How do you deal with an unwanted chatty seatmate?

Next month, your underwater photography skills could win you a free dive trip in the Seychelles, a check for $5,000, and loads of other prizes. Anyone with less–than–stellar equipment (or subpar swimming skills) can attest to the difficulty of taking underwater photos worth a hoot. All too often, the results are bubbly, blurry, or just–blue. Which makes any crystal–clear, full–color shot you manage to capture below sea level even more impressive—and valuable, thanks to Epson's annual World of Underwater Images Competition, coming up next month. Here's how it works: Amateurs and pros alike are invited to take their best underwater shots between August 1–August 8, 2011, then submit the most spectacular images via the Epson World Shootout web site. (Contestants must register by July 30, 2011, and will be given a specific date to program into their cameras to verify the timeline.) The contest is only for images taken in natural environments—think rivers, lakes, oceans, and swimming holes, not the Lazy River at the local water park. There are seven categories to choose from, each with their own rules and submission guidelines: fresh water, ship or plane wreckage, underwater conservation, wide angle, macro and super–macro, dive destination, and amateur (which is only for photos taken with compact cameras, not DSLRs). The cost to enter the amateur category is about $50 for three images, or $36 for one—but the prizes make it worth the investment. The 21 winners (three per category) will walk away with treats like dive vacations in the Seychelles, Galapagos, Micronesia, Palau, and Papua New Guinea; a $4,000 underwater camera system; and cash prizes up to $5,000. Winners will be announced November 19 in Eilat, a Red Sea resort town in southern Israel, and on the contest's web site. Of course, it doesn't cost anything to submit your underwater photos for our upcoming Readers' Best Underwater Photos slideshow. Just upload them here, and you may be featured on BudgetTravel.com or in a future issue of the magazine! Just getting your feet wet with underwater photography? May we recommend a hands–free camera like Liquid Image Works's mask-mounted snorkel cam? Also useful: Budget Travel's two-part series on how to take better vacation photos. Happy shooting! MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 4 Tips for Tough Photo Scenarios How to Take Better Food Photos How to Take Better Sunset Photos

When a U.S. airline and its foreign partner each sell seats on the same flight, it's called a "code share." The result is that passengers are ping-ponged back and forth between the two airlines whenever any problem crops up, as problems often do when flying. One carrier's rules about carry-on luggage, for instance, could be substantially different, but it's the rules of the airline operating the flight that apply. For example, reader "bethpikegirl" has commented about her code share problem: "On a recent flight to Mexico, we were scheduled on AeroMexico through Delta. I thought we were on a Delta flight because that's who I bought the ticket from, and I didn't have the right flight numbers or airline when I arrived at the airport looking at the terminal screens. At first I thought we were not even confirmed as no one at Delta could find us in the system. It worked out, though, once we figured out which airline we were booked on." U.S. law requires airlines to clearly state when a flight is operated by another airline in their online listings. So it's wise to look at this fine print before you book a ticket. Here are a few of tips on how to handle code share flights: For questions about fees and baggage rules... ask the airline whose name is on the tailfin of the plane you're flying. For questions about re-ticketing flights... ask the airline or travel agency that sold you the ticket. In other words, if your flight is cancelled and needs to be rebooked, it's the airline you bought the ticket from that you need to call. For earning frequent-flier mileage credit... contact the airline that sold you the ticket. Be aware that the frequent-flier situation can become a nightmare if the operating airline is not part of the same alliance as the ticket-selling airline. For example, Star Alliance frequent-flier programs often do not count the codeshare flight toward status, unless the operating airline belongs to the alliance. If you instead want to redeem frequent flier miles for an upgrade and if the airline isn't helpful, contact a fee-based service, like BookYourAward.com, which knows the techniques necessary to make such a award redemption. For buying tickets in the first place... know that searching for tickets through an online travel site or a metasearch site like Kayak or Hipmunk makes more sense than using a single airline's site because the bigger sites offer a wider array of pricing on the same code share tickets. Case in point: the same U.S.–Mexico flight could cost hundreds of dollars less through United than through American Airlines, but if you're shopping only on one airline's site you wouldn't see the cheaper fare for the same flight that's available elsewhere. You can learn more about the problems with code share by reading Brett Snyder's authoritative post on The Cranky Flier blog: "Why code sharing provides no benefit to the traveler," along with a related discussion by experienced travelers in the Airliners.net forum. Have any code share stories? Sound off in the comments. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 8 Common Air Travel Snafus (And How to Beat Them) 6 Most Common Solo Travel Questions—Answered! The Ultimate Guide to Travel Apps

It's summertime and you may be renting a condo or apartment for vacation. How can you personalize a stranger's place to make it feel more like home during your stay? Some tips: Before you go, ask the owner about the basics. Do you need to bring beach towels? a DVD player? tennis rackets? Then come prepared. Pack your favorite pillow. It'll always be nicer than what the landlord provides. Pack your favorite kitchen items. Chef's knife. French-press coffee maker. Non-stick baking tray. Order groceries from a local store. Request delivery for the evening you you arrive, to make sure your pantry is stocked with necessities such as sturdy paper towels and charcoal briquettes for the grill. Set the mood. Example: A light dimmer, which works like an extension cord with a switch and plugs in to any standing or tabletop lamp, allows you to mellow out harsh lighting. In-line dimmer switches sell from $8 on Amazon. Don't forget your iPod or CD player,with essential music. Find out if your rental has compatible speakers, or if you'll need to bring a portable set. Share your tips for sprucing up a rental in the comments. Sometimes it's the little things that can make a vacation rental feel more like a home. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Ask Trip Coach: Vacation Rentals 6 Best Sites to Search for Vacation Rentals Must-Ask Questions When Renting

The latest travel muse comes from beyond the grave: a Victorian lady with a cheeky style, a stern name, and practical advice. "Hints for Lady Travellers," written in 1889 by said Victorian lady (Lillias Campbell Davidson) was recently reprinted by London's Royal Geographical Society and put on sale by Amazon for about $8. It is like a hundred-plus-page finishing school, aimed at the upper class English woman traveling abroad on her own for the first time, "becoming her own unescorted and independent person, a lady traveller." The author weighs in with fashion advice ("deerstalker caps are affected by many women in travelling, but suit very few, and where the effect is not exceedingly becoming it may be said to be distinctly the reverse"), pragmatic train travel tips (pack an "eau de toilette" to freshen the air in less aromatic and salubrious spaces), and recommendations for technologies that are worthy of today's SkyMall magazine (pack a portable bathtub disguised as a suitcase). Dear old Davidson dishes out tips on boarding houses, cycling tours, and mountaineering trips. She may seem quaint in her concerns and attitude. Then again, maybe we'll look back at Anthony Bourdain and Rick Steves with similar amusement. [Hat tip to Intelligent Life for spotting the book, and the 1889 Times of London review of the book for context.] MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Q&A;: Elisabeth Eaves, a writer who puts the lust in 'Wanderlust' Pet travel tips from 'Privileged Pooch' author Maggie Espinosa Take My Word: Best-Selling Writers on Travel