The discount carrier has started twice daily nonstop flights to Los Angeles International and is offering one-way sale fares as low as $109. To get the special fares you must book before June 27 and travel between Sept. 8 and Nov. 11. JetBlue announced plans to launch the service in February after pulling back on LAX expansion in May of last year, citing the high cost of fuel and other start-up expenses. And starting tomorrow JetBlue will begin its previously announced nonstop service to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. To mark the occasion, Boston's favorite Santo Domingan, Red Sox star David Ortiz, will be at Logan to greet passengers boarding the first flight.

Ronald Aron’s summer vacation plans went no further than his Boxford back
yard until he recently won a free trip to the tiny Dutch-Caribbean island of
Curacao.
“I found the contest on About.com and made a ritual of entering it every
day,” said Aron who before this had heard of Curacao but “thought it was
closer to Sint Martin.” The contes, which we reported in March, hopes to gain visibility for the far-western Caribbean island by offering a
chance to win one of 70 free trips daily and to participate in a
half-million dollar treasure hunt, winner take all.
The island has been running a funny little ad, at right, to promote the contest.
Aron, who was so surprised by the win that he at first thought the
notification might be spam, is getting free airfare and four nights at Lions
Dive Beach Resort. He and his wife plan to travel in June and extend their
time on Curacao. “It coincides with our silver anniversary,” he said.
To enter the contest, visit curacaotreasure.com. Other Curacao summer travel
incentives including $200 p/p credit on airline tickets and a day’s free car
rental and diving can be found at curacao.com/now.

Posted by Patricia Borns, GLobe correspondent

The wireless Internet battle in the sky is quickly escalating to a dogfight.
AirTran Airways said yesterday morning that it plans to offer in-flight, wireless, Internet access on all 136 of its aircraft by midsummer. Virgin America currently has the service on 24 of its 28 planes, and is on schedule have the rest ready to go by Memorial Day.
On Monday, Delta Air Lines, which became the world’s largest carrier after its merger last year with Northwest Airlines, announced that it has WiFi on 139 planes, or about half of its mainline domestic fleet, and will have the rest finished by September. The carrier also expects to complete outfitting all 200 jets in Northwest’s domestic fleet next year.
And American, which has already equipped all its transcontinental aircraft, says it will have a total of 165 planes WiFi-ready by the end of 2009, with a goal of having 318, or nearly half its fleet, finished over the next few years.
Facing tough competition, the nation's airlines are viewing WiFi, which they once saw as merely a desirable amenity, increasingly as a necessary feature.
“Going online at 35,000 feet isn't a ‘nice to have,’ ’’ said Henry H. Harteveldt, principal airline analyst for Forrester Research Inc. “In today's tough business climate, in-flight Wi-Fi is as essential as the beverage cart. Business people need to stay in touch with their clients and colleagues, as well as stay on top of the volatile business environment. Leisure travelers appreciate WiFi in-flight because they can stay in touch with family and friends, plan their journeys, and entertain themselves.’’
While many carriers are aggressively adopting WiFi, others are at the very least kicking the tires. Southwest Airlines, which carries more passengers than any other US airline, is testing the service on four planes and is looking at the prospects for expansion. JetBlue hopes to have 20 planes outfitted this year for a stripped-down service that would allow e-mail and instant-messaging.
For the most part, all the services work the same. Passengers pay a fee, generally about $8 to $13 depending on the length of the flight, and the service is supplied by a contractor, the largest being Aircell LLC of Itasca, Ill., under its Gogo Inflight Internet brand.
The airlines, which have been garnering increasing amounts of revenue from the assorted fees they’ve launched in the past couple years, expect the service will be not just popular but profitable.
“On a coast-to-coast weekday flight, airlines tell me that it's not uncommon to sometimes have two dozen or more passengers online simultaneously,’’ Harteveldt said. “That could turn into a nice revenue stream long-term for airlines as the product becomes more widely available and more passengers begin using it.’’
But analysts say that the service also eventually could yield significant savings as it may let airlines remove their in-flight entertainment systems, leaving passengers to access the many media options available online. Getting rid of the systems would reduce the weight of planes, making them more fuel efficient, and free the carriers from having to pay for licensing entertainment content.

Johnny Depp, pal of the late dearly departed Hunter S., currently is in Puerto Rico filming an adaptation of Thompson's semi-autobiographical (did he write any other kind) novel "The Rum Diary'' about a lost, alcohol-fueled journalist who moves from New York to work on a newspaper in Puerto Rico.
Depp, you'll recall, played Thompson in the film version of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' (I film I couldn't get through, owing to camera work seeking to replicate the experience of being really high and my own tendency toward motion sickness), and he also delivered a eulogy for the writer at a private memorial service.
Anyway, intrigued by the prospect of the film, an editor of Media Bistro's Galley Cat book blog reread "The Rum Diary,'' written very early in Thompson's career, and put together this video tour retracing the gonzo journalist's life on the island nation.
It's fun, interesting, and unlike "Fear and Loathing'' requires no Dramamine to watch.

This morning the government for the first time is going to open the books on where and when airplanes have collided with birds over the past 19 years. This has, of course, become a big issue after a US Airways jet hit a flock of Canada geese in January, forcing it to ditch into the Hudson River.
All of which brings us to this interesting video put together by Rosemarie Lennon of Howcast.com. For those who prefer to read the instructions -- or perhaps print them out to stuff into your carry-on -- they are available here.

Thanks to This Just In for pointing us to this.

From Logan, one-way, online prices start at $29 (Buffalo, Charlotte, New York, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, and Richmond, Va.) and rise to $59 (Oakland and SF), $69 (Bermuda, Chicago), $69 (Bermuda, Chicago), $79 (Long Beach), $89 (Austin, Denver) and $99 (Las Vegas, San Diego, and Seattle).
There is fine print: You must buy before midnight. Travel must take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and needs to be completed by June 10. And there are other restrictions and you can scan them all here.

In connection with an increase in flights to Aruba out of Boston, JetBlue is offering three-night, air-hotel packages at Divi Dutch Village Resort Aruba for a starting price of $495 per person; at Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino Marina Hotel beginning at $589 per person; and at Amsterdam Manor for a starting price of $599 per person. Book by March 31.
Visit www.jetblue.com or call 800-538-2583.

The Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao announced its Small Island, Big Bailout program that could add a major break to your bottom line. The country is giving away a trip for two per day for 70 days on its website.
Online registrants will be eligible to become one of 10 finalists in an on-island treasure hunt held in August. Although Curacao's August is a few degrees warmer than Boston's, the grand prize is $500,000, winner take all. I could live with that.

