One travel expense that can empty your pockets quickly is tipping.  $5 at the valet.  $5 for room service.  $5 for bags brought to your room.  Well, the age-old gesture may become a thing of the past at many hotels.  For example, the USA Today reports that The Elysian hotel  in Chicago has recently adopted a no-tipping-necessary policy.  Customers can tip if they want to but are told when they book the room and check in that tipping is not necessary.

Instead of hiring staffers who’ve worked in other hotels, the Elysian sought out people with retail or other non-hotel experience because they know customer service but aren’t used to being tipped.

The Elysian isn’t the first hotel to have this policy.  Other city hotels like the Seaport Hotel in Boston have also done away with tipping.  Could this become a broader trend?  Has tipping reached its tipping point?  We shall see.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Low-cost carrier Virgin America announced today that it will introduce daily non-stop flights to Orlando from Los Angeles and San Francisco beginning in August.  One-way fares will start at $149 and $199 respectively.  The airline has also requested permission from the DOT to start flying north of the border to Toronto.

• Federal regulators are looking to hit American Airlines with $300,000 in fines over maintenance issues.  The FAA said today that American’s mechanics put off maintenance on aircraft instruments that measure air speed and heaters that prevent instruments from freezing up during flight.  The airline has 30 days to appeal.

Flight attendants for American Airlines have requested federal approval to end contract talks – a step towards the first strike at a major US carrier in five years.  If the National Mediation Board agrees, it would start a 30-day clock ticking.  After that the union might be allowed to strike.  No large US carrier has suffered a strike since 2005, when 4,200 Northwest Airlines mechanics and aircraft cleaners walked off the job.

American’s unions took big pay cuts in 2003 to keep the airline out of bankruptcy.  The flight attendants (and mechanics, who last week also requested to end contract talks) want at least some of that compensation back.  American is offering raises, but the union says the airline wants to keep overall costs flat.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• If you’re flying Southwest Airlines today, you’ve got the luck of the Irish.  Not only is Southwest putting leprechauns on board its flights for St. Patrick’s Day, but it is also serving up complimentary Heineken beers to passengers.

• JetBlue, through its partnership with Aer Lingus, which serves Ireland’s Dublin and Shannon airports, is offering a sale on summer fares to the Emerald Isle.  The sale ends March 19th, so if you’re feeling the St. Patrick’s Day spirit, you better show JetBlue your green soon.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

Continental Airlines, the last carrier to provide free meals for economy class fliers, announced that they will finally start charging for in-flight meal service beginning this fall.  No more free breakfasts and sandwiches, hot meals and desserts in coach.  Passengers will continue to get a free (small) snack and beverage on even the shortest flights, but all other food will now cost you.

Continental will still have free food in coach on international flights, as well as domestic flights longer than six hours.  Currently, Continental flights lasting less than two hours have free pop or juice and a bag of pretzels or biscuit cookies.  Flights of two to 3 1/2 hours have a small sandwich roll or a muffin in the morning. Flights over 3 1/2 hours have a free hot sandwich or other hot meal, or breakfast in the morning.

The airline also announced that it will debut new lunch sandwiches for first-class passengers (such as a chicken parmesan Tuscan sandwich) and updated first-class dinner pasta dishes (such as spinach & cheese cannelloni with pomodoro sauce) on April 1st.  No foolin’!

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• British Airways is preparing for a major strike by flight attendants, and many critical flights between the U.S. and the U.K. could be canceled.  6,000 flight attendants are expected to walk off the job in protest over pay and staffing levels.  The first three-day phase of the strike is planned to start this Saturday.  As a result, half of all flights to JFK are likely to be scrapped.

• American Airlines has filed for a temporary exemption from the DOT’s new rule that limits the time passengers can be held on the tarmac, saying delays caused by the closure of the main runway at New York’s JFK airport could cost them millions in fines.  JetBlue and Delta asked for exemptions last week.  Those three airlines are the largest operators at JFK.

It may only be March, but the first Summer airfare sales are already here.  AirTran, US Airways, United, Delta and American Airlines are all offering sale prices on flights through November 16th.  That’s right, November 16th!  That’s like 200 days!

So what’s the catch?  Well, the airfare sale period only lasts for 2-days.  In general, tickets have to be purchased by midnight Thursday.  There are also blackout dates around Memorial Day and other holidays.   Also, you may need to make a connection or travel to a smaller, alternative airport to get the lowest fares.

We made note of AirTran’s sale yesterday.  However, if you want dig around for the other sale prices (and you will have to dig a bit), you can find them here:

U.S. Airways

United Airlines

Delta Air Lines

American Airlines

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• If you’re a fan of “The Bachelor” on ABC and are wondering where Jason and Molly are heading for their honeymoon -  our friends at Down Under Answers are booking their trip and are telling all.  Check out their new Web page that has all the honeymoon details.

• Have you’ve ever been curious about the U.S. govenment’s mysterious “no-fly” list – including how people get on or off the list?  Well, the Associated Press has revealed some of the Voodoo behind it all.  You might say that some people are dying to be de-listed, but never will be.  (Envision wringing hands and maniacal laughter.)

