- We hear that the Rabbit Hill Inn (pictured) in Vermont is offering one getaway each month to guests who have been laid off for six months or more.

- No wonder Hawaiian tourism officials are so peeved at SNL. The island destination is reportedly struggling to attract tourists. The latest bad news? Hawaii hotels are battling the biggest drop in hotel rates in 16 years.

- One man finds out that a lifetime travel pass from American Airlines really only means about 20 years.

- A Yale student hit US Airways with a $1 million lawsuit over a missing Xbox 360 game console. Hey, a kid’s gotta have his games.

- Thanks to a worsening economy, Delta plans to reduce international capacity by an additional 10 percent on top of a 6-8 percent system-wide downsizing taking place this year.

- Heading to South America? Get a lesson in how not to drink psychedelic ayahuasca tea from a Gadling writer.

- Campgrounds are officially open now that spring has sprung in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

- Perhaps realizing that teens just about anywhere will be teens when given the chance, France is thinking about raising its legal drinking age to 18.

- NileGuide gives us the lowdown on the best travel sandals. We’ll second their plea that you not wear them with socks.

- Hilary Clinton chose the King David Hotel (pictured) during her visit to Israel.

- Now’s the time to get in on the next Geo-Tourism Challenge from National Geographic and Ashoka Changemakers.

- Somalia might not be the best place to go on a cruise right now. Just sayin’.

- Remember that humiliating video of a woman losing it at the airport? Cathay Pacific feels bad and has apologized for leaking the video to the Internets, thereby drawing yet more attention to the incident.

- Looking for a bargain destination this year? SmarterTravel lists its picks for The Top Five Bargain Destinations for Spring 2009.

- Some idiot in Seattle is distracting incoming planes with a laser pointer.

- Brr. It’s cold. Good thing the Travel Gear Blog has a roundup of the best down sleeping bags.

- Gadling reports that Ryanair will not install coin-operated toilets on its planes, after all. Instead, passengers will need a credit card to do their business.

- Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively reportedly made an appearance at NYC’s Hotel on Rivington this week.

- And last but not least, Daylight Savings begins this weekend.

[Photo: yosefsilver.com via Flickr]

If you fell in love with the Ritz-Carlton bathrobe you hardly took off during your last stay at one of the luxury hotel chain’s properties, you’re in luck. Ritz-Carlton recently launched The Shops at The Ritz-Carlton, an online store selling its signature robes, bedding, men’s and women’s apparel, stuffed toys, fragrances and spa goodies.

Some items, like the hyperallergenic down comforter pictured above, are Ritz-Carlton exclusives that you won’t find for sale anywhere else. Others, like fragrance and beauty finds from Bvlgari and Tocca, are the very sort of luxury products you’ll find lining the shelves at the spa and gift shop during your next visit.

This is where we’d like to add something like, “Now, finally, you can finally recreate the Ritz-Carlton experience at home.” But that would require a team of oddly pleasant concierges and bell attendants, twice-daily housekeeping, an evening turndown and a room service menu with a $28+ continental breakfast, wouldn’t it?

[Source: The Ritz-Carlton Launches Online Store]

The arrival of checked bag airline fees last year had an unintended consequence that’s finally benefiting travelers: better carry-on bags. In his latest column, travel expert Christopher Elliott rolls out his favorites choices from both mainstream and smaller companies. Each of Elliott’s picks displays new features that manufacturers have added in an attempt to woo consumers seeking more versatile, reliable and functional luggage for today’s do-anything-to-avoid-checking travel era. With so many new, improved carry-ons hitting the market today, travelers have a ton of solid options to choose from. Among them, the Helen Rae wheeled bag designed for women (it’s got pink piping on the outside), the TravelPro Platinum 6 and the Halliburton Zero polycarbonate rolling case.

[Source: Post-Fee Carry-On Bags You've Gotta Have]

Trendy travel gear retailer Flight 001 is giving world-wanderers the chance to gear up for less with its Final Boarding Call Sale. Most of the travel gear on sale is marked down 50 percent, and you can shave another 10 percent off when you use the promo code LAST CALL at checkout. Among our favorite finds? The $9 Go Clean Wet Suit bag, which keeps wet items separated from dry items in your suitcase and prevents mildewing. Also, Titan 22″ and 26″ trolley carry-on bags at 50 percent off are looking pretty good to us, as well. And if it’s a super cheap way to distinguish your bag from the pack, the Dots Reflective Luggage Decals are sure to do the trick.

