Expedia surveyed 4,000 hotel proprietors internationally asking them who they would prefer to stay in their hotels.

Japanese, who were voted by hoteliers as the world’s best tourists in a global travel survey released this month.

It also rated the travellers on categories that included manners, willingness to learn the local language and sample the cuisine, tidiness, generosity and stylishness.

Here is the list of top 10 overall travellers according to the survey:
1. Japanese
2. British/Germans
3. Canadians
4. Swiss
5. Dutch
6. Australians/Swedes
7. Belgians
8. Norwegians
9. Austrians/Danes/Finnish
10. New Zealanders

Americans rated 11th on the list but most generous.

for more of this article go to eTurboNews. Thanks to Alan Lew of Travelography for pointing this article out.

Popularity: 5% [?]

In honor of the death of comedian George Carlin yesterday, here is a bit of his comedy routine on the absurdity of airline travel and airplane announcements. Not safe for work… it is George Carlin after all.

found on Budget Travel

Popularity: 11% [?]

These are desperate days for the airline industry so we can probably understand that when readers of two Philadelphia newspapers read last week that a new airline would charge by the pound many people believed the story. After all how much stranger is that idea that than charging for customer service, meals, pillows, and all checked baggage. But, although this might be the next move for the airline industry the airline being advertised was fake as were the ads. According to Yahoo:

PHILADELPHIA - Derrie-Air has been exposed. Readers of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News opened their papers Friday to see ads for a new airline called Derrie-Air, which purportedly charges passengers by the pound.

But the new carrier will never get off the ground. It’s a one-day advertising campaign about a fake airline by Philadelphia Media Holdings, the papers’ owner, and Gyro ad agency.

In light blue banners throughout the papers — as well as on their Web site, Philly.com — Derrie-Air cheerily trumpets its policy: The more you weigh, the more you pay. The ads direct readers to the Web site http://www.flyderrie-air.com.

Visitors to the airline site learn that Derrie-Air is the world’s only carbon-neutral luxury airline, and it justifies its fare policy by saying that it takes more fuel to move heavier objects. The carrier pledges to plant trees to offset every pound of carbon its planes release into the atmosphere.

Popularity: 17% [?]

If you have traveled to a foreign country, especially one where it is not healthy to drink the water you may have encountered the common traveler’s ailment known by names such as “Montezuma’s revenge” or “Delhi belly”. Nothing can ruin a trip quicker than being confined to the loo. But medical researchers are offering hope according to a story from the BBC.

Stomach bugs picked up during foreign travel may be prevented by wearing a patch impregnated by toxins produced by the E. coli bacterium.

US research published in the Lancet medical journal found the patch was 75% effective against diarrhoea attacks caused by E. coli among volunteers.

Patch-wearers who did fall ill recovered far more quickly, it said.

A UK travel medicine specialist stressed only 40% of diarrhoea cases were caused by E. coli.

Popularity: 15% [?]

You have probably already heard the news that a number of airlines have started charging to check a second bag, but late last month American Airlines decided that it really wasn’t so thrilled with people bringing luggage at all so it started charging $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second bag ($100 for the 3rd bag). That charge is each way. So if you check any bag and do a round trip expect to pay an additional $30 above what is the price of the ticket.

You can avoid this fee if you travel in first or business class. It also will not apply to Elite AAdvantage members who are American’s frequent flyers. It also will not apply if you have the unfortunate experience of paying for a full fare ticket.

Clearly rising fuel costs are behind American’s need to raise fees somewhere, but we will see if passengers like being surprised with an extra fee for what used to be free. I expect that American has actually gone a step too far with this move and would not be surprised to see that this hurts their business when word gets around.

For more information read American’s luggage policy.

Popularity: 26% [?]

It used to be that when a restaurant found that a restaurant critic was coming or when a hotel found out that a hotel reviewer would be staying they could make an extra effort to give the best possible experience. One of the changes that the Internet has made is that everyone eating at a restaurant and anyone staying at the hotel might be a critic. With the advent of sites like TripAdvisor.com the power that used to be held by the press is now held by the everyday consumer.

Many or most people who write reviews on travel review sites are honestly intending to help the people that will travel after them. They write honest reviews about real experiences. Granted what they think is dirty you may think is acceptable and what they think is wonderful food you may find uninspiring, but an honest review tells you some valuable information when put in the correct context. A thoughtful well written review is of particular value.

But, as Lord Acton once told us, “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Stories are starting to come back from hotel and restaurant owners of a darker side of TripAdvisor and other review sites.

