Is tanning worth it?

Whatever happened to the cheap red-eye flight? It seem as if the discounted overnight U.S. flight is vanishing, going the way of the hotel bathtub, the airplane no-smoking sign, and the daytime soap opera. You might assume that a flight at a witching hour is cheaper than a flight during the day. Yet that's not true anymore, as airline analyst Jared Blank has pointed out in a post at Online Travel Review. As Blank notes, in the mid-'80s, Eastern Airlines ran "night coach" fares for coast-to-coast red-eyes for half the regular fare. The catch? There were layovers in the middle of the night in Chicago, Houston, or Kansas City, Mo. Today, not only is Eastern Airlines long gone, but the entire idea of a low cost middle-of-the-night plane trip has vanished. Few airlines would allow a 3:30 a.m. stopover today. They want to avoid having tired pilots make mistakes and having residents near the airports complain about noise. Sure, the airlines still run transcontinental flights that take off and land at odd hours. But these flights aren't bargains anymore. In some cases, they cost more than flights at reasonable hours. JetBlue's overnights from Seattle to NYC, for instance, depart at 10 p.m. and arrive at 5:52 a.m. (local time) yet are more expensive than daytime flights on the same route. Such pricing is typical for fares for cross-country trips from the West Coast. Perhaps American workaholics are now willing to pay top dollar for absurdly scheduled flights that airlines used to have to give away on the cheap. if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('001297bb-4787-4acd-84a2-6deeb6bc57de');Get the Poll Creator Pro widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info)Red-eyes exact a brutal toll with jetlag because of their short duration and the resulting time zone change. How much savings would be worth it for you to take a redeye if it were cheaper? $50? $100? $200? Vote in our poll. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Hotel bathtubs are an endangered species What's your take on Airbus' vision for the future? Open secret websites for booking hotels Should airlines allow U.S. soldiers to board planes first? Photo: Courtesy Departed Flights

Last month, in our effort to get to the bottom of the age–old dilemma—is it cheaper to fly or drive?—we shared some tips on how to price both travel methods out. Looks like online coupon site BeFrugal.com has been mulling over the same question—on June 7, they launched a Fly or Drive Calculator, which uses a series of algorithms to determine the cost of your trip on the road versus in the air. All you need to get started is your point of origin and your destination. Once you've entered those, you can skip straight to the results, or you can enter additional details about your trip for a more accurate estimate. Overall, the process is quick and, by the looks of it, thoroughly done—the calculations are based on data from a number of sources, such as AAA, and give you an approximate calculation not only your flying and driving time, but also your CO2 emissions. If your road trip spans several days, the cost of hotel stays is incorporated into the grand total (their default hotel rate is an appropriately frugal $75 per night). BeFrugal.com discloses margins of error ranging from 10 to 25 percent for the various elements of the calculation (flying time; cost of airfare; driving time; driving costs), and stands by a claim that in most cases, their data is "accurate enough to be used to decide between flying or driving." Wanting to test the site out with a real–life example, I borrowed a friend's Fourth of July plans—New York City to Boston, July 1–4—and went to work. There are four steps, and most of the required info is basic and easily accessible (what airports will you travel out of and into? How will you get to the airport? What's the make and model of your car?). I have to admit there was a step or two that had me scratching my head: when asked how many hours I would drive daily, the system wouldn't let me enter less than six. Considering that the entire NYC–Boston drive takes about four hours, give or take, I stared for a minute, brow furrowed, before reluctantly selecting six and moving on. The verdict? Driving wins big on the budget front, with a total of about $91 (against $387 to fly). On time, flying wins by a slim margin: 3 hours and 51 minutes door-to-door, including transportation to and from the airport, versus 4 hours and 17 minutes door–to–door driving time (but let's be honest—the extra 25 minutes of driving time could easily be matched at the airport with an unexpected delay on the tarmac or a long bathroom line). Flying also wins by a nose in CO2 impact (426 lbs. in emissions vs. 442 lbs. for driving). When all is said and done, I'd feel confident telling my friend to make her Boston getaway a road trip—that is, if she hadn't already opted for secret option #3: busing it. For more info on how the Fly or Drive Calculator works, visit BeFrugal.com's FAQ page. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Open secret websites for booking hotels Travelzoo now offers local vacation deals The Ultimate Guide to Travel Apps