Posted by Patricia Born, Globe correspondent

I swear this isn't an attempt for some in-yer-face ha-has; I just think it amazing that in a few hours I went from looking at this, to looking at the new 15 inches plus on my lawn. Damn you, Phil! There are many bargains out there still for Caribbean travel ... that is, once the flights from Logan begin to take off again!

On Grenada’s west coast, Molinere Bay was a sanctuary for marine life and divers until Hurricane Ivan ravaged the reef. Now the underwater sculptures of UK artist Jason de Caires Taylor attract fish and people once more.
The site located below Molinere Point is a 10-minute boat ride from the capital St. George’s or about two miles by road. Here, Taylor’s sculptures made of concrete are sprinkled casually around the bay in shallow water to about 30 feet. Because they’re unmarked, snorkelers discover them as naturally as they would a patch of coral, swimming into "Vicissitudes,'' a human circle made from casts of children from different ethnic backgrounds; or the apparition of "La Diablesse,'' a she-devil of Caribbean folklore, whose corpse-like face hides under a life-like wide-brimmed hat.
Posted by Patricia Borns, Globe correspondent

Photo of "Vicissitudes'' by Jason de Caires Taylor for The Boston Globe

Bloomberg News is reporting that American will halt free meal service in coach on flights between the United State and Latin America and the Dominican Republic. Snacks will be sold for $3 or $4 on flights longer two hours starting March 1. And on longer flights passengers can buy sandwiches for $6.

Last October, I wrote a story about getting dirty and sweaty on a Barbados vacation where we joined locals exploring little-seen parts of the island on some of the free outings offered by the Barbados National Trust. Now Morris Greenidge, a private Barbadian guide, author and steel-pan music teacher, is leading themed walks engaging a little more brain and less brawn, exploring the island’s melting pot of religions, Amerindian trails, slave history and architecture.
An intellectually curious, articulate former career journalist, Greenidge recently launched a walk in the capitol Bridgetown featuring its melting pot of religions, from two mosques and a Jewish synagogue to Freemansonry and Hindi influences and some dozen Christian faiths. The urban crawls fill a void especially for cruise ship passengers seeking rewarding alternative ground tours.
On Greenridge's upcoming walking schedule:
Feb, 29: Holetown, the original settlement site
March 14 and 21: Bridgetown
April 4, and 11: Bridgetown religious tour
The walks cost $10/per person and groups are limited to twenty. Greenidge also offers custom tours on Wednesdays or Saturdays with 14 days’ notice. For tour times, meeting places and bookings, call his 24/7 cell, 246- 230-7799.
Posted by Patricia Borns, Globe Correspondent

An ancient synagogue in Bridgetown

If you saw the Globe's article on Dominica in the Travel section recently, you know it's one of the few fairly unspoiled places left on the earth. In fact, National Geographic's Center for Sustainable Destinations has placed it among the "best rated" destinations in its islands survey. Better get there while it lasts. Dominica hotels and restaurants are offering Valentine's Day packages and menus to lure you there by Feb. 14. Among the offers:

Jungle Bay Resort & Spa has an "adventure package with romantic upgrade" that starts at $269 per person per night at a luxury cottage with dinner and a massage for two.

The restaurant at the Fort Young Hotel has a Valentine's Day menu for $46 per person.

Calibishie Cove's "romantic escape" package includes seven nights in a penthouse, champagne, flowers, candlelit dinner, a waterfall tour and a kayak rental. Rates begin at $1,595 per couple.

The Bamboo Restaurant at Calibishie Lodges has a Valentine's dinner for $32 per person, and each couple will receive a Valentine's-themed gift.

Headed to the Caribbean this winter? Go ahead and aim your expectations at sun, surf, sand, and sweet rum drinks. If, however, you’re looking for local tropical fruit as well as fresh, cheap, local seafood, you may be disappointed. During a recent stay on St. John in the US Virgin
Photo and text by Veronika Trufanova, Globe Correpondent

Islands, our food diary looked something like this:
Day 1: Fish and chips at JJ’s Tex Mex, Ben & Jerry's ice cream bar, and local beer
Day 2: Raspberry-strawberry smoothie, Uncle Joe's BBQ, painkillers made from local rum
Day 3: Vacuum-sealed scallops (origins unknown), mussels from Prince Edward Island, champagne, and Nutter Butters … and bushwhackers on the beach
Finding something more exotic was not for lack of trying. Early on, I was befuddled by the lack of local dishes and the shortage of tropical fruit at the smoothie stands, which are instead decorated with plastic bananas and juices in cans. During dinners out, we were informed by servers that mussels are flown down from Prince Edward Island, and the king crab special hails from Alaska.

The folks at TSA know that the holidays are -- how to put it -- a stressful time. Most people who fly know the carry-on rules, but for some reason it becomes easy to forget that the rules apply even to holiday goodies. To wit, the TSA reminds travelers that the following foodstuffs and beverages need to packed in luggage and checked:
* gravy (??)
* salad dressing
* oils and vinegars (who travels with oil and vinegar?)
* cranberry sauce
* salsa
* sauces
* maple syrup
* creamy dips (then noncreamy, less fattening varieties are OK?)
* wine, liquor and beer
* jams
* jellies
* soups (excuse me sir, is that a soup in your pocket or are you just happy....)

And who says these TSA guy don't have a sense of humor? Check out this last bit of advice from the website:

Note: You can bring pies and cakes through the security checkpoint, but be advised that they might be subject to additional screening. (italics mine)

Ya gotta love these guys.

It'll set you back $28,000 a week.
Of course, we're not talking a two-bedroom in Dennis with foldout couch that sleeps 27. This is a four bedroom, four bath villa on the Caribbean island of St. Barthelemy (St. Barts, to its friends).
The house, located in the hills of Lurin, has a big deck and views of St. Jean Bay and is managed by of the very tony and exotic St. Barth's Properties, based in Franklin, Mass., a bedroom community of Attleborough. It sits on a half-acre lot and comes with a caretaker's house, a pool, a lily pond, and a Balinese-style gazebo. (funny, they don't say whether there's a TV and if it's high-def or not and if you get satellite or cable. Or a barbeque.)
Martin apparently rented the place last winter and liked it so much he bought it, including all the furniture. It wasn't disclosed what he paid but the property was listed for $9 million in spring.
I know. Times are tough, and $28,000 is pretty steep. But what'll really croke you is the airfare.

Thanks to The Wall Street Journal for pointing us to this one.

