Down with Spirit's $5 fee! Long live the blogosphere!

Name: Budget Travel LLC
Price range: $

By Sean O'Neill

October 3, 2012

Who says that bloggers just talk and never get anything done?

Christopher Elliott noted on July 16 that Spirit Airlines had begun charging a $5 per passenger each way "Web convenience" fee for booking tickets through its website.

The blog Upgrade: Travel Better jumped on the case, deriding the fee. Consumerist followed suit on Monday.

And soon thereafter Spirit dropped the fee from its contract of carriage.

Kudos to all.

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This Weekend: See 200 Vatican treasures in Cleveland

Missed the Pope the last time he came through? Never been to Vatican City? Now's your chance to see masterworks by famous artists, such as Giotto, Bernini, and Michelangelo. Vatican Splendors, a showcase of more than 200 rare art pieces and historical artifacts owned by the Catholic Church, is currently on display in Cleveland, Ohio. (The ongoing exhibit is available not only this weekend, but also through Sept. 7.) Many of the works have never been seen outside of Vatican City. Highlights include "The Madonna del Sassoferrato," an oil-on-copper painting of the Virgin Mary by Giovanni Battista Salvi, and "The Mandylion of Edessa," a linen artwork that is said to be one of the oldest representations of Jesus. The exhibit is on its second stop of a three-city American tour, with a final stop in St. Paul, Minn. Vatican Splendors is on display at the Western Reserve Historical Society, 10825 East Blvd., in Cleveland, until Sept. 7. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $14 for kids; click here to order.

In case you missed it: Maps with no folding required

Yesterday the luxury travel blog daily traveler discovered FabMaps, Rand McNally's microfiber maps that focus on fun neighborhoods nationwide. The luxe bloggers got excited that "no folding is required." And it's true! As Budget Travel reported last May. Here's what we had to say: Not only can Rand McNally's microfiber maps help you find your way in more than 20 U.S. cities, they also double as napkins and as cloths for cleaning your glasses. The handkerchief-size maps are washable and wrinkle-resistant. randmcnally.com $6. MORE FROM BT Ten Ways to Upgrade Your Gear

Hotwire spawns a baby sister

Planning a budget-friendly vacation is hard, and Hotwire, the blind-booking website, has today unleashed a spin-off, Travel-Ticker.com. The new site attempts to do the bargain-hunting for you. A team of experts compiles a list of the best insider travel deals, updated several times a day. Listings range from simple airfare deals to elaborate air-and-hotel packages at all-inclusive resorts. Each deal is broken down so you know exactly what's included. For example, Travel-Ticker recently listed a room at the Millennium Broadway in New York City's Times Square for $199 a night. It helpfully specified the dates for which that rate was available. The site also explained how you could get a free upgrade—and how much more you'd have to pay to stay on other dates. Hotwire first established the website as a newsletter in 2006; it has most recently been expanded into a geographically targeted website, meaning that there are a total of 32 different versions of the site for various parts of the country. Deals are ranked by popularity and the team makes recommendations based on your place of residence. You can see the TripAdvisor rating, and click-through for similar details. One catch to be aware of: The deals at Travel Ticker are the result of paid relationships with hotels, airlines, and other companies—unlike the deals you'll find on, say, BudgetTravel.com's Real Deals page. However, the site's spokesperson told the LA Times that "If we don’t have great deals, we’re not going to keep our customers," so they'll have to post competitive offers.

Vacation spots that encourage you to unplug

World Hum points out a story in Toronto's Globe and Mail about a new trend: "resorts that force guests to ditch their devices at the door." The reporter checked in to The Fairmont Chateau Whistler in British Colombia Upon check-in, I was forced to give up my BlackBerry and sign a waiver authorizing the hotel to hold my electronic belongings in the hotel safe... The package included a $100 credit toward the spa, golf, or activities such as zip-trekking, kayaking, trail riding and fishing. BudgetTravel.com recently rounded up a bunch of places where PDAs, internet connections, and even TVs are disallowed. These six spots are short hops from most major U.S. cities.* Check out the story "You, Unplugged." *UPDATE 7:30p.m.ET: This post was republished to correct a typo.

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