Before your next trip abroad, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by NPR National Correspondent Eric Weiner. A self-described unhappy American, Weiner set out on a journey to a diverse array of countries, some of which purportedly contain high numbers of truly happy people (Thailand), while others (like Moldova) are hotbeds of misery. His conclusions on what makes some countries “happy places” and others just the opposite is an excellent meditation on cultural differences and the ways geographic, environmental, historic and socio-economic circumstances shape the spirits of the world’s varied populations.

NPR affiliate KQED radio featured Weiner today on its Forum program - of you’ve got some time to kill, it’s worth a listen. During the show, Weiner discusses such things as Bhutan’s economy of happiness, waxes philosophic on the mystery of the Swiss population’s contentment (hint: lots of chocolate, legal euthanasia and public transportation that actually runs on schedule, go figure) and lies about his hair.

Interview with Eric Weiner on KQED

Don’t have time to listen, but want to know more about the jist of the book? Here’s an interview with the author: Q&A with Eric Weiner.

With two weeks of the year under our belts, we’ve taken stock of the current travel landscape, checked our trend gauges and looked into our crystal balls to come up with our favorite travel trends for 2008.

Flight Flux

Just about the only thing frequent air travelers can count on this year is more change in the friendly skies. Just as the Open Skies agreement ushers in myriad new options for passengers traveling between the United States and Europe when it goes into effect on March 28, the U.S. Department of transportation is considering changes to the rules that govern how airports charge airlines for landing privileges. Instead of basing fees on airplane weight, a recently announced proposal to charge more for flights landing during peak times has the potential to free up airspace, ease airport congestion and encourage airlines to use add flight routes at regional airports. At the same time, the old-guard U.S. carriers (United Airlines, Delta, Northwest, etc.) are considering mergers and threatening to cut the number of flights they offer to offset the now-hideous cost of fuel.

What does all this mean for travelers? Expect frequent changes in flight schedules, available routes and ticket fares in the months to come.

Tech Boom at 30,000 feet

While airlines from JetBlue to American Airlines test in-flight Internet services like web browsing and others usher in the era of mile-high mobile phoning (Emirates, Air France, Qantas), and some are even hard at work on both (Norwegian Air), carriers like 2007’s much-talked about newcomer Virgin Atlantic are spending big bucks to outfit main cabins with high-tech amenities like in-seat chat messaging and myriad personal media options.

We expect this trend to continue as passengers cry for more in-flight services, just as airlines are dying for more ways to make a buck. After all, we may balk at paying for a half-dead turkey sandwich, but many of us would cheerily fork over cash for on-demand movies, in-flight web access and other high-tech perks that make our lives easier and provide much-need distraction from uncomfortable seats, runway delays and annoying seatmates.

Business Lodging Goes Boutique

Once upon at time, boutique hotels were the provenance of moneyed leisure travelers seeking alternatives to business-oriented hotels in destination cities. But now the tables have turned. New brands like NYLO, InterContinental’s Hotel Indigo and Starwood’s Aloft are betting business and frequent travelers will respond to the combination of hip interiors, high-tech business amenities and conveniences like 24-hour and to-go dining options. Thus far, these business boutique properties have flocked not to business hubs like New York and Los Angeles, but to airport locations and nearby secondary cities like Plano, Schaumberg and Nashville.

Looking Beyond Europe

With the both the Euro and the British Pound kicking the dollar’s sorry arse these days, expect fewer Americans to choose Europe as a vacation destination. Instead, more stateside travelers will opt for places where their hard-earned dollars stretch a bit farther. As more flights between North America and Asian countries appear in the coming year, Americans will have increased options for visiting countries like China, Vietnam and Thailand. At the same time, Latin and South American countries also continue to promise a good value for U.S. travelers, many of whom have been trading Paris, Rome and Madrid for places like Buenos Aires, Cusco and Santiago.

Amped-Up Airports

As passengers become more accustomed to delays, flight cancellations and the general uncertainty of modern-day travel, airports around the United States are realizing that, now more than ever, travelers stuck in terminals are veritable cash cows. Along with the airport quick-spas, souped-up luxury lounges for elite travelers and premium retail shops that have been popping up in terminals over the last two years, evermore diversions for travelers are on their way. In the coming year, it will not be unusual for a traveler to sample local vintages at an airport wine bar before settling into a branded high-tech lounge to check email or surf the web before catching a table massage (not just the chair variety) prior to boarding. Increases in practical amenities like cell phone parking lots, universal charging stations, product vending machines and airport pharmacies are also part of this trend, which aims to make airports more than just places to wait.

Maturing Metasearch

We predict that metasearch tools will continue to attract more travelers seeking an efficient way to find airline fares, hotel rates and relevant destination information. With Kayak.com’s recent acquisition of SideStep (parent company of TravelPost.com) and newcomers like Kango busting onto the scene with a ton of buzz, sites that search hundreds of sources for fares and travel information are poised to mature from tools used by the savviest travelers to tools used by everyone.

