Microsoft acquires Farecast; American Airlines charging for checked baggage; Frugal Traveler does Europe

Good morning travelers! Let’s see, there’s some aggravating travel news out there. I’ll try to drum up a little sunshine to get you through to the weekend.

Airline News | American Airlines is charging for checked luggage. No, not just the second bag like almost everyone else – but $15 for the first bag. This is the first time an airline has done this. As you can imagine, passengers are none too thrilled and there are more than 140 comments about it in the discussion. Some readers suggested that they just raise the price of the ticket instead of confusing everyone with fuel surcharges and extra fees. Others are concerned that they’ll pay the fee, but then not get their bag delivered on time. Still others are swearing off American Airlines, while some are saying if you don’t like it, don’t fly. What do you think?

Wait, it’s not over. American Airlines will also start cutting 300 flights a day and 6,000 jobs because of the rising cost of fuel. [USA Today]

Travel website | Microsoft acquires Farecast. The travel search engine is now officially part of the Microsoft family. Bill Gates announced the new Live Search Farecast this morning. According to paidcontent.org, the deal was in the $75-million to $100-million range.

Travel writers | Matt Gross, the Frugal Traveler for the New York Times, is on his Grand Tour 2008 in which he will travel for more than 12 weeks on less than 100 euros a day. I love the chart of his average daily expenses and how they’re broken down into only six basic categories. (Hey Matt, don’t forget to spend some buckaroos on nightlife!) His first stop was Dover, England, and, next up, Matt’s heading to the new bohemian quarter of Paris.

Hotels | HotelChatter honored me by including me in their VIP Hotel Reviewer Series. I chose to talk about my experience at the Golden Nugget. One thing I did forget to mention in the review was the mirrored ceiling above the bed. Read: The True Adventures of Marital Bliss Inside the Golden Nugget Spa Suite

— Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel Deal Blogger

[Photo: Scott Olson / Getty Images]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 7:52 am by Jen Leo and is filed under Good Morning, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.