Now that “Hank” Paulson and the Bailout Buddies are about the only people with enough money for carefree travel these days, and luckily for them it's not to the Louisiana destination on the Travel front this week, perhaps we should simply consider moving. Not off the dime, since we have none, but “moving house,” as the Brits say. And not just Until This Whole Thing Blows Over. Forever, maybe. Moving far from our foreclosed houses, our failing industries, our buff SUVs, our 300 cable channels, our excruciating electoral productions (who will ever write the American “Bleak House” about that?) . . . but wait, that brings me to Panama.

Two Boston Globe readers who saw my Oct. 19 story about Nevis wrote to tell me the island was hit by Hurricane Omar last week.
Tara MacIntyre, who works for the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, writes:
“Thank you for the lovely article on Nevis in the Sunday Globe. You really captured the charms and the quirky character of the island. Also, your timing was appreciated as the island was hit by Hurricane Omar last week and is recovered. Four Seasons, however, since we are closest to the beach, was damaged and the Resort is currently closed to assess the repairs and timing for a re-opening. The rest of the island is back up and running.”
Another reader referred me to a blog that reports the following:

Mickey's headed to Russia. Disney Cruise Line is sending the Disney Magic to St. Petersburg by way of Oslo, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. The 12-night Northern European Capitals cruise will depart from Dover, England, in June and July 2010. Rates start at $3,649 per person. If the balmy Mediterranean is more your thing, the Disney Magic will depart from Barcelona for 10- and 11-night cruises in April, May, August, and September 2010 with stops in Malta, Tunis, Corsica, France and Italy. Rates start at $2,529 per person. Looking for something shorter? The Disney Wonder, departing from Port Canaveral, Fla., will take you on 4- and 5-night cruises to the Bahamas, Key West, and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. Rates start at $849-$899 per person. Bon voyage.

If you’re planning to go on a long plane ride but have a painfully short attention span, have I got a book for you. ‘‘747 Things to Do on a Plane’’ by Justin Cord Hayes gives you, yes, 747 things to do to make a long flight feel less tedious. Hayes’s ideas range from no-brainers (read the newspaper) to morbid (write your own obituary) to bizarre (draw tattoos on your arms). His section on making lists is thought-provoking and a possibly eye-opening use of time (list the top 10 happiest moments of your life or the top 10 vacations you’ve ever taken). He gets desperately snarky in the section on pranks. Sneaking into first class (then what?) is one thing, but belching the alphabet and kicking the back of someone’s seat? Not that anyone who knows how to spell air marshal would actually act like such a jerk on a crowded plane, but still. The book is better than a magazine, makes a great gag gift, the word puzzles included are clever, and you won’t mind if you leave it behind when you finally arrive at your destination.

Attention, shoppers. For those of you who didn't get the memo, today is Friday and the start of the weekend. Many of you will spend some time in the next 48 hours in public houses while others will just hit the bahs.
It probably hasn't escaped your notice that Boston has become a more multicultural kind of place. So in the interest of providing our readers with news they can use, herein is a list of how to say, "cheers'' in 50 languages (with thanks to the folks at Matador Nights).
While it will be immediately useful to some, others, say, travelers, either actual or armchair, might also find the list useful or at least fun for your next trip, party, or even as a prompt for some educational role-playing with Your Significant Other.
Here's the list:

Here come again the fees again. Citing high fuel costs, United says it will to double its fee for a second checked bag to $50.
The carrier said the increased levy would apply to tickets bought beginning Tuesday for domestic travel starting Nov. 10. as well as flights or to or from Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. And it expects about one of seven, or about 14 percent, of customers will have to pony up.
There are still exemptions and they remain unchanged: travelers in first or business classes, "Premier" frequent fliers, and active-duty military personnel.
The timing for this decision seems a bit out of step, considering that oil prices have been on the decline, falling from a high about of about $145 a barrel this summer to below $96 a barrel on Monday. But the carrier points out that fuel prices are still more than 50 percent higher than last year.

Travel is getting more expensive but winter is winter and sanity is, well, a good thing. With that in mind, JetBlue plans to boost its Caribbean service from Boston by offering nonstop service between Boston and Santo Domingo with a once-daily "holiday shuttle" in December and January, subject to approval by regulators in the Dominican Republic. And the discount carrier will also offer Puerto Rico travelers increased service to Logan with the addition of a second daily flight between Boston and San Juan during the peak holiday season.

I know it seems like a long time off but starting next June you'll need to present documents proving citizenship and identity when entering the country through a land or sea border.
You can get a passport, but if you drive to Canada or Mexico or regularly head to the Caribbean, you also have another cheaper option that will also allow for a speedier border crossing: a passport card.
Passport cards are the size of a credit card and are imprinted with a photo and ID info. They also also contain a chip that lets border officials instantly retrieve your data, which speeds processing a ton. The cards are good for 10 years and cost $45 ($35 for children under 16); passport books run $100 for adults and $85 for children. If you already have a passport but want the card because of the convenient size or quick scanning, it's only $20 and can be ordered by mail.
The State Department says the cards are proving popular with more than 350,000 Americans having preordered them.
One caveat: The card is not valid for any type of air travel. It can only be used for crossings between into Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean.
For more info, here's the government site.

I was in an airport in Sacramento earlier this month, getting ready to board a flight back here. And for those who have not traveled in a while, let me make this clear: The airlines are deadly serious about new baggage rules, including size and weight. We're talking both checked and carry-on.
While checking in, there was a woman in front of me who had been told that her suitcase was about 5 pounds over and her options were either to make it lighter or pony up about $80. So she popped it open right there and started pulling out a travel iron, knick-knacks, various articles of clothing (I leave this to your vivid imagination). And got the bag down to fighting weight.
Similarly, I saw a man trying to carry on a questionable-sized suitcase who was forced to check it (and pay for a second bag).
Anyway, the Washington Post, compiled this list of the current rules and if you are planning soon it might be worthwhile printing, clipping, and saving on the fridge:

Greetings from Barbados where my arrival coincided with Budget Day, when the prime minister reveals to the people what's in store for the new fiscal year. Barbadian PM David Thompson had some news for us too: a 1,000 percent increase in the visitor driving permit, from $10 to $100. Other tax hikes included liquor licenses and alcohol, up 50 percent. "We simply cannot absorb this increase," a car rental agency was quoted in the Barbados Free Press.
The planned increase raised such outcry that the House of Assembly returned to the budget drawing board. No figures were given but the increase for short-term visitors will be more modest, the House said.
While the Caribbean may not be top-of-your-mind in July, it might be worth checking to see how high the fees are before your next winter visit if you plan to rent a car.