Airbus this week unveiled its version of what the cabin of the future might look like, complete with a renewal and relaxation area, virtual gaming options and seats that can adjust to passengers' body shape. The concept cabin, part of the aircraft manufacturer's vision of aviation in 2050, would be able to "identify and respond to passenger needs and enables bespoke features such as morphing seats which change to your body shape," Airbus explained. To create the concept cabin, Airbus suggests using a bionic bird bone structure that would facilitate an intelligent cabin wall membrane that could control air temperature and become transparent to give passengers open panoramic views (as seen in the photo above). Additionally, the cabin would be separated into "personalized zones," which would replace the traditional cabin classes. For instance, a "vitalizing zone" would offer a wellbeing and relaxation experience with vitamin- and antioxidant-enriched air, mood lighting, aromatherapy and acupressure treatments. An "interactive zone," would feature projections of everything from virtual gaming to virtual shopping experiences. The idea, according to Airbus, is that by offering different levels of experience within each zone, airlines would be able to charge varying prices for varying flight experiences. "Our research shows that passengers of 2050 will expect a seamless travel experience while also caring for the environment," said Charles Champion, Airbus' executive vice president of engineering. In addition to the enhanced experiential features, the concept cabin would have self-cleaning materials made from sustainable plant fibers in order to reduce waste and maintenance. It would also harvest passenger body heat to power cabin features. Last year, Airbus showcased its futuristic concept plane, which included technologies to reduce fuel burn, emissions, waste and noise. What is your take on this futuristic cabin concept? Will it work? Why or why not? More from Budget Travel: Would you fly more frequently if airplane seats were more comfortable? How far should the DOT go to protect travelers? Flight Innovations You'll Love

Everyone has heard of sites like Travelocity and TripAdvisor. But what are some of the lesser-known sites that are also helpful tools for finding a great hotel room at a reasonable rate? Here are Budget Travel's picks for five sites worth checking out. When you want to upgrade to a hotel's best room Some rooms are nicer than others because of their size, views, or location within a hotel's structure. To get the most room for your money, check out which rooms are best by using new site Room77, which has photos and floorplans for rooms at hundreds of hotels. Call on the day of your arrival to see if you might be upgraded. The prime time for receiving upgrades is between 4 and 7 p.m. on the evening of your arrival, say experts. If you care about getting perks instead of a bargain-basement room rate DealBase is a price-comparison tool for hotel packages. Punch in your destination and travel dates, and DealBase will fetch a list of Web-only deals, many of which you won't find through your favorite online travel agency. For instance, DealBase recently found a deal from Kauai Beach Resort in Lihue, Hawaii, which included a family-sized room, buffet breakfast, valet parking, free in-room Internet access, and all taxes for $145 a night. That deal compares favorably with room-only rates on more heavily-advertised travel sites. When location matters most It doesn't matter how cheap a hotel is if it's too far from your favorite beach, your wedding chapel, or other key attraction. If you have to be near a particular location, consider searching for hotel deals via Bedmap, a search engine that shows nightly rates and TripAdvisor reviews and allows you to filter results by common requests, such as "free breakfast." If you're visiting one of 17 major U.S. cities or a few European capitals, the site can tell you how long it will take you to go from your hotel to your favorite destination by using Mapnificient. If you want your hotel to be near interesting nightlife, try Hipmunk's hotel search, which gives you the option of taking a map of hotel locations and overlaying it with a map of points of interest related to restaurants, stores, and dance clubs. Plnnr will also help you see how close major attractions are from your hotel. When you're the kind of person who is especially proud at finding the most impressive bargain basement hotel online You shouldn't forget eBay, which lists travel auctions and buy-it-now deals for hundreds of hotels in the U.S. and overseas. As always, take common sense precautions while shopping. For instance, you should only buy from sellers with good feedback ratings from dozens of other eBay users, and you should never send money by wire transfer to a seller on eBay. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL ">Hotels: When a best online price guarantee isn't best 8 ways to save on hotel rooms Ireland has the cheapest hotels in Western Europe