DC restaurant bans cell phones! Good idea?

More than 13,000 flights have been cancelled leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, which struck the East Coast over the weekend. According to news reports citing the flight tracking service FlightAware.com there have been nearly 1,500 cancelled flights on Monday, adding to the nearly 12,000 flights grounded over the weekend. The cancellations and delays have impacted between 650,000 and 700,000 air travelers creating a passenger backlog just before the nation heads into the busy Labor Day holiday weekend. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said that John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports both reopened on Monday morning at 6 a.m. with departures set to resume at noon on Monday. LaGuardia Airport will reopen to both arrivals and departures at 7 a.m. on Tuesday. As the airports and airlines attempt to untangle the mess of travelers left stranded due the cancellations and closures, the Port Authority advised travelers to contact their airlines before heading to the airport to find out if there are any further delays or cancellations. The Port Authority also advised travelers that due to more limited mass transit options, passengers should double-check their plans for getting to and from the airport. As for train travel, Amtrak said that it will operate most Northeast Regional trains between Philadelphia and Washington starting on Monday, but that all Amtrak service between Boston and Philadelphia is canceled due to the extensive flooding, debris on tracks, and power issues as a result of Irene. Additionally, all Acela Express service between Boston and Washington is currently canceled. NJ Transit rail service will also remain suspended until further notice as a result of Irene, with the exception of the Atlantic City Rail Line. NJ Transit said it will operate bus and light rail service on a modified schedule on Monday and that crews are working around the clock to assess storm damage and make necessary repairs. Over the weekend, much of the East Coast and Northeast had braced for what was expected to be a potentially devastating hurricane or tropical storm once it made landfall. But in the end, some of the hardest hit areas were in upstate New York and Vermont, which experienced severe flooding, The New York Times reported. What about you? Has Irene foiled your travel plans in some way? Are you stranded somewhere? How has your home or community been impacted? Share your Irene stories below. More from Budget Travel: Prepping for hurricane season How are airlines responding to Hurricane Irene? The Empire State Building turns 80

Come to think of it, since smaller gateways typically come with cheaper fares, smaller lines, fewer delays, and less stress, what's not to love? When's the last time you would describe traveling through an airport as a "happy experience"? Your answer probably depends on which airports you fly from, to, and through. According to a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 88 percent of passengers flying through alternative airports report having a "happy experience" at these smaller, B- or C-list gateways. What's more, 77 percent said that flying via alternative airports is less stressful than traveling through the likes of JFK, ATL, and LAX, and 92 percent of adults who've flown through an alternative airport in the last year said they would do so again. Generally speaking, the alterna-airport experience is not only less stressful and (dare we say) happier, but cheaper as well. The average fares at Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport, for instance, are $108 less than nearby Chicago O'Hare. Parking is also typically far less expensive at smaller airports: The economy lots start at $18 a day at Boston Logan, but just $10 daily at Manchester (NH) and $6 per day at Hartford's Bradley airport. One way to ensure an unhappy airport experience is to be subject to flight delays. To little surprise, the latest list of the 100 most-delayed flights (covered by the Wall Street Journal among others) is riddled with routes departing and landing in major airports like Chicago O'Hare and Atlanta-Hartsfield. And the worst culprit of all? That dubious title belongs to Newark Liberty International, where 40 out of the 100 most-delayed flights take off or arrive. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: We want to know your airport secrets 5 airport innovations worth praising Airports You Love

Have you ever noticed people at concerts using their smartphone cameras to capture the moment? (Admit it, you've probably done it, too.) Now, a patent filed by Apple aims to use infrared sensor technology to prevent people from recording a performance or snapping a photo. According to a New York Times article, the patent applies to any mobile device made by Apple that has a built–in camera—that means any iPhones, iPads, or the iPod Touch. Here's the plan in a nut shell: Rather than recording a video clip of your favorite artist's performance, sensors coming from the stage will temporarily block the camera's recording features. The idea is to maintain the artist's rights and prevent bootlegged performances from getting online. (Technically, the idea could also be extended to include Broadway shows and movie theaters if bootlegging is the real problem.) Apple is also considering using the same infrared sensors to embed a watermark into any photos taken at such venues as museums, zoos or aquariums, not necessarily a bad thing if you're on vacation and can't remember where a photo was taken. Another idea regarding photography at museums uses sensors to deliver information about the painting or artwork you're interested in taking a picture of. The patent was filed by Apple in 2009 and published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday, June 2nd, 2011. An article by The Washington Post stresses the fact that this is just a patent filing, "which means it's far from certain that the company will actually use the technology at all." I reached out to Apple to get their take on this topic and was told that they are unable to provide an official comment at this time. Personally, I don't like the sound of this one at all. First of all, if I'm willing to spend my hard–earned money on a piece of fancy technology, don't I have the right to use it? It's not like the quality is up to par with media-level photography. Besides, what if I just want to take photos of my friends at the concerts? If I'm paying for a ticket to a concert, shouldn't I have the right to snap photos of my friends at the venue? Shouldn't I be able to share a clip of the evening with my friends via social media or email a quick picture of a beautiful statue without having a watermark in the way? What do you think of this? Do you think Apple is on to something or is the company taking things too far? MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL iPads Take on Hotels, Airlines and the Eiffel Tower The Ultimate Guide to Travel Apps Test Lab: iPad as Travel Tool

Times are undoubtedly tough for rental car companies, who struggle to cope with high oil prices and the related fallout. But it's hard to feel sorry for them as they charge travelers absurd fees. An especially annoying surcharge you may not be aware of is for frequent flier mile redemption. Say you're booking a car in the U.S. You see a space on the online reservation form inviting you to enter your membership number in your favorite frequent flier program. It seems like you're being offered a free way to pocket frequent flier miles, which can eventually be cashed in for a plane ticket. But there's a catch. The companies charge various amounts for this "service," up to a dollar a day. For instance, Hertz assess a frequent flyer surcharge on rentals in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico that earn miles on specific U.S. airline programs, says a company spokesperson. While the surcharge varies, on many airlines it is $.75 per day with a maximum of $5.25 per rental. For some airlines, such as American, the surcharge is approximately $.06 per day. The solution: Keep your frequent flier details to yourself unless you are participating in a promotion where your airline lavishes you with generous mileage bonus for renting a car. Now one dollar a day may seem like small change to some people, but the fee is offensive in principle. If you travel fewer than 50 miles a day on the road, you're essentially paying two cents a mile to buy miles. Yet the average value of frequent flier miles is less than two cents. The surcharge was not clearly disclosed on most of the agency sites we checked. So travelers using these sites don't realize that what they're effectively doing is buying frequent flier miles instead of earning them for free. To see all the fees rental car companies charge for various airline frequent flier programs, check out AirfareWatchdog's impressive chart. The surcharge is, of course, just one of many you need to keep an eye on as you book a rental car. Alamo charges a fee if you return a car early. Thrifty charges a $25 daily fee for drivers ages 21 to 24. And so on. Share your thoughts about rental car fees by posting a comment. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL How rental car companies undermine credit card insurance 3 ways to save on car rentals this summer Hertz promo waives $25 daily fees for young renters, but it isn't that good of a deal