Posted by Patricia Borns, Globe Correspondent

Orbitz is offering a very interesting deal right now. If you book on the site and pay their $7-$12 service fee they promise to reimburse you the difference if the fare for your flight drops before you take off.
This is the way it works: Orbitz will track prices from the time you buy your ticket until the day of the flight and will issue qualifying refunds of $5 to $250, according to details on the site.
There is, however, a good bit of fine print involved. Two big things to keep in mind. First, the reimbursement won't apply if your carrier goes under. And the second involves the way Orbitz keeps track of fare decreases: Specifically, another customer must get a lower priced fare on Orbitz for the exact itinerary you have. So, if a lower fare is available, say, through a carrier's own website it doesn't count. And since Orbitz only sells a fraction of the tickets for any flight (the folks at Online Travel Review put their estimate at about 7.5 percent on average) and since flight prices tend to go up as you get closer to departure the odds that they'll need to pony up a reimbursement seem a little low.
Orbit's plans were first reported by the WSJ.
A little complicated but what a concept, yes?

Not a big surprise, but United and US Airways have decided to join rival American and start charging many customers $15 to check even one bag.
United, which said it was considering making the change when American announced its move last month, also plans to increase fees to check three or more bags, overweight luggage, or items that need special handling from $100 to $125 or from $200 to $250 depending on the item.
US Airways, which also plans to start charging domestic coach customers $2 for nonalcoholic drinks Aug. 1, detailed other cuts, including trimming its domestic schedule as much as 8 percent by year's end and axing 1,700 jobs.
The $25 fee that both carriers charge for a second checked bag will not change.
United's new policy will apply starting June 13 for passengers who buy seats for domestic travel and starting Aug. 18 for those headed to and from Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
Exempt will be travelers flying United First, United Business, and those who have premier status with either United for the Star Alliance. Here are more details.
US Airways' new baggage fee will apply to tickets booked on or after July 9 for domestic flights and those to and from Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The airline will exempt Dividend Miles Preferred members, First Class and Envoy passengers, Star Alliance Silver and Gold status members, military personnel on active duty, unaccompanied minors, and passengers checking assistive devices. Here are the details.
All this should come as no shock. Sit tight. There will be others

Continental says it will drop service to 15 cities and trim flights to about 40 more as of Sept. 3.
The airline, which carries about 4.2 percent of the passengers at Logan said last week that it would cut its schedule by 11 percent in the fourth quarter.
The nine cities on the chopping block domestically include Oakland, Palm Springs, Reno, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Green Bay, Chattanooga, Toledo, and Montgomery, Ala. The six international destinations include: Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia; Cali, Colombia; Cologne, Germany; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Monclova, Mexico; and Santiago, Dominican Republic.
What this means to you is this: Obviously, you won't be able to get to any of the cities listed above on Continental. And you may have fewer options to other places it flies.
This is the reason why: From Logan, the carrier only flies to its hubs in Houston, Newark, and Cleveland, and from there to other cities. That service will continue without change.
The airline is cutting service cumulatively from those three hubs to about 40 cities. So, if you need to get to, say, San Jose, Calif., right now you can get there by flying first into either Newark or Houston, according to the flight map on the carrier's website.
In the future, you will no longer be able to get to San Jose from Newark, but you will still be able to from Houston, so it might be harder to get a flight when you want it. Or it might not. Service to any city will depend on demand. But the carrier is cutting flights overall, so clearly things will tighten up.
All the big carriers are cutting flights. At the very least, I give props to Continental for trying to get as much of it out there as quickly as possible. Still for consumers, things are going to get more expensive and more complicated.

Few things can dampen your vacation like a cold. When you're sniffling and sneezing and your throat is sore, the Grand Canyon may not seem all that grand. Most of us know that one of the best prevention methods is to wash your hands frequently, but, alas, many scrub for too short a time to do that much good. Consumer Reports' On Health newsletter suggests that to ensure you're washing long enough, you follow the example of many health professionals: When you start scrubbing, begin singing "Happy Birthday," and keep washing until you finish the song. But sing it to yourself, OK? Otherwise you may find that your vacation companions are few.

Richard C. Carpenter, Globe Correspondent

Good morning, travelers. JetBlue says it will boost service to Puerto Rico this year.
At Logan, the carrier will ramp up seasonal flights two months early. JetBlue will go twice a week in September and three times in October before moving to daily service on Nov. 2. It also plans to operate a second daily flight during December and January.
JetBlue will also ramp up service to San Juan from New York and Orlando.

Airlines already charge us for things that used to be included in the ticket price: headphones to watch movies and snacks, for instance. Now some airlines have begun to charge a fee to check a bag ($15) and for a window seat ($5). Outrageous, you say? Think again, say I, and brace yourself for these possible new fees:
1. Bathroom. $1.00 per use. There are two ways the airlines could charge for using the bathroom. One is to provide flight attendants with a key. Pay a dollar, get the key plus three squares of toilet paper. (Extra paper: 25 cents per square.) The second way is to have a coin lock on the door: Deposit 4 quarters (one Euro on international flights) and the door twists open. Unlimited use of tiny squares of paper included.
2. Light. Just like in churches in Italy, the overhead light would be controlled by inserting a token. Each dollar token would provide 15 minutes of illumination, almost enough time to complete the crossword at the back of the in-flight magazine. Which reminds me:
3. In flight magazine: $1.00. You think glossy paper is free?
4. Questions. $1.00. If you press the button for the flight attendant, you had better have an important question to ask, something more compelling than "Which gate number did you say my connecting flight will be at?" Which reminds me:
5. Connecting flights: $15.00.
6. Air: $5.00. You want to twist that little nozzle on? It's gonna cost you.
7. Reclining Seats. $10.00. If airlines stopped selling seats that recline they could fit an extra row in each aircraft.
8. Beverages. No more free ginger ale, diet cola, or tomato juice for you. $1.00 per beverage. Cup with ice (if you B.Y.O.B.): 50 cents. Napkin: A quarter.
9. Mini-pretzels or peanuts (.05 ounces): 50 cents. Bundle price $2.00: above, with cup, ice, beverage, and napkin. A bargain!
10. Blanket. $5.00 (used) $10.00 (in sealed plastic bag).
11. Pillow. Ditto.
12. Child-free Zone. $30.00. This ticket guarantees that no child under the age of 12 will be seated within 5 rows of your seat.
Unthinkable, you say? Check back in six months. Or add your own predictions now.

Not that you necessarily need a huge incentive to want to lounge on an unspoiled beach on Curaçao, an eclectic little tropical island with Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, and African influences off the north coast of Venezuela, but through November Continental Airlines is offering round trips to the island (just from Newark, sorry) starting at $378 with a $140 credit toward your vacation. Details at curacao.com.

