a premier room assignment would need to have a separate fee close to the check-in time. What are your thoughts? Would you pay a $20 fee if you could reserve a specific hotel room? Vote in our poll! (And assume you have TripAdvisor-style information about the room's quality from a site like Room 77.) (Special shout-out to reporter Dennis Schaal who has done more to report on the significance of Room 77 than any other reporter, for USA Today and Tnooz. This post borrows heavily from his reporting.) In the meantime, here are some Budget Travel tips on how to boost your chances of landing a hotel's best room at check-in. 1. Ask, and you may receive. At check-in, politely ask the front desk clerk. This works better late in the day or at an off-peak time, such as during a weekend at a hotel in a financial district. 2. Join loyalty programs. 3. Tip your way up. A spare $20, discreetly offered, may get you a better room. But don't get angry if you don't get the room you want. It's a tip in the hope of better service, not a guarantee. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL What's a guy gotta do to get a seat assignment around here? (35+ comments) Check out our new Cities pages, with hotel recommendations for Las Vegas, New York City, and more Budget Travel's best hotels coverage

A lot has been made about whether the popular spring break destination of Mexico is safe for college-aged partiers amid ongoing reports of drug-related violence south of the border. But, spring breakers are a determined and resilient bunch. Despite the fact that the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a strong statement this month discouraging spring breakers from heading to Mexico because of continued violence, and the U.S. State Department still has a travel warning to Mexico in place, student and youth travel companies say that Mexico is actually making a comeback on their lists of top spring break spots. Funjet Vacations saw a 15% increase in spring breakers heading to Mexico this March compared to last year, the majority of which are heading to the white sands and crystal waters resort peninsula of Cancun. StudentUniverse.com noted that Cancun shot up to its second most popular international spring break destination this year from the fifth spot last year. London ranked first both years. Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Paris filled out the remaining top five global spots. London and Paris topped the list at student travel specialist STA Travel, followed by Cancun in the third spot. "Cancun is still in the third spot, which isn't really surprising to us. It's a very safe destination," said Patrick Evans of STA Travel. Evans acknowledged that STA Travel does not encourage spring breakers to travel near the U.S.-Mexico border and has discontinued itineraries that include border towns. And while Mexico is regaining the confidence of spring breakers, perhaps it’s no surprise that culturally rich (and safe) destinations in Europe have been more popular in recent years. "We’ve seen a pretty sizeable shift towards the more culturally enriching destinations," said Evans. In tough economic times, “it may be difficult to convince your parents to fund your spring break trip. A lot of kids really are on the college track. They tend to be looking for the more enriching trips.” For those who still haven't decided where to go for spring break (or just for a spring getaway, for those of for whom spring break is a distant memory!) there are still numerous last-minute spring break deals on the market. STA Travel and StudentUniverse.com have a host of last chance deals to Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe and in the U.S. (a quick search on STA Travel’s site found a trip from New York to Cancun for three nights this weekend, air-inclusive, for as low as $1,300). StudentCity.com sells party packages, ranging from open bar packages to options for skipping the lines and cover charges at clubs. And Funjet Vacations also features last-minute travel deals to popular fun-and-sun destinations. More from Budget Travel: Mexico: The elusive truth about safety Loreto, Mexico, From $104 a Night Fly to Mexico starting at $96 each way