AP Travel

An Olympic accommodation plan in which thousands of visitors would have stayed on cruise ships has been called off because of the rough economy. As many as seven ships would have been used for fans and sponsors as part of the multimillion-dollar plan proposed by the DEAP Group. "Financing became a major problem with the economic downturn and unfortunately that has been an Achilles' heel to the DEAP Group since that time," said company president Greg Peart. "We've never been able to recover from that." Beyond the economic climate, the expected demand for lodging in the Vancouver-area has yet to materialize with the games ... Read Full Story

Priceline.com says average holiday airfares for Thanksgiving and the December holiday season are getting more expensive, but airfares vary depending on exactly which day you fly. As of early November, the average published price of a round-trip airline ticket home for Thanksgiving was $387, about 12 percent higher than a year ago, Priceline.com said. The average price of a round-trip ticket for the December holiday period was approximately $435, a 10 percent increase over a year ago. Average fares are based on all published-price round-trip tickets booked the first week of November by Priceline.com customers for travel during the holiday periods. "In October, when ... Read Full Story

If holiday travelers on the same plane compare what they paid to fly, they're likely to find quite a spread, depending on when they bought their tickets. Fares for travel around the holidays have been rising since late summer. Christmas fares are now running 4 percent below a year ago, and the gap is likely to disappear soon. Contrast that with a year ago, when the airlines essentially put the holiday travel season on sale. With the recession in full force, airlines used discounting to fill seats. People who waited to book holiday fares last year saved money. This year, holding off could cost ... Read Full Story

The Homeland Security Department wants to expand speedy screening of preapproved, low-risk air travelers arriving in the United States to most international airports in the country. For more than a year, the department has been testing this program at seven airports across the country and found that participating travelers cut their average waiting time to be screened from 10 minutes to three. The voluntary program, called Global Entry, would be open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents at least 14 years old. They would have to pay a $100 fee and undergo a background check. If accepted into the program, they can go through ... Read Full Story

Continental Airlines Inc. said it matched a move by other carriers to raise surcharges for travel on a few peak days in March and April to $30 each way. The charges, tacked on to base fares, were already boosted from $20 each way by Delta, Northwest, United and American. Surcharges range up to $50 for the day after the Super Bowl, while they remain $20 each way for certain days around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The surcharges can differ by airline, but the $30 additional cost now applies on several of the largest carriers for travel on March 14, 20, 21 and 28 ... Read Full Story