Freelance writer Lorraine Sanders has been editing the TravelPost.com Insider blog since 2005. You can reach her at news (at) lorrainesanders (dot) com.

Many travelers and tech geeks alike have waited with baited breath for the unveiling of Apple’s latest laptop, the MacBook Air, which Apple’s Steve Jobs showed off at the Macworld Expo this week in San Francisco. While plenty of people are oohing and ahhing about this new, ultra portable notebook (said to fit neatly into a manila envelope, though we aren’t sure why anyone would ever need to do that), Slate’s Paul Boutin (MacBook Err) is disappointed:

As I watched Steve Jobs demo his new products onstage at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, I was struck by all the things you can’t do with the MacBook Air. That’s because the balance of power at Apple, and in the tech world generally, has tipped. In many ways, phones are now more powerful than laptops.

Boutin goes on to compare the MacBook Air with the iPhone, a device he deems more functional and practical for people who need to get things done anywhere, anytime:

I’m a sucker for products that look good, but there need to be some guts beneath the shiny skin. I don’t care about having the world’s skinniest laptop. Rather, I need to be able to blog breaking news when I’m not near a Wi-Fi hotspot. I look forward to fawning over my friends’ new MacBooks. But when they desperately need to e-mail the boss, I’ll just savor the triumph of whipping out my phone.

I tend to agree. And since I’ve owned an iPhone, I’ve become almost addicted to the reliable connection it gives me to email and the web. Not sure I could go back. That said, Apple-using business travelers looking for the world’s thinnest laptop will no doubt be wooed by the MacBook Air’s sleek design and unbeatable portability.

Didn’t get that GPS you wanted for Christmas? L.L.Bean just added the Magellan eXplorist GPS Traveler Bundle to its sale department. Relatively affordable for GPS devices, the eXplorist is designed to be hand held - making it easier to carry around on trips or hikes than some of the bulkier, more expensive models out there. It will stay powered up for about 17 hours on batteries, but you can also plug it into your car’s cigarette lighter. While it doesn’t have as much memory or bells and whistles (i.e. no built in MP3 player or editable maps) as many other GPS units, its 8MB can store 20 routes and 500 points of interest. If you end up needing more memory, you can buy a separate digital storage card that works with the device. In short, it’s an affordable navigational tool that will work well for people who want directions on the go, but don’t want or need all the extras. L.L.Bean is offering the bundle with the GPS, PC software, car mounting kit, power cable and car cigarette adapter for $189.95, down from $249.

Note to self: When next sending suitcase full of jewels across international borders via airplane, do not mark with obvious tempting phrase like High-Value. Instead, mark contents with sneaky alternative, such as Dirty Underwear.

JFK Baggage Handlers Accused of Stealing Loot

One part Goodyear Blimp, one part Ritz Carlton, the Manned Cloud by Jean Marie Massaud for French aerospace research lab ONERA may just be the high-end adventure travel be-all, end-all of the future. Designed to carry passengers on a non-stop journey around the world in a mere three days (80 days is, like, so 1870’s), the aircraft contains 60 rooms to accommodate 40 passengers and 15 staff, a restaurant and bar, spa, fitness center, library and even a terrace from which passengers may take advantage of being that much closer to the sun’s damaging rays - or put on sunblock and observe the sites below. The whole idea behind this flying luxury hotel is exploration without intrusion. Designer Massaud reportedly hopes his craft, if it ever becomes reality, will offer adventurous travelers (with deep pockets) the opportunity to see exotic and remote sites without causing the damage that comes with excess industry pollution and foot traffic. Says Massaud:

You can read more about Massaud, his project and see additional pics via the Dezeen blog.

What strange events could have transpired, you may be asking yourself upon viewing the above image, to land beautiful Miss Beyonce in the middle of a common livestock show? No, the singer and Jay-Z ladyfriend is not there to vie for the title of most prodigious posterior against bovine opponents, nor is the star considering a career shift towards the herding business. Along with several international and local celebrities, Beyonce is one of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau’s picks for a forthcoming tourism campaign, one the CVB hopes will “enhance” Houston’s image and attract more tourists and businesses to the area.

As USA Today reports in Houston Taps Beyonce, Other Celebrities for Tourism Pitch:

The ads in the “My Houston” campaign will…. begin appearing in February in the Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Continental Airlines’ in-flight magazine and other publications, said Lindsey Brown, marketing director for the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Broadcast ads are also being developed, she said.

The bureau has stopped using its most recent slogan: “Space City: A Space of Infinite Possibilities,” Brown said. And the celebrities featured in the new ads won’t be asked to recite a snappy catchphrase.