We stayed at a wonderful hotel in Santorini called Villa Mathios. Our host was accommodating, gregarious and helpful. He told us stories of guests who he let use his personal computer to check their email. He let them check in before the official check in time. But when they went to leave they asked for a ride to the airport at 6:30 AM. That is not part of the service he provides. He runs a hotel, restaurant and even a travel agency but not a free taxi service. So even though they had had a wonderful stay they threaten to write a bad review of the hotel (and did so when he does not relent).

I love user contributed content, community and social networks. My day job is running online communities for many well known companies. But these sort of dark side of community stories show that there is still value in editorial opinion. There is still value in the opinion of trusted friends or trusted bloggers / podcasters.

Popularity: 26% [?]

A recent post on the Amateur Traveler discussion boards about becoming an online travel agent through a company called YTB led me to look into the company more. I have heard a number of things about them on the web and much of it sounded like too good to be true hype.

It is very hard to do real Internet research on YTB (YTBLA.OB) and a competitor Travelus. It you do a google search on YTB you will probably find some non-authoritative site put up by someone who is affiliated with two of these companies. The information in all of these sites is very suspect in my opinion. The people who setup these sites are doing some very clever SEO (Search Engine Optimization). That does not make what they say true.

The good news is that YTB is not a publicly reporting company so facts about it are available from more reputable sources if you dig deeply enough.

YTBLA on Yahoo Financials

So here is what I have been able to find:

1) It is a multi-level marketing company. That is you get paid more if you sign up other agents. That is not illegal. Avon, Amway, etc are also multi-level marketing companies. But it does mean that it benefits those who get in early versus those who get in now.

2) It just posted a loss in the most recent quarter.

3) Their board of directors does seem to have some people with real experience.

4) They are the 35th largest seller of travel in the U.S. in 2006 by Travel Weekly. source Yahoo

5) In May 7th of last year they reported having 178,000 RTAs (Referring Travel Agents) (SEC filing) against which they paid marketing commissions of $16,136,795 and travel commissions of $1,608,688. That says that the average RTA made $90 in that quarter on the marketing (MLM) commissions and $9 in commissions for travel. Granted we have to assume that some of these were very new agents and that the spread between the best and worst agent was pretty large.

The vast majority of the revenue of the company is the fees paid by the RTAs $17,965,361 in that period vs travel commissions of $2,537,694. So the money coming in is from the agents more than it is from people selling travel.

In the most recent quarter the company made $33,959,388 from the RTAs and $5,328,627 from travel commissions. In addition it made another $3,009,505 form the RTAs in the form of marketing materials.

My conclusion is that it pays to be YTB more than it pays to work for YTB.

Popularity: 29% [?]

According to the Tampa Bay News Channel 10 (heard via Travelography) there might be something worse than having the airline lose your luggage.

Oldsmar, Florida— Barbara Blewitt loves to travel and purchased a set of high quality Land’s End luggage last year. But on a recent trip to Atlantic City aboard Spirit Airlines she couldn’t believe what she saw when she arrived at baggage claim.

“I looked and there on the floor was my luggage,” says Blewitt who discovered her bag had been mysteriously burned

“I said what does that mean, what happened here? My clothes are burned!”

In fact, the luggage was so badly burned, almost everything inside, worth an estimated $350, was ruined too.

“I had no clothes, no underwear, no cosmetics, nothing but a burned suitcase,” Blewitt said.

Popularity: 48% [?]

In these days of $4 a gallon gasoline and sky high jet fuel costs airlines are always looking for ways to save on fuel. According to USA Today, some of the methods are familiar ones to many drivers.

Drivers have long known that slowing down on the highway means getting more miles to the gallon. Now airlines are trying it, too — adding a few minutes to flights to save millions on fuel.
Southwest Airlines started flying slower about two months ago, and projects it will save $42 million in fuel this year by extending each flight by one to three minutes.

On one Northwest Airlines flight from Paris to Minneapolis earlier this week alone, flying slower saved 162 gallons of fuel, saving the airline $535. It added eight minutes to the flight, extending it to eight hours, 58 minutes.

That meant flying at an average speed of 532 mph, down from the usual 542 mph.

Popularity: 54% [?]

What’s the worst news a parent can receive? That would have to be that your child is dead. But what if that news is incorrect?

The Daily Telegraph reports:

Briton Chris Miller was told a flight carrying his partner and children had landed in India because another passenger had fallen ill, the BBC reported.

He also learnt his children had been taken for treatment for chicken pox.

But when the other passenger, a 22-year-old male backpacker, died, staff from the Emirates airline contacted Mr Miller by mistake.

Mr Miller said on the BBC that a staff member had passed on details for “the undertakers dealing with the body”.

The British father said he was stunned and a wave of grief and disbelief swept over him.

Popularity: 58% [?]