The Eagle Creek Take 2 ORV Trunk caught my attention with its divided construction. With a top half that zips off (hence the name) and a main compartment outfitted with collapsible dividers for separating gear, this roller bag with integrated backpack straps is one of the more versatile pieces of luggage I’ve seen lately.

If you discover your bag is weighing in at the 50+ mark when you check in, no problem. Zip off the top and either check two bags or whip out the backpack straps and lug one half as a second carry-on. I also like the interior divider idea – great for keeping gym clothes or dirties separate from other stuff. Eagle Creek also makes lots of accessories that integrate with the ORV Trunk. I like the Pack-It Mud Box, which fits right into one of the interior compartments and keeps grungy boots, wet suits, pet items or sandy toys separate from the rest.

I’m loving the Patagonia Stellar Black Hole bag for its anything goes shape and in-your-face durability. It’s a serious contender on my “next bag” list – which, I assure you, is quite exclusive. Yeah, the potato sack shape may not be all that sexy, but it will lug your gear with the determination of a Russian peasant woman circa 1916. Made of non-toxic PVC, this bad boy has rounded corners and welded seams – which means less wear and tear on common stress points. In fact, Patagonia claims the construction makes it three times stronger than luggage with regular sewn seams. Webbed handles give you a choice of carrying options, so you can turn this baby into a makeshift backpack in a heart beat. While it won’t protect fragile items like a hard sided suitcase, it does look like it could double as a nice oversized pillow when you find yourself stranded in the terminal.

When I saw the Everglide Bike, a finalist in the 2007 Australian Design Award competition, it immediately snagged my traveler’s eye. The student who designed this fold-up bike describes it as, “an integrated solution for short distance travel and personal effects management.” But once you cut through the academic dork speak, you’ve got one seriously cool cycle that could – if it ever makes it from concept to reality – change the way travelers get around the urban destinations they visit. Not only is this clever invention completely collapsible and, therefore, easily transportable via airplane, but it also features a roomy backpack for stowing the rider’s gear or the bike itself. But wait, wait, there’s more. The bike has a built-in charging strip for iPods, cell phones and other handheld devices and allows users who don’t want to carry the collapsed version on their backs to wheel it around like a piece of rolling luggage. Let’s hope this one makes it to market.

AT&T has launched an effort to warn iPhone users of the high charges they may accrue when traveling abroad. Sure, the phone automatically works outside the United States, but that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. In fact, as AT&T makes clear in a letter I received yesterday, simply opening an email with a 5 megapixel image in it while you’re traveling internationally could easily cost you $40. And with the dollar being what it is (i.e. lame), American travelers abroad need all the help they can get. Am I right?

If you travel abroad frequently, then it makes sense to pay for one of AT&T’s Data Global Plans ($24.99 or $59.99 per month). But if you’re only getting outside a few times a year, it’s probably more sensible to just curb your phone use while you’re away. In the PDF doc below (it’s a large file and may take a second to load), AT&T outlines steps travelers should take to prevent astronomical charges. For example:

- Turn off data roaming function (and you need to have the latest iTunes software on your computer to do this, apparently)

- Turn off auto-checking for emails

To learn more, check the doc below:

iPhone International Calling Charges

While we humans groan at the thought of carrying a heavy pack, many dogs can’t wait to be put to work. Over the weekend, my husband and I invited a dog trainer friend over to evaluate our lovable, but somewhat neurotic pitbull mix. We were looking for pointers on helping her to become more relaxed in the many distracting situations that bombard a city dog each day, as well as friendly and confident around other dogs in potentially conflict-inducing places like other peoples’ houses, dog-friendly inns and hotels and the weekend getaway spots we often rent with our friends.

Our trainer’s solution? Well, there were many. But the one that I am most excited about is the doggie backpack. From now on, wherever she goes – on our daily walks, on hikes, on out-of-town weekend adventures – she’ll be dressed up like a canine mountaineer in Mountainsmith’s Dog Trippin’ Dog Backpack. I chose this model because it combines comfort features like padded, adjustable compression straps and a ventilated back (important for preventing hot spots) with its a set of dog travel accessories: two collapsible bowls, a fleece sleeping pad and a leash. I like the idea of her carrying her own supplies whenever we leave home, whether it’s for a 30-minute trek around our neighborhood or on the trip up the coast of Northern California we have planned for later this month.