WestJet Airlines, Canada’s second-largest airline, has finally launched its long-awaited loyalty program.  Passengers can now earn WestJet “dollars” if they sign up for its credit card program with Royal Bank of Canada and MasterCard, or through the airline’s Frequent Guest program.

According to WestJet, the dollars can be used as cash to pay for a flight on any date to any destination.  There are no points, redemption grids, advance bookings, blackouts or seat restrictions.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• U.S. air passenger travel will increase by 0.5 percent this year and then at an average of 2.5 percent per year through 2030, the Federal Aviation Administration predicted in a forecast released today.  The FAA also predicts that total airport operations would decrease 2.7 percent, to 51.5 million, this year and then grow at an average annual rate of 1.5 percent, reaching 69.6 million in 2030.  It said the number of passengers on U.S. airlines domestically and internationally would rise from 704 million in 2009 to 1.21 billion by 2030.

• AirTran Airways announced a sale today with fares as low as $44 one way, plus taxes and fees, for travel from March 19th through Nov. 16th.  The sale doesn’t include travel on Fridays and Sundays, and there are 28 blackout dates.

• Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air today announced the launch of three mobile applications designed for iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile users. The free applications are available for download at http://www.alaskaair.com/mobile.  The applications provide customers flight status information, flight schedules, flight alerts and a link to Web check-in. Customers can also log in to “My Trips” to view their itineraries, change seats, check their upgrade status, and add an Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan number to a reservation. The applications also give customers access to download electronic boarding passes.

The USA Today reports that if the luxury hotel industry doesn’t see a rebound soon, “some five-star hotels won’t be able to maintain five-star service and frills in the future.”  The current travel environment is forcing luxury hotels to cut staff and services, which may ultimately result in some five-star hotels become four-star hotels.

This could actually be very good news for budget-conscious travelers with an affinity for luxury offerings.   As more four-star hotels shift into the marketplace, they’ll become more and more competitive for your travel dollar – putting you in a position to get a great deal.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• This morning Priceline.com announced a major change to their vaunted “Name Your Own Price” model that has been the basis of their opaque hotel product since inception. Billed as a “limited time offer” until the end of March, Priceline is actually showing winning bids and allowing consumers to simply tag-along and buy the same thing, assuming availability still exists. No bidding, no guessing – just a posted price.  While it’s not perfect because Priceline may not have availability for the dates that travelers are checking (vs. what the last consumer bought), it’s still a big step towards full travel booking transparency – which we all can appreciate.

• JetBlue is celebrating its 10th birthday by conducting a 1-day only sale where they’re offering $10 one-way fares on flights departing from New York’s JFK Airport on Tuesday-Wednesday, March 9-10, 2010.  The sale lasts until 11:59 p.m. MT today.

• The U.S. DOT said today that it has fined US Airways $40,000 for not disclosing full ticket prices on its Web site.  The airline did not provide additional taxes and fees on initial searches for one-way flights, nor any notice that the additional costs would be added later in the transaction.  The DOT requires Internet advertising to display the full fare after taxes and fees on the first screen, along with a hyperlink that takes consumers to a page that describes the additional charges, according to the agency.

Starting March 17, Continental Airlines will start offering coach passengers the option of paying extra to get an exit-row seat, which offers 7 to 12 inches more legroom, depending on the type of plane.  Fees will vary based on the flight, but a Houston-to-New York flight might cost $59 more for an exit-row seat.  According to the airline, passengers who belong to Continental’s frequent-flier program and fly at least 25,000 miles a year, and those traveling with them, will continue being able to select those seats at no additional cost.  Currently, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, Frontier and AirTran all charge varying amounts for additional legroom.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• The New York Times’ “In Transit” blog reports that airline call centers are slower than ever due to staff cuts and increased call volumes that stem from flight cancellations.  The Times offers a few tips on how to navigate the bottle neck:  (1) have your confirmation numbers handy, (2) call from a land line if possible to avoid dropped calls, and (3) get as much information as you can about alternate routes.  (Suggestion: Use Yapta in advance of your flight to track pricing on alternate routes.  That way, you’ll have them at your fingertips when you need them.)

• Las Vegas McCarran Airport officials are considering a plan to become the first U.S. airport to install a liquor store in the baggage-claim area.  Many airports sell liquor at bars and duty-free stores, but the proposal is aiming to capture revenue from arriving passengers who are headed into Sin City.  I love Vegas.

• An FAA air traffic controller and supervisor were placed on administrative leave Wednesday after allowing a child to direct flights at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Feb. 17.  The agency also suspended all unofficial visits to air traffic control towers pending an investigation of the incident. The FAA will review its policy on allowing visitors into the towers.

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The New York Post reports that over the next several months, air travelers can expect to wait longer — and pay more — to fly to and from JFK Airport after its main runway is shut down for extensive repairs.

The Queens air-traffic hub — already near the bottom of the barrel for on-time performance — is expected to face delays of what critics warn will be “multiple hours,” as planes are diverted to three smaller runways at the Queens facility.  And passengers will have to dig deeper to afford the higher ticket prices that the airlines will likely charge to make up for temporarily cutting about 10 percent of their flights into and out of JFK.  Adding insult to injury, the carriers are building in time to their schedules so that longer-than-normal trips won’t technically arrive “late.”

