A1 Technology & Travel

Last February, we wrote a story about the growing trend among airlines of nickel-and-diming their customers. Almost across the board, carriers had eliminated extras like free magazines, pillows, and meals, and at the same time they tacked on fees for curbside check-in and new standby procedures, as well as (surprise!) pillows and meals. One of the more annoying extra charges involved checked luggage. Airlines had begun charging $25 fees for each checked bag weighing 51-70 pounds, and $50 for bags 71-100 pounds. JetBlue was the lone holdout—until now. Find out about JetBlue's new fees and restrictions

• How Airlines Pass Costs on to Travelers

What happens when the city you grew up in turns into a hotspot? One night you order a mojito, and the next night you have an ice-cream sundae

More from the My Hometown series:

• Chattanooga, Tenn. • Milwaukee, Wis.

• Niagara Falls, N.Y. • Orange County, Calif.

The new Orchard Garden Hotel's commitment to the environment goes well beyond its aloe-green bedding and depictions of flowers made by local artists. Opening in San Francisco this November, the aptly named hotel received the official blessing of the U.S. Green Building Council for meeting ecofriendly standards. The maple furnishings come from wood harvested specifically for construction (not from endangered rain forest), cleaning products are chemical-free and bath products are organic, and paper goods are made of recycled materials and printed with soy-based inks. While looking out for the environment, the 86-room Orchard Garden also takes care of its guests

• Ecotourism: How to Tell Which Hotels Are Green
• Ecolodges Around the Globe
• Real Deals: Nine Ecofriendly Trips

Stay one night from $109 per room and get a second night at half off

• Montreal to Halifax by Train
• Quebec's Nordic-Style Spas
• Quebec City Podcast

Airfare, meals, sightseeing, and eight nights in sexy Rio and the beach town Florianópolis and by Iguazú Falls from $1,499

• The Beach Towns of Bahia, Brazil
• How to Buy a Bikini in Rio
• In the Hills of Rio, Santa Teresa's Sweet B&Bs

When you're traveling with a group, make sure one person is wearing an easily identifiable piece of clothing. My husband and I were in London with my parents, and the only way we found each other at busy intersections and tube stations was because I had on a bright-red overcoat.
—Jennifer Roberts, Morrisville, N.C.

Nicola Corrigan, Cheapflights.com's "deal hunter," will answer your questions about booking holiday airfares this Tuesday at noon EST. Submit a question now!