Horizon Air sorry for kicking tall man off flight

When navigating a foreign country, you have a lot to consider. Certain cultural traits, customs, body language—and the local language. We try our best not to commit cultural crimes, but it's hard! Sometimes what we think is an innocent gesture is actually completely offensive, or a Tango misstep in Buenos Aires can leave you dancing solo. But there's something about a non-native speaker trying to talk with the locals, especially if slang is attempted, that really brings out the blunders—and quite a bit of laughter. While traveling in Central and South America, I said "despacio, por favor" (slowly, please) more times than I'd like to admit while attempting conversations with locals. I was routinely (but politely) laughed at for my accent, especially in Argentina, whose accent is much different than the Central American Spanish I studied in school. One particularly bad language snafu of mine was in Quepos, Costa Rica. I just got back to my hostel from hiking nearby Manuel Antonio National Park and I desperately needed a shower. Unfortunately, I finished my bar of soap the day before so I decided to run into town and restock. When I walked into the pharmacy, I asked the pharmacist—while mock lathering my arm, for emphasis—"¿Ud. tiene sopa?" Turns out, I asked the pharmacist if she had any soup, not soap! Needless to say, she died laughing. "No, no tengo sopa," she responded, "No, no I don't have soup." A bar of soap, for the record, is jabón. Another language faux pas of mine was on a bus in Mendoza, Argentina. I kept on confusing cambio, which means when something changes, like the temperature, with moneda, which means coins—or what we Americans think of as change. So when I asked the driver if he had change so I could buy my bus ticket with a larger bill (I later learned there were ticket kiosks on the bus... another gaffe) he thought I was asking him if he could change me as a person. He was confused. My colleague here at Budget Travel, Laura Michonski, frequently confused "J'ai fini," which means, "I'm done" with "Je suis finis," which means, "My life is over" while traveling in Paris. In restaurants, waiters would ask, "Are you still working on this?" and she'd respond, "No, my life is over." Now it's your turn, what's the biggest language faux pas you've committed while traveling? Tell us below! MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Vote now in our Readers' Choice Awards! What is your favorite travel book? What do you collect on your travels?

Expedia has re-launched its free rewards program. The program adds earning opportunities, with rewards for booking air travel for the first time, as Budget Travel was the first magazine to report. The online agency recently revealed its reward chart. The bad: Users earn a point for every dollar spent on flights, hotels, and activities. That's unimpressive. The redemption rate is much better for the programs of Hyatt, Starwood, and Priority Club—assuming you frequently stay at the same hotel chain repeatedly on your trips. The good: Users earn 2 to 4 points for every dollar spent on hotel and flight vacation packages, depending on the size of the package. That's a much better deal. This plan amounts to a 4 to 8 percent rebate for booking packages. In another hassle, you have to collect at least 3,500 points (earned after spending about $3,500) before you can redeem them for a coupon, which will be worth—wait for it!—$25 off your next hotel stay. On the bright side, a $25 coupon is more than Expedia was offering before—and it's far more than its competitors are delivering still. Another perk: Unlike frequent flier programs, Expedia's program allows you to earn points for all of the the travel you purchase for yourself all of your family members. There are some ways to game the system: Go to Ebates first and then log into Expedia to earn additional separate rewards—a favorite trick of the rewards blog A View from the Wing. Also, if you pay with a credit card that offers bonus points for travel (like a Bank of America Worldpoints card) you can earn points in two ways for the same travel purchase. It's even more appealing to use a Mastercard through end of August 2011, because of a promotional. Expedia Rewards members can rack up double base points when booking an Expedia Special Rate hotel or hotel package that is paid with a Mastercard. Sign up for Expedia Rewards for free. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Expedia launches rewards program Southwest waters down its Rapid Rewards program Delta drops fees for booking reward seats at the last minute

Since March 3rd, the Turner Classic Movies Road to Hollywood Tour has been traveling across America, giving audiences the chance to view their favorite classic films and meet the stars who made them. Tickets are free but limited to a first-come first-served basis. Just click on the movie you want to see and download your ticket from the website. The Road to Hollywood Tour culminates in the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, California, from April 28th to May 1st. There are still a few stops to go from now through April 21st. The Birds will be shown at the Hi Pointe Theatre in St. Louis, MO, on Monday, April 4th, and at the Cinema Arts Theatre in Huntington, NY, on Wednesday, April 13th. Both shows begin at 7:30pm with an appearance by the film's star, Tippi Hedren. On Saturday, April 16th, Rio Bravo will be shown at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX, with a special appearance by Angie Dickinson. Elmer Gantry will be shown at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco—with special guest Shirley Jones—while the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian in Hollywood will feature From Here to Eternity on Thursday, April 21st with an appearance by Ernest Borgnine. All shows begin at 7:30pm. Personally, I think more classic films should be put back into theaters every now and then, just to give another generation the chance to relive the cinema magic. I still remember seeing Gone With the Wind in theaters when the film celebrated its 60th anniversary in 1999. I was in the seventh grade and we had been studying the Civil War in school. My parents had shown me the movie at home, but everything was so much more powerful on the big screen. I can't even begin to imagine my reaction if Clark Gable or Vivien Leigh had been there to talk about their experiences in the film. What classic films would you like to see on the big screen? Will any of you be going to the films on the Road to Hollywood Tour? — Kaeli Conforti MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: My love/hate relationship with in-flight movies Utrecht: Holland's "Festival City" What is your favorite travel book?