The shutdown will allow workers to tear up the 14,572-foot Bay Runway and replace its asphalt surface with more-durable concrete.  The runway — which normally handles a third of JFK’s traffic and half of all departures — will also be widened to accommodate new, extra-jumbo jets as part of the $376 million project.

Year-over-year fare increases can already be seen on some of the airport’s most popular routes, including flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Speaking of JFK Airport, the AP reports that in February, a child apparently directed pilots from the air traffic control center. Audio clips from mid-February — during a week-long winter break for many New York schoolchildren — were posted online recently where a child can be heard on the tape making five transmissions to pilots preparing for takeoff.  In one exchange, the child can be heard saying, “JetBlue 171 contact departure.”  The pilot responds: “Over to departure JetBlue 171, awesome job.”  The child appears to be under an adult’s supervision, because a male voice then comes on and says with a laugh, “That’s what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school.”  In another exchange, the youngster clears another plane for takeoff, and says, “Adios, amigo.”  The pilot responds in kind.

• Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who deftly landed a US Airways plane in the Hudson River last year, retired today after 30 years with the airline.  His last flight was scheduled to arrive in Charlotte, N.C., from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., shortly after 3 p.m. ET today.  Meanwhile, Doreen Welsh, a flight attendant on Capt. Sully’s historic splash-landing, also retired today from US Airways after four decades of service.  Congrats to both Capt. Sully and Doreen.

• The TSA is re-evaluating a technology that aims to take one of the biggest hassles out of airport security: removing your shoes at a checkpoint.  The USA Today reports that a dozen companies have designed shoe scanning machines, and the TSA says it plans to buy 100 of the devices by next year.  The machines, which find metal weapons and explosives in shoes, didn’t pass muster in tests three years ago.  The developers of the latest generation of the machines promise better results, and the TSA says the technology will improve security.

Shoes… er, hats off to this new technology!

Bad weather wasn’t the only thing slowing travelers down Thursday in New York.  Passengers on a Delta Connection flight out of Rochester were delayed after two female flight attendants got into a fight on board the plane.

Dozens of passengers were forced off the flight and had to make alternative travel plans at a time when flights from the New York area are being canceled faster than a Tiger Woods endorsement contract.

A spokesman described the fight as a “little” argument that started as the plane was returning to the gate after a passenger complained of panic attacks.  However, passengers aboard the flight have reported that it was a full blown “fist fight“.

And in case you’re wondering, the answer is “no” – this is not what psychologists mean by “fight or flight.”

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, the world’s two largest carriers, are counting on lie-flat seats and Tahitian crab soup (or gingered scallops with lobster sauce) to help win back their most-profitable customers -  the corporate passengers whose ranks dwindled when the global recession ravaged budgets for international flying.

• Los Angeles International Airport wants to increase its car rental fees to fund an off-site terminal that would house car rental agencies. The project aims to reduce pollution and congestion from car rental courtesy vans that circle the airport.  LAX officials are backing a state bill that would increase the current $10 rental car fee by an undisclosed amount.  So, let me get this straight: Building an OFF-SITE terminal will help cut down on courtesy vans?  And even though this bill is about to be introduced, it’s still not clear how much the airport would raise the fees?  Sounds like California politics to me.

Mother Nature is again beating up the Northeast and mid-Atlantic region – and again hundreds of flights have been cancelled as a result.

As early as last night Continental Airlines had canceled 70 flights for today at its Newark hub.  US Airways canceled 160 flights from Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington.  Delta, Jet Blue and American Airlines were advising travelers that flights were likely to be canceled and to call ahead before heading for the airport.  Southwest Airlines has already canceled most of its Thursday flight schedule at Philadelphia International Airport.

In total,  approximately 500 flights have been canceled at Newark Liberty.  At New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports, the total number of cancellations currently stands at about 200.  Coupled with the Philadelphia and Boston disruptions, we’re looking at about 1,000 flight cancellations overall.

My advice:  Avoid the Northeast if at all possible.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• The Department of Homeland Security will begin installing the first of 150 full-body scanners in U.S. airports next week.  Boston’s Logan International Airport will be the first, with three scanners scheduled for installation.  Officials plan to install another scanner at Chicago’s O’Hare International in the next two weeks.

• Due to some well-worded letters from Georgia community leaders, Delta is reducing the airfare between Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport and Atlanta by as much as 40 percent for the next four months.  Rountrip airfare purchased at least seven days in advance has been reduced from $510 to $300 and walk-up tickets have been rediced from $656 to $400 roundtrip.  I’m sending my letter to Delta today to see if they can lower the Seattle to New York flight for me.

• Alaska Airlines is dumping its previously announced Wi-Fi test partner and switching to Aircell Gogo in hopes of outfitting its entire fleet of aircraft with Internet service in a more timely manner.  According to an airline spokesperson, their “hope is to have the entire fleet outfitted by the end of year.”