While you're there, be sure to check out the Curaçao Ostrich Farm, one of the biggest such farms outside of Africa; the Curaçao Seaquarium, where you can snorkel or scuba dive in tanks and hand-feed stingrays, sea turtles, and sharks; and Dolphin Academy, where you can meet and swim with dolphins.

It seems that every other week in Richard Carpenter’s Real Deals another women’s business has joined the travel industry. On bikes, on hikes, on safaris, out West, up north, across the Pond, women are traveling together, and cornering them has become smart commerce. (Other than to shoot game or play or attend one, do men travel together?)

Marybeth Bond won the Lowell Thomas Award for best travel book with “A Woman’s World: True Stories of World Travel’’ (Travelers’ Tales, 2003) by several dozen contemporary voices, many of them writers. Then she had a best seller last year with “50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America’’ (National Geographic, 2007). This spring she delivers “Best Girlfriends Getaways Worldwide” (National Geographic, 272 pp., paperback, 15.95). Bond is described on the jacket as “a travel expert, spokesperson, and motivational speaker” and it is this last calling that may, or that should, seem quite personal to the reader.

Hold tight, folks. American said this morning that it needs to tighten the belt big-time. What that means is that it will start charging $15 to most passengers to check a first bag, and that it plans to cut its schedule by as much as 12 percent. American also said it would raise other fees from $5 to $50 for a range of services like reservation help to oversized bags.
The carrier's decision on baggage comes just a month after it decided to join other major carriers in charging $25 for a second checked bag. This means if you arrive with two bags the tab will be $40 each way. The baggage fees will kick in for flights booked starting June 15. But it won't affect some American frequent-flier program members or those paying full fare or international passengers. American put the details on their site.
Delta reacted almost immediately, saying it wasn't planning to adopt the first-bag fee, but United said it would consider it.
Ned Raynolds of American said that the airline will take 40 to 45 big jets and 35 to 40 regional ones out of service in the fourth quarter, so this will affect schedules for regular American flights as well as those of its regional American Eagle service.
The airline hasn't decided which routes it will cut. But the odds that Logan will be affected appear pretty strong, as American serves about 17 percent of the airport's travelers, behind only Delta and JetBlue.
Amid fuel costs that have risen 84 percent in the last year, Raynolds said American was in the process of "unbundling'' services: Basically, offering a menu of services -- some of them formerly free -- and letting travelers choose which ones they want and are willing to pay for.
"As much as we love our customers,'' Raynolds said, "we need to survive and thrive in the current climate.''
Why do we always hurt the ones we love? Did I hear somebody say, "Ouch?''

The Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) has released these Top 10 rankings for US, North America, and International hot spots for student and youth travel from their annual member survey, which polls student and youth travel industry professionals on current and emerging trends:

Top 10 U.S. Destinations
1. Washington D.C.
2. New York City
3. Orlando
4. Chicago
5. Greater Boston
6. Historic Virginia
7. Southern California
8. Philadelphia Area
9. Baltimore/Annapolis
10. Hawaii

Top North America Destinations
1. Toronto
2. Montreal
3. Quebec City
4. Vancouver
5. Cancun & the Yucatan
6. Calgary
7. Edmonton
8. Ottawa
9. Oaxaca
10. Mexico City

Top 10 International Destinations
1. United Kingdom
2. France
3. Italy
4. Spain
5. Australia
6. Germany
7. Greece
8. Brazil
9. Peru
10. China

Admit it. You forgot, didn't you. Starting today, the Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Dream makes Boston -- the Black Falcon Terminal, actually -- its home port, replacing the smaller Norwegian Majesty.
The Dream, which can take 1,750 people, is a good bit larger than the Majesty, with a capacity of 1,462. It also comes with amenities like two pools, a driving range, and b-ball court. But the big deal is that the Dream offers ocean-view state rooms with balconies.
Like the Majesty, the Dream will be making regular seven-day cruises to Bermuda, but it will also be shoving off for Canada, starting at the end of Aug. through Sept. 21.
Next year, NCL will base an even bigger ship here, the Norwegian Spirit. So what's this all about? They apparently figure that there is a pretty good cruise market here, waiting to be tapped. What this means for cruisers down the line is more amenities and potentially more choice.

It's that time of year again. The sun is shining; buds are budding, and airlines add international service at Logan ahead of the busy summer travel season -- and all just for your travel convenience.
So, get a pencil. Here's the list, courtesy of Matthew Brelis, Massport's director of media relations:
At the end of this month, Aer Lingus will increase Dublin service to seven times a week from four, and Lufthansa doubles Frankfurt flights to 14 from seven.
On June 6, Iberia heads to Madrid seven times a week, up from three. Two days later, Icelandair increases Reykjavik service to 11 times from seven, and on June 9 Air France takes off for Paris 14 times a week, up from seven. SATA will double service to Ponta Delgada, Azores to four times a week from two on June 26.

The May issue of Parents magazine has compiled of list of what it considers the 10 best US and Caribbean beach resorts for families. Lo and behold, a Cape Cod resort clocks in at number 8, competing alongside heavy hitters in Florida, Hawaii, California, and the Caribbean. The rankings are based in part on cost, quality of supervised children’s programs, variety of family activities, and quality of pool and beach areas. In order of their rankings, here's the list:
1. Sheraton Grand Bahama Island Our Lucaya (Bahamas)
2. Club Med Punta Cana (Dominican Republic)
3. South Seas Island Resort (Captiva Island, Fla.)
4. Atlantis, Paradise Island (Bahamas)
5. Disney’s Vero Beach Resort (Florida)
6. Beaches Negril Resort and Spa (Jamaica)
7. Hilton Hawaiian Village (Honolulu)
8. Ocean Edge Resort & Spa (Brewster)
9.Loew’s Coronado Bay Beach Resort & Spa (San Diego)
10. Rio Mar Beach Golf Resort Casino & Spa (Puerto Rico)

Spirit is starting Boston to Trinidad service via its Fort Lauderdale hub June 12. The discounter already offers flights from here to a couple dozen destinations, mostly in Florida and the Caribbean. To kick things off they (of the we-charge-for-checked-bags-and-just-about-everything-else) are advertising fares as low as 5 cents a seat (That deal ends today and involves flights between Fort Lauderdale and Port of Spain. Spirit is, however, also offering 5-cent-a-mile fares out of Logan, but those also end today and travel for those must take place on Tuesdays or Wednesdays between June 14 and Oct. 31).
Anyway, consider this an FYI.

A friend recently sent an email asking for travel tips. She was about to leave for Geneva and hadn’t been abroad for a very long time. Here was my response. (Blog readers: Feel free to comment with your own ways to make air travel easier!)

