The Six-Week Rule for Finding the Cheapest Flights

I've been a travel editor for almost 12 years, logging countless miles around the world, and I pride myself on my efficiency at the airport. I am a whirling dervish of organization as I breeze through security—toiletries out, shoes off, pockets metal–free, and all back together again. I smugly never check a bag. I did a weeklong trip to French wine country with just a small duffle and still had room to bring home a couple bottles (this was pre 3oz rule). In fact, the last time I checked a bag was in 2009 on my way back from the U.K. after buying too many bottles of Scotch (post 3oz rule). And then I had a kid. This Saturday we will take our first flight with our infant and I am petrified. I finally came to terms with the fact that checking a bag is unavoidable, even though I am not happy about it. It's the logistics that are now keeping me up at night, juggling him and a stroller and bags while not holding up the line at security and being "those people." I have poured over the TSA's Traveling with Children pages to make sure that I am well versed in current regulations. In a fit of hyper organization, I even considered staging a mock check–in at home. And then I realized I had gone to the dark side. What tricks do you have for getting through security with a little one? Are airlines lenient about checked bag fees when a baby is involved? Do I really need to worry about the TSA confiscating bottles of formula? Will we get dirty looks from other passengers, no matter what we do? Please save my sanity! MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Flying With Kids: A Survival Guide 15 Places Your Kids Should See Before 15 5 Easy Overnight Adventures for Kids

Most Americans can find the money to go camping. The problem, though, appears to be that we can't find the time. A 2011 report from the Outdoor Foundation starts out by noting that "camping continues to shine as an American tradition." Yet the numbers seem to indicate that the tradition is fading. Later in the report, it states: Almost 40 million Americans went camping in 2010 for a total of 514.8 million outings. This is down slightly from 2009’s 44 million campers and 580.7 million outings. A decrease of 4 million people and over 65 million outings seems like more than just a slight drop. The figures represent decreases of roughly 10 percent, which is pretty darn substantial. What's more, survey data in the report indicates that campgrounds shouldn't expect much of rebound in popularity going forward: Campers are planning an average of 5.07 trips next year, down slightly compared to the 5.52 trips made during the previous year. And why are fewer Americans camping? A Los Angeles Times post focuses on answering this question. In surveys, the most frequently cited reasons why people weren't camping more were a lack of time because of work and family commitments. One might expect camping to have increased in popularity while the economy has struggled over the past few years. Few vacations are as affordable as camping, after all. Instead, what seems to have been happening is that American workers are taking fewer, shorter vacations. Given today's work environment and the precarious state of the jobs market, camping, which is best enjoyed during long and leisurely stints, apparently is no longer on the short wish list of getaways for many workers. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: 4 Things Every Camper Should Know Ask Trip Coach: National Parks Road Trip: National Parks (Minus the Crowds)

Hotel booking site Dayuse-Hotels.com is a one-trick pony, but it's an interesting trick. The year-old site allows guests to reserve rooms in boutique hotels for daytime sessions lasting about three to seven hours. Starting in February, Dayuse-Hotels will add upscale properties in New York City, its first U.S. destination, to its existing roster of properties in Paris and London, plus cities in Belgium, Luxeumbourg and Switzerland, according to a scoop by London's Daily Mail. There are a few reasons why people might want to rent a hotel room during the day for a few hours. Business meetings, maybe. Or naps. But Dayuse-Hotels isn't shy about admitting that most of its users are probably booking for a romantic tête-à-tête. The concept of love hotel in Japan and Brazil has been around for a while, and this website is simply upgrading the idea by applying it to posh hotels. The recent rough economic climate has apparently inspired many hoteliers to maximize use of rooms when they're often vacant, namely, during the day. We don't know yet which New York City hotels will be participating. But the list of hotels already available in Europe via the site could grace the pages of any classy travel magazine. Take, for instance, Hotel Athénée Paris, a luxury four-star designer hotel by Jacques Garcia. You can book one of its rooms decorated in homage to the operas La Traviata, Faust, and Don Giovanni (with bold red curtains and velvet-lined couches) for €150, or about $200, via the site. That's not cheap but it's more than a third off the rate for staying over for the night. What do you think about this news? Sound off by posting a comment. SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL 5 Oddest Historical Replicas in the U.S. How the Most-Hated Airline Fee Became a Huge Success A Coffee Addict's Guide to the World

Many taxi cab drivers will try to rip off travelers. (Hey, sometimes the obvious thing needs to be said.) Getting nicked for a few bucks isn’t a big deal, but being conned by a cabbie can ruin one’s impression of a destination. No national or international organization tracks statistics on cab scams, and many drivers are surely honest. That said, we all know that each and every city in the world has its unscrupulous drivers. Case in point: In 2010, authorities in New York City had to arrest 59 cabdrivers who were busted ripping off passengers for more than 70,000 rides over the years, with up to 2,000 cabbies accused of intentionally conning customers at one time or another. To avoid getting “taken for a ride—literally—follow the following precautions. 1. Before you reach your destination, ballpark how much your airport cab ride should cost. Ask friends, check a guide book, or look at the lists of typical route rates on Taxi Prices or Price of Travel. 2. Before you leave the airport, get local currency in small bills and coins. A common ruse by cabbies is to claim they don’t have the change to break large bills, prompting you to overpay. 3. Download free apps to help you look up licensed cabs on the fly. For example, Taxi Magic works in more than 25 US cities (free, iPhone/iPad, Android, Blackberry, Palm; taximagic.com). 4. Only take licensed taxis. These are regulated and require drivers to show a license with a photo. The riskiest rides are with drivers who hang out at airports without official identification. Some of these have extorted passengers for hundreds of dollars, holding their luggage hostage. 5. Agree to a price before you get into the car. And make sure it includes your whole group and the cost of luggage, not per person. 6. Look at a map ahead of time if you're going somewhere complicated. When a driver has a wide choice of routes, he or she may be tempted to take you the long way around to puff up the fare. One way to avoid this ruse is to show the driver the route you would like to follow on a map. This move can be a polite way of showing that you know where you’re going and how long the trip should take without overtly antagonizing the cabbie. 7. Don’t insult the cabbie by accident. If you assume the worst from the start, you may insult the cabbie, which can create its own problems. Have tips of your own? Please share them with other readers by posting a comment! SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Quiz: Can You Spot the Travel Rip-off? New York City Launches a New Taxi Sharing Service\ So, What's That "Sale" Flight Really Going to Cost Me?