That last point may very well have been one of the CVB’s most prudent moves. Another of the celebrities representing Houston in the ad campaign is none other than George W. Bush, someone with a slightly sketchy track record for regurgitating hyperbole many could spew forth in their sleep.

What’s next? Jay-Z hanging out at the White House?

Last comment: it was certainly nice of USA Today to give this news some play. After all, if not for the article, readers would have only known about Houston’s new image via the advertisements in the publication’s own pages. Sigh.

As we were digging through our backlog of RSS goodies, we found this insider jaunt into the new (as of last month) NYLO Plano Hotel from those hotel know-it-alls at HotelChatter. We were intrigued. We think you will be, too. Plus, we just plain like videos.

HotelChatter Goes Inside NYLO Plano

I recently became one of the gazillion travelers to fall in love with the iPhone. It. Just. Rocks.

Since acquiring my iPhone, I’ve been having some fun exploring all the applications and widgets that make this little device even cooler than it is on its own. To be sure, there are a slew of add-on applications, widgets and programs available for download out there. But which ones are the best for travelers? Here is my list of the Best iPhone Applications and Widgets for Travelers:

New York on Tap

Use this well-designed application to find bars in New York, as well as subway stops and directions.

Hotel Widgets

A simple, but easy-to-use search tool for finding flights, hotels, car rentals and cruises using your iPhone.

Earthcomber

With its iPhone-optimized interface, Earthcomber helps you find what you’re looking for (restaurants, wi-fi, banks, gas stations, ice cream – you name it) and locates it on Google Maps. You can also get driving directions, read reviews and see the location of friends who also use the app.

Sudoku for iPhone

For those addicted to this travel-friendly game, we like the simple interface of this iPhone-based Sudoku widget. There are several similar widgets out there, but this one has a cleaner appearance and also offers players a choice of simple, easy, intermediate and expert game levels. Too bad you can’t play on the plane (yet).

iEventful

This application lets you search for events by city. If you find yourself in a new town with an evening to kill, this simple search will return plenty of options in categories ranging from Food-Wine-Cuisine to Performing Arts.

SoonR

Need access to computer files, photos and programs like Skype from your iPhone? SoonR allows you to do just that. The downloadable program loads the SoonR Desktop Agent onto your home computer and allows you to search, find and share files with any mobile phone – even when your computer is turned off.

iPhone Miles

A simple tool that allows business travelers to track auto mileage with their iPhones. We especially like the way this application allows users to specify driver, purpose and distance and then exports the information to Excel for easy record-keeping.

IM+ for Skype

ddicted to Skype? You can use your account to call or instant message contacts via your iPhone with this application. The only bummer: it’ll cost you $25 to download the service.

Cool Gorilla Phrase Books

Much like traditional translators, this iPhone-friendly application offers phrases in five languages (French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish). But unlike many electronic handheld language gadgets, this application will actually pronounce the phrases for you using Quicktime.

Flight Stats

Search for flight status, departure and arrival times, airport and airline information, security wait times and current airport delays all from your iPhone.

JiWire Wi-Fi Finder

Find wi-fi hotspots in cities around the world. Allows you to browse by country, city, address, wireless provider and even connection type. An added bonus? You can search exclusively for free wi-fi hotspots.

iPhone Tipper

While many tipping applications exist for the iPhone, we like this one because it allows you to split the check among up to 10 people and offers an easy interface for viewing 15, 20 and 25 percent tip amounts alongside the bill total .

Travel writer Lorraine Sanders has been editing the TravelPost.com Insider blog since 2005. You can reach her at news (at) lorrainesanders (dot) com.

Pensive travelers, techies, amateur inventors, savvy startups take note: Clear - which operates “fast pass” airport security lanes to registered travelers - is offering a $500,000 prize and a contract to the person or team of persons who can come up with new technology to make the airport security process faster and more efficient without sacrificing safety.

Says the company CTO Jason Slibeck:

“The Clear Prize is the next phase of providing expedited passage through the security checkpoints for Clear members. We’re looking for both all-encompassing technology to change dramatically the checkpoint process and simple, discrete improvements that apply common sense solutions for easing the security bottleneck.”

The prize will be awarded to the first team that installs a security checkpoint - paid for by Clear - that meets the following criteria:

1. Achieves acceptance by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for deployment at Clear lanes as providing the same or better security than the current Registered Traveler checkpoint process.

2. Reduces inconvenience by, for example, allowing for no divesting of shoes, outer garments, or any other item approved for carry-on aboard a US commercial flight, and thereby achieves an increase in throughput of 15% or more.

3. Is compact enough to be deployed at security checkpoints in at least three Clear airports.

4. Is deployed and can be operated at a cost (including capital costs amortized over five years) of less than 25 cents per passenger screened when working at full capacity.

You can read more details in the Clear Prize Press Release and Fact Sheet.

Can’t wait to see what the winning team comes up with….