*The best way to get through a long flight is to upgrade to business class. (This is a joke, of course, but also serious! It's sooooo much better. I save my frequent flier miles for this.)

*Bring earplugs and eye mask as you never know when a screaming child will be in the next row. Also, the eye mask helps shut everything out when you want to snooze. If you sleep, make sure the flight attendant can see your seat belt is buckled--especially over a blanket--because if the captain turns on the "buckle seat belt" sign while you are sleeping...and you aren't buckled...the attendants will wake you up. What a pain!

*Speaking of blankets, I was told by an attendant that these and pillows are the worst source of germs on the plane. I bring a light shawl and use that instead. Also--I always wear socks & shoes because my feet get cold.

The latest Caribbean Travel & Life on newsstands today lists the top 25 affordable hotels chosen from more than 1,000 in the region.

Included are Blachi Koko in Bonaire "situated just 50 feet from some of the Caribbean’s finest diving and snorkeling'' and Mafolie Hotel in St. Thomas (at right), where in "you can be 800 feet above sea level, overlooking the port of Charlotte Amalie.''

Here’s the lineup:

$105 or Less
Hotel Playa Colibri, Dominican Republic
Velero Beach Resort, Dominican Republic
Da House, Puerto Rico
Blachi Koko, Bonaire
Kariwak Holistic Haven and Hotel, Tobago
Jake’s, Jamaica
Frigate Bay Resort, St. Kitts
Admiral’s Inn, Antigua

$105 to $145
Mafolie Hotel, St. Thomas, USVI
Sibonné, Turks and Caicos
La Sagesse Nature Center, Grenada
Mary’s Boon, St. Maarten
Rockhouse, Jamaica
Greenbank Guesthouse, Bermuda
Harmony Studios, St. John, USVI
Cooper Island Beach Club, British Virgin Islands
Sea Foam Haciendas, Barbados

$145 to $200
Coco Palm, St. Lucia
Grand Case Beach Club, St. Martin
Manchebo Beach Resort, Aruba
Shangri-La Caribe, Mexico
Ti Kaye Village, St. Lucia
Plein Soleil, Martinique
Kú, Anguilla
Village St. Jean, St. Barts

Actually, I say Gren-A-da too, especially when talking about the tiny Caribbean island 100 miles north of Venezuela. You may know Grenada as the Spice Island or you may think, “Isn’t that the place we bombed when Reagan was President?” Correct on both counts. I’m not going to talk politics here (I’ll leave that for other blogs) but I will say that the political situation in the early eighties (now resolved with a freely elected democratic government) and Hurricane Ivan in 2004—which decimated the nutmeg and spice crops—left the island bereft of funds and looking for ways to bring in tourism dollars.

Enter British developer Peter de Savary, or “PdeS” as he’s known on the island. The catalyst behind one third of the entire $1.5 million Eastern Caribbean investment taking place in the Grenada tourism infrastructure, PdeS has four major sites either ready for visitors or under construction.

The most ambitious project, Port Louis, will be like a small city when finished with a Mediterranean-style community of residential villas, townhouses, cliff-side apartments, retail stores, hotels, spa clubs, restaurants, a sandy beach and a world-class 300-slip marina. The goal is to restore Grenada to the luxury reputation it had in the 1950’s and 1960’s as the “Gateway to the Grenadines.”

In the meantime, Grenada’s a spiffy place to visit right now. The rainforest, waterfalls, coral reefs, nutmeg ice cream, organic Grenadian chocolate, Market Square, and callaloo soup are only a few reasons it’s worth the trip. My stay at Mount Cinnamon—a PdeS property—was sublime (see photos taken from my room). Rumor has it that American Airlines is starting non-stop flights from Miami in November.

OK, so you've been delayed. What now. Well, you can perhaps get some compensation from American, but it depends on how much you've been put out. And you'll need to tell them about it.
If your cancellation forced you to stay overnight somewhere, you can send a message to American's customer relations department and apply for compensation. There is a hot link on the website that gives you access to a form along with instructions. You will be eligible for refunds, hotel and meal vouchers, and a $500 voucher for future travel as an apology, said Tim Wagner, an airline spokesman.
American also will award vouchers of varying amounts to other passengers who message them from the site or write to them via snail mail (American Airlines Customer Relations/P.O. Box 619612 MD 2400/DFW Airport, TX 75261-9612) and detail how they were inconvenienced.
If you are scheduled on a flight that gets scrapped you can get a refund or apply the value of your ticket to future travel (Say Wa-Hoo, somebody). Travelers flying on any MD-80 flight from April 8 – 11, even if their flight has not been canceled, can rebook without fees. Travel must begin by April 17.

There are plenty of things you can do to make traveling with very young children easier. Some of those things work — in theory. In practice, though? Well…
In theory: Taking an 8:10 p.m. flight — right at bedtime — would mean that my adorable 3-year-old and my angelic 16-month old would sleep on board, and we'd tuck their sweetly slumbering selves into their beds at my in-law’s home in Florida.
In practice: Not so much.
O. — he’s the baby — soaked through his diaper, his onesie, his cute little shirt, and his overalls before we had even cleared security. Of course, I had a gorgeous, brand-new, color-coordinated designer outfit for him in the diaper bag, which I whipped out in the beautifully appointed and clean changing area at the airport. Wait, what? Hahahahah… no. I whipped out a pair of pajamas that may have fit him 6 months ago and certainly did not fit him now, squeezed him into it while trying not to let him touch any visible surface in the ladies bathroom, and prayed that he wouldn’t have a blow-out on the plane.
L.–- she’s 3 — watched all sorts of wildly inappropriate cartoons and other televised programming in-flight and finally fell asleep 10 minutes before we landed in Fort Lauderdale. At 11:45 p.m. I’m opposed to the whole give-them-Benedryl-and-they-will-sleep school of traveling with small children, but there was a point there when I would have gladly given it a try. Except that I already know my kids are in that slim minority of people who get hyper, rather than sleepy, after taking antihistamines (unlike me, who conks out when a pink-and-white capsule is waved in my general direction).
In theory: There are things you can bring and things you can do to make traveling with small children easier.
Posted By Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff

So it turns out that if you die on an airline flight more likely than not an attendant will throw a blanket over you and the flight will go on. It was a question that begged to be asked after the death last week of a woman, Carine Desir, during an American Airlines flight from Haiti to New York. The airline is facing scrutiny over whether there were problems with some of its onboard emergency equipment.
In Desir's case, her body was covered with a blanket and placed on the floor in first class. Other passengers were shifted from adjacent seats and the flight continued to New York, even though it could have landed in Miami. The AP is now reporting that American's response is pretty common (although apparently sometimes they put the deceased in a body bag if they have one and/or just strap them into a seat). And federal regulators say there don't appear to be any policies that dictate what should be done, leaving the decision up to carriers. How often does this problem come up? There aren't any solid figures, but numbers kept by a company called MedAire, which helps airlines deal with in-flight medical problems, suggest that the number of annual deaths exceeds 260 a year.
In other words, your odds of dying while on a plane for medical reasons are about 1 in 7.6 million. On the other hand, you have a 1-in-1.3-million chance of getting killed in a place crash. And, it turns out, only a 1-in-5.2-million shot of scoring big time in Megabucks.
Think I'll go get a quick pick and travel by car for a while.

