Qatar Airways first North American flight arrived at Newark Liberty International this week. The airline will fly non-stop from Newark to Geneva, Switzerland. Qatar Airways Maiden USA Flight Arrives in New York

The Barbados Tourism Authority has launched the Best of Barbados 2007 vacation package promotion, available through American Express Vacations or Liberty Travel. The packages, which start at $499/person and require a seven-day minimum stay, are available at 30 participating hotels (like the Bougainvillea Beach Resort pictured here) and 15 Barbados attractions from museums to snorkeling adventures. Travelers can choose their accommodations and on-island activities and though the price can go up considerably for those who choose luxury hotels, the tourist authority estimates that the packages save travelers an average of $800 per couple. Included in each package:

- One night free overnight accommodations at participating hotels

- Free full breakfast each morning

- 25 percent discount on island activities

- Round trip airfare on American Airlines, Delta Airlines or US Airways

- $200 credit per person for airfare

Packages must be booked by August 31 for travel between Sept. 1 and Nov. 15, 2007.

For a sampling of the available hotels and resorts, check out the Barbados Tourism Authority accommodations page.

On a recent trip to Wilmington, NC, I was chatting with my dermatologist cousin at the beach, and she was raving about helioplex, Neutrogena’s new sunscreen ingredient. In essence, helioplex uses avobenzone and oxybenzone to absorb and screen out UVB rays (the ones that burn) while blocking UVA rays (longterm sun damage) from penetrating the skin’s surface layers. While I admit I’m no expert on the intricacies of sunblock chemistry, my cousin’s enthusiasm about it convinced me to try it out. If you’re looking for a better sunblock, here’s one to try.

The secret? $299. That’s the annual fee to join United’s Economy Plus Access membership program. But here’s the rub: your $299 only guarantees you the right to reserve available Economy Plus seats when you book. If there aren’t any available on your preferred flight, prepare to scrunch those knees like everyone else. Still, for frequent United Airlines patrons who generally book a few weeks in advance, this program could make the difference between a pleasant flight and deep-vein thrombosis. (That’s a joke. We are in no way implying that flying United coach results in debilitating or life-threatening illnesses. We just like the word thrombosis.)

Hotel du Vin’s five UK properties are taking an innovative approach to a smoking ban that goes into effect on July 1. Instead of leaving hotel guests to suck down butts in the parking area or in front of the hotel’s entrance, each Hotel du Vin property will soon have wooden Cigar Shacks, complete with heated floors, wi-fi and lounge seating. Not bad.

Hotel du Vin Offers Respite for Smokers July 1

I love stow-away travel accessories like Flight 001’s Expand-A-Garment Bag. Keep all your clothes on hangers nice and neat on your outbound flight, but once you’ve worn them during your trip, there’s really no need to carry a separate garment bag on your way home. Just fold this little guy up into its own pouch, stuff your worn duds in your checked bag and go. And for $25, it’s a travel accessory most can afford.

Well, you can’t say Northwest Airlines got its notorious nickname for nuthin’, especially now that the airline is canceling flights like they’re going out of style. I’m sooo glad that I have already booked a ticket on Northwest for late August. Can’t wait for that one.

If you haven’t already booked tickets, experts are advising travelers to avoid flying Northwest during the latter half of July and August for fear that the spate of cancellations could repeat themselves. For an explanation of why the airline has been forced to cancel flights, check the USA Today story below:

Northwest Airlines Cancels 10 Percent of its Flights

Ask George: We rented a car in Costa Rica a few years ago, and the rates seemed reasonable until you added in the mandatory insurance. We showed the rental car agent our American Express rental car coverage, but they insisted that the law required us to buy additional insurance anyway. Is this still the case?

Answer: From what I can gather, it is. You are required by the government to buy liability insurance, which covers you, for example, in case you hit a pedestrian, but does not cover the rental car itself. This insurance can add $10-$20 per day to the cost of the rental. Many people don’t realize it, but their credit cards do not cover personal liability when renting a car, leaving them open to potentially devastating law suits (personal auto insurance on your own car may cover you in the United States , but not overseas). In addition, when renting a car in Costa Rica (and many other countries), you may be required to purchase collision damage insurance (CDW or LDW), which costs an additional $10-20 per day depending on vehicle type. But this insurance has loopholes too: as its name suggests, it covers only collisions with another vehicle. It does not cover a collision, say, with a building, nor does it cover vandalism to the vehicle or a damaged wheel if you have a close encounter with one of Costa Rica’s notorious potholes. So you may want to buy additional insurance that reduces your liability to near zero. You’ll also be stuck with an airport concession fee of 12 percent and a fee for additional drivers. These extra charges can easily surpass the daily rental fee itself. Almost makes you want to take a taxi everywhere or public transportation!

George Hobica is a travel writer living in New York City.

Do you have a question to ask George? Send us your question, and George may feature it in an upcoming column.

Here’s a cute way to make your child’s first flight a little more fun: USA3000’s First Flight Certificate. The discount carrier offers them to children on its flights upon request. The airline flies to Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean from 15 U.S. cities (St. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Hartford, Philadelphia, Newark, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Ft. Myers and Ft. Lauderdale).

I admit it. I laughed last fall when everyone was squawking about how the new passport rules could affect travel (I just didn’t believe that that many people would rush to get passports), but I was definitely wrong! The State Department is drowning in applications….

State Department Issues Plea for Help with Passport Backlog