Kayak.com gets a tune-up

Virgin's new low-cost U.S. airline will take to the skies next month. Tickets will go on sale shortly. The new airline's hub will be in San Francisco. Expected destinations are New York City, San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. [This Associated Press story via USAToday.com] JetBlue may allow passengers to send emails and text-messages for free from their own phones while airborne, starting within the next several months, according to this story in the Financial Times. Hotwire is waiving its $6 fee for booking airfares this summer. Cruise news: Carnival has debuted a new website, FunShipIsland.com, which shows videos and illustrations of shipboard activities and on-land excursions. The videos include cute shots of passengers playing with dolphins. Rail travel in Europe is getting easier. Starting this summer, Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland will make it easier to hop from the high-speed rail line of one country to another. For example, from now on, if you miss a connection between the major high-speed trains of any of these two countries, you can hop on the next train, regardless of the type of ticket you have. For info on buying tickets, see RailEurope.com.

The Wall Street Journal reported that All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) will be have Japanese-style toilets on the Boeing 787 Dreamliners that they've ordered. If you've never been to Japan, believe me, you have no idea what an extraordinary experience using the restroom can be. (It's like something out of The Jetsons.) What I really like: ANA is putting the bidet-toilets in coach as well as business and first class. Earlier blog posts by editor Erik Torkells: How to make a good impression when traveling overseas. Love this trend! Cell-phone parking lots are appearing at more U.S. airports.

India's Jet Airways announced yesterday that it will begin its first flights to American soil. Starting August 5, this airline will begin daily flights between New York City and Mumbai, with a layover in Brussels. But here's the truly exciting news: Jet Airways is setting a new industry standard for economy-class seats. On this transatlantic route, Jet will be the first carrier to use economy-class seats that recline a full 40 degrees* from an upright position. It has a 32 inches of legroom. The seat also includes a little net to cradle your feet while you're sleeping. And its headrest is the most fully adjustable one I've ever seen in economy-class. In another nice touch, every seatback features a 10-inch touchscreen TV, which is the same personal entertainment system that business and first-class passengers use, complete with on-demand movie choices. Here's hoping that other airlines follow Jet's model and install decent seats. The key principle here is that Jet's baseline level of service for economy-class isn't chintzy. *Update: 3:16 P.M. ET The original version of this sentence mistakenly said "50 degrees." Jet hasn't announced its fares yet. At the press conference yesterday, I asked around, and the estimate was a starting price of $800 for seats booked at least 21 days in advance for the New York-Brussels-Mumbai route. This blog will update you when Jet announces its precise fares. Update: 10:30 P.M. ET Jet has loaded its new fares into its website. On the Newark to Mumbai route in mid-August, there is good availability for $850, $870, and $875 fares (plus taxes of about $300) for your standard combinations of departure and return dates. That $1,175 after taxes is a good price when compared with the $1,694 lowest fare (Delta) we could find on repeated searches for flexible dates on the same route during the same period. However, Jet may bump up its fares in due course...so snap up those tickets while you can.

Summer brings scorching heat to Sin City--consider that the predicted high is 110 degrees this weekend--and a slowdown in business conferences, all of which is good news for bargain hunters. Last Friday we featured discounted air/hotel packages from Southwest Airlines Vacations and United Vacations in our Real Deal Las Vegas Heats Up. Proving that three makes a trend, Cheaptickets.com announced yesterday that they're launching a sale with savings of $75 on a vacation of four nights or longer with airfare (use promo code CHEAPVEGAS75) or savings of $50 on a hotel stay of four nights or longer (use promo code CHEAPVEGAS50). One search turned up round-trip flights between Chicago and Vegas and a four-night stay at the Luxor Hotel starting at $535 per person for early August. On Cheaptickets.com you'll also find two-for-one deals on shows like The Producers and a grab bag of food and beverage credits for hotels and restaurants around the strip. Note that you typically must book by July 30 for travel between July 9 and September 15, 2007. For more tips on navigating the city, read How to Maximize Your Time in Vegas and download our Las Vegas Walking Map.