Matrimony is alive and well on the sands of Jamaica. Sucking down my mango daiquiris last week at the Riu Ocho Rios resort, I must have spotted at least a dozen brides walking barefoot in their long flowing white gowns to the beachside gazebo. After the ceremony, the wedding parties retreated to one of the bars for drinks and often booked a private dinner on the beach in the evening, with the requisite reggae band. If you don’t mind sharing the beach with voyeurs like my children, Destination Weddings can be an attractive way to get hitched in front of an intimate group of family and friends. The cost for bride and groom can be considerably cheaper than a more traditional wedding. If your party books a decent amount of rooms for the week, some hotels will throw in the wedding ceremony for free. And it’s hard to top the locale at ocean's edge. Your friends will thank you.

A 32-day cruise of Central America and the Caribbean through the Panama Canal. A 14-day Croatia cruise, Rijeka to Hvar. A two-week trip through Central and Southern Dalmatia to Montenegro.

These and other voyages are available on freighter and other specialty cruises.

The Maruba Africa takes two passengers on a 42-day round-trip cruise from Buenos Aires. Up to 50 people can be accommodated on the Croatian trip.

Prices vary. See the website for details and to sign up for a monthly Maris magazine, which includes feature articles and passenger accounts.

What do you think? Is a freighter cruise for you?

It's peer group pressure, people. US Airways says that it will charge some passengers (i.e. those not in its frequent-flier program) $25 for a second checked bag, starting May 26. Sound familiar? It was just earlier this month, that United said it would was planning the same thing.
Hear that? It's the footsteps of all the other major carriers getting ready to queue up.

File this under: Unbelievable. There is a story out today about the death of a 44-year-old woman aboard an American Airlines jet bound for New York from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Apparently, the woman had heart disease and complained of feeling sick and having difficulty breathing.
But this is where the story gets molto funky, and versions diverge.
According to a cousin who was traveling with the woman, Carine Desir, this is what happened: Desir asked the flight attendant for oxygen and was refused -- twice. Apparently the refusals -- and the woman's apparent suffering -- caused a bit of consternation among fellow passengers (after all, having someone on your plane gasping for breath tends to put a crimp in the fun factor of any vacation). So the attendant relented and tried to administer oxygen. But the tank was empty.
So a second tank was produced. Also empty. At this point the cousin prevailed on the pilot to get the plane down ASAP, and he agreed to divert and land in Miami, 45 minutes away.
Unfortunately, a short time later Desir collapsed and was pronounced dead by a doctor who was on board. What then? The airline folks moved Desir's body to the floor of the first-class section (is there no end to the perks up front?), covered her up with a blanket, skipped the Miami stop, and headed off to New York.
American initially refused to comment but now is disputing the cousin's version. The airline says that its oxygen tanks and a defibrillator were working and noted that several medical professionals on the flight, including a doctor, tried to save Desir.
So what's the Truth? Your guess is as good as mine, but I think the next time I fly American at the very least I'm gonna pass on first class.

Yo, Travel Dude, your life, well, it bites more and more. First off, you've got the dollar, which is tumbling like a drunken snake snowplowing down Tuckerman Ravine. And now there is further ugliness with frequent-flier miles.
US Airways says it will no longer give a minimum of 500 miles for a flight, instead giving credit only for actual miles. This puts a crack in what had been pretty much a longstanding policy throughout the industry that allowed many in the Gray Flannel Brigade and others to really rack up miles.
And you know that once one of them does it.... (Mrs. Maggi in 2nd grade warned you about the dangers of Peer Group Pressure)
It's not like a big surprise, though. The counters of airline beans have been shrinking that fine print for a while now, adding fees, cutting the value of miles, and making them expire so fast that, well, you've had bread around longer (and, bear in mind, you're the kind of person who thinks of the expiration date as merely a suggestion).
Death by a thousand paper cuts. Does this tick you off, or what?

If you are, then there's a contest for you.

Princess Cruises -- the Love Boat line to those in the know -- is launching an online contest on Valentine's Day to find "The Greatest Romantic.''

If you think you qualify, or know someone who does, send a video of three minutes or less telling why you or your candidate deserves the honor. Princess is accepting videos Feb. 14 to March 20. After that they'll post five finalists on the website for the public to vote on the ultimate romantic. The winner, announced April 15, will receive a seven-day cruise for two to Mexico or the Caribbean, including airfare.

"From a personal love story to an original poem or creative stunt, we're seeking compelling video entries expressing romance from many perspectives," Jan Swartz, senior vice president for Princess, says in a press release. "Be it in small or dramatic ways, we're looking for someone who can channel their inner romantic and espouse the meaning of romance for others, plus share how they make romance a part of their daily lives."

If you aren't tech-savvy enough to post a video -- or you're just plain shy -- don't despair. Visitors to the contest website during the voting period can sign up for a chance to win a cruises of their own and other prizes.

New Englanders looking to escape the snow may find better deals this year by flying beyond Florida.

Travelers leaving from Logan International Airport can reach some popular destinations in the Caribbean for 5 percent to 35 percent less than they could last winter, while flying to Florida vacation spots can cost 5 percent to 15 percent more than a year ago.

The reason? Airlines are shifting large planes from domestic routes to more lucrative international routes. Fewer seats on flights within the United States and more seats to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Latin America, and South America drive domestic airfares up and international ticket prices down. Additionally, while airlines have been tacking hefty jet fuel "surcharges" on domestic fares, they've been adding smaller fees or even rescinding them on tickets to some popular Caribbean destinations amid intense competition on those routes, said Rick Seaney, the chief executive of FareCompare.com, a Dallas consumer airfare research website.

"It's supply and demand," said Seaney, whose website crunched for The Boston Globe the yearly data for February and March airfares between Boston and these winter getaway destinations. "The more supply, the cheaper the price."

