'Dynamic packaging' eliminates flexibility
Even if you book through a travel agent, it is always a good idea to confirm seat assignments on the airline Web site - and make absolutely sure by printing your boarding cards with those seat numbers.

Far from the Eiffel Tower, a hip new hotel
Mama Shelter, a hotel designed from scratch by Philippe Starck and built by Roland Castro under the aegis of Serge Trigano, has opened in an offbeat part of Paris and mingles casual trendiness with low rates.

Old gender roles with your dinner?
Although the goal in many public places and in much of public life is to treat men and women equally, most upscale restaurants haven't reached that point.

Recalling la dolce vita in Eritrea
A bloody history of conflict and civil war has kept Eritrea hermetically sealed to the outside world. The result is a surreal, out-of-body tourist experience.

Travel industry shaken by economic downturn
The travel industry has been hit hard by the economic slowdown, particularly in the last few weeks.
- A great year for corporate jets, even with muted forecast

Prosit! Beers that make the Oktoberfest grade
The tasting panel sampled 24 Oktoberfest beers. The top three were all American: Octoberfest from Thomas Hooker, Festbier from Victory, and Dogtoberfest Marzen from Flying Dog.

Strike causes major travel disruption in Belgium
Belgian commuters struggled to get to work Monday as a one-day nationwide strike disrupted public transport and international rail links.

How to protect yourself if an airline goes bankrupt
What are the airline equivalents of Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs? Will governments bail out failing carriers in a similar way? If not, what can I do if I have booked a ticket with an airline that collapses?

Life school offers shy Britons a road map to 'happiness'
For reticent Britons, disinclined to emote in public, the London-based School of Life - which aims to offer a road map to a fuller life - works as a kind of lubricant.

Salsa fever sweeps into China
More than a dozen Latin dance studios having opened in the capital in the last four years.

Airlines add service and amenities to Asian routes
In an otherwise bleak business environment for airlines, travel between the U.S. and Asia has increased to unprecedented levels.

French bees find a haven in Paris
There are more than 300 known bee colonies in Paris, where the absence of pesticides is allowing urban bees to thrive.

Israel from cliff top to desert bottom
With terrain that ranges from snow-capped mountains and vast desert to lush valleys and continuous coastline, the country is becoming a destination for adventure travelers.

Fashionista Paris
As the bold-face crowd descends on Paris for the city's semiannual Fashion Week, the designer Jean-Paul Gaultier plots out an itinerary of his favorite haunts.

36 hours in Brighton, England
Not long ago, this port town was considered louche and seedy, but now chic Londoners are rediscovering its boutique hotels and dance-till-dawn clubs.

Living in Bali's shadow, but maybe not for long
The roads are rough and the tourists are few on the enchanted Indonesian island of Lombok, giving it an undeniable appeal.

Affordable wine: Modest luxuries for lean times
Even with the pitiful exchange rate, France is the greatest source of wine bargains in the world.

The booking pitfalls of round-the-world trips
Open bookings are not always easy for round-the-world trips.

Flood of junk food puts Greeks at risk
The highly praised Mediterranean diet has been gobbled up by an influx of chocolate shops, pizza places, ice cream parlors and fast-food joints.

Sweet, sour, tasty: An old Iraq new year
A traditional dish eaten at Rosh Hashana in Iraq is made by stuffing Swiss chard leaves with beets, onions, rice and sometimes meat.
- Apple preserves with cardamom
- False mahshi: Layered Swiss chard, beets, rice and beef

Producing a local wine for Bali tourists
A few Australians had the idea, then they left it to a son of a Balinese village chief and a French winemaker. Those two found suitable grapes and began making wine.
- Living in Bali's shadow, but maybe not for long

Greek customs strikes leads to fuel shortages
A strike by Greek customs officials caused fuel shortages at gas stations in big cities and major traffic jams at the country's land borders Wednesday.

New York transit system added to Google's map service
Google has added the biggest public transportation system in the U.S. to its popular mapping service, showing travelers how to navigate New York City's mass transit system.

American Airlines suspends flights to Bolivia
American Airlines says it has suspended flights to and from Bolivia due to the country's political crisis.

Asian Art Fairs: Going straight to the source
A crop of international art biennials and triennials has sprouted across Asia in recent years, opening the door to untapped art markets.

Temples where gods come to life
Few things in India express the continuous presence of the gods better than the ancient, massive temple complexes of Tamil Nadu.

FAA suspends sleeping airline pilots
Two pilots for Hawaii's Go airlines who slept through their flight's landing procedure were suspended for the careless and reckless operation of an aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Feasting at the table of Taipei
Defining Taipei's superlative flavors is tricky. Its food incorporates more influences, spans street food to haute cuisine with greater aplomb and is out and out more delicious than that of Beijing.

In California, a building that blooms and grows, balancing nature and civilization
If you want reaffirmation that human history is an upward spiral rather than a descent into darkness, head to the new California Academy of Sciences, in Golden Gate Park, which opens on Saturday.

Ryanair to ground twice as many p***s as usual
Winter looks "particularly awful" for industry, an airline official says

Staying one step ahead of the crowd
For those who want to stay ahead of the crowds, here are a few emerging destinations with the makings of the next Asian hot spots.

36 hours in Phnom Penh
This may be your last chance to see the Cambodian capital before its low-slung buildings, ambling cows and smiling monks are gone.