But in most cases, it's still much cheaper to stay in the United States. Sun-seekers on a budget will still probably prefer Florida, where they can reach beach scenes like Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale from Logan for $180 to $190 round trip, including taxes and fees. Although, travelers who have been eyeing an island escapade but have hesitated because of the higher airfare may find the time is right, with $240 to $300 round-trip prices to St. Thomas, Bermuda, and Nassau, Bahamas.
Posted by Nicole C. Wong, Globe Staff

Let the howling begin. Uncle Samuel may not know when you've been sleeping or when you're awake but he seems to have a pretty good grip on when The American Traveling Public is not happy.
It should come as no surprise that he keeps lists. So, without further ado, here are the
Top Six travel agents that inspired the most complaints in 2007 (according to the Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report ):
5. (tie) Priceline.com & Cheapoair.com
4. CheapTickets.com
3. Expedia.com
2. Travelocity.com

And the No. 1 most-complained-about agent:
1. Orbitz.com (Most of Orbitz's complaints dealt with ticketing, boarding, and refunds.)
Now the moment you've all been waiting, last year's rankings for the Top 5 in complaints for US airlines (drumroll, please):

5. Comair
4. American
3. Delta
2. United
And, the top -- or perhaps bottom? -- dog:
1. US Airways
You should know that this ranking wasn't based on overall complaints but on grousing per 100,000 flights.
In individual events, US Airways lead the pack for flight problems, like cancellations and delays, with American running a close second. It also was the frontrunner in bumping problems and customer service. But American took the Gold for the worst in baggage complaints, with Delta snagging the Silver.
So, tell us your stories. Go ahead, kvetch till it hurts. You know you want to.

So, I hear it's snowing. Yeah, yeah, nobody has it tougher than us. Well, my friend, remember how the woeful tale of the man with no shoes compares unfavorably with that of him with no feet. I'll have you know that residents of the Cayman Islands this very day are struggling with partly cloudy skies. All day. And it could continue through tomorrow. And the temps. A high of 82 with lows plunging (!) to the mid-70s.
If you are as moved by their plight as I am, you should know that US Airways has started nonstop service between Logan and Grand Cayman Airport on Saturdays. Flights depart Beanville at 8 a.m. and land at 12:19 p.m., with a return of 1:05 in the afternoon touching down at 5.
Yes, I know. You feel ashamed for basking in self pity. Feel free to head over to my place with your show shovel if you feel the need to indulge in a little extra penance. And since you're heading over can you grab an extra bag of salt?

I've taken lots of cruises -- company trips with my husband. Each year, it seems, there's a new draw to try and beat the competition. There are wave pools and skating rinks, celebrity restaurants and climbing walls. But the news from Celebrity Cruises has me baffled. When the Celebrity Solstice debuts in December it will come complete with glass-blowing shows by the Corning Museum of Glass.

A custom outdoor studio will feature three artists who will host shows, lectures, and workshops on glass blowing. Glass blowing? On a cruise ship? In my book, that's right up there with art auctions on the list of things not to bother with on a cruise.

It just so happens that I'll be on the Solstice next year, but I won't be spending time in the glass studio. The ship is also debuting Crush, a space with an ice-filled table where guests can indulge in caviar and vodka tastings.

Is there any contest?

And then there is the hassle of airport parking. According to a survey by Park ’N Fly Network, 50 percent of travelers cited dragging their luggage from the car to the airport and back as one of their biggest annoyances.
Seventy percent expressed concerns about long waits for the shuttle to and from the airport. Park ’N Fly, with facilities at 65 airports across the nation, notes that it offers luggage assistance from drivers who also provide pick-up and drop-off at the travelers’ cars, as well as continuous shuttle service. The company maintains that savings average 25 percent vs. compared with airport parking lots.

Posted by Richard C. Carpenter, Globe correspondent

Let me channel Mom for a moment: I know you never pay attention when I talk so let me remind you for the last time (I mean it. Take those ear-pods out.) that as of the end of January, anyone who is 19 or older (really, 19 or older; your fake ID age doesn't count) will need to show proof of citizenship when entering the good old US of A: 1) if by land, or 2) if by sea.
You already have to show a passport if you are coming in by air.
Now what do we mean by "proof"? You'll need either a birth certificate and some government-issued ID like a driver's license, or if you have a passport you're covered for both.
Your little brother and his pals who are under 18 will just need the birth certificate. (Stop smirking. No, he was not cloned at Beth Israel).
These new rules will apply to all border crossings, including Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. (Yes, Spring Break in Cozumel counts).
Probably some time this summer the rules will change again, and everyone will be required to have passports. There will likely be another rush to get them as there was last spring when the wait times got ginormous.
So, young man, it would make sense just to get a passport now. Right? And stop slouching. Do you want your back to stay that way?

While we were observing Veterans Day last week, residents of Sint
Maarten/St. Martin were commemorating their "discovery" in 1493, when
Christopher Columbus sailed past this Lesser Antilles island. The Spaniards
might have been the first Europeans to spot the turf, but the Dutch and
French ended up splitting it between them in the 17th century, making it the
smallest island in the world shared by two countries. Those close quarters
bred a spirit of cooperation formalized in 1648 when the respective
governors penned an agreement to "live as friends and allies."
Cooperation doesn't mean carbon copies, though, and the island's split
personality is a big part of its charm. The French do business in euros,
while the Dutch trade in Netherlands Antilles guilders. (Of course, dollars
work too.)
The differences are more than financial. As guide Frank Chance
told me on an island tour on the day I arrived, "You can't do no kind of
gambling at all on the French side." All the casinos, it turned out, are
located in the Dutch portion. But Chance found a bright spot about dwelling
in the French territory. "The only official nude beaches," he said, "are on
the French side."

Posted by Patricia Harris, Globe correspondent

If the idea of a sunrise knitting circle on the beach gets your heart racing (and doesn’t make your child groan), the Handwork Studio’s Kids Craft Camp is for your family. The Handwork Studio is a Narberth, Pa., needle arts studio where kids learn self-expression through knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting, embroidery, and fashion design. And now it’s time to hit the road: to Sunscape Puerto Aventuras Resort in Mexico’s Riviera Maya July 12-19. So in addition to sun, sand, and family fun, the camp includes handwork instruction sessions for children 5-14, a sunset beach fashion show, and craft sessions focusing on Mexican culture and native needle arts. Crafts are geared to both girls and boys (yes, boys). Prices start at $960 per adult and $680 per child. (That includes the camp fee and supplies, airport transportation in Mexico, all meals, drinks, hotel activities, tips and taxes, but not airfare.) Book by Nov. 30 and save $100 per room.