Renting a car at the airport might set you back more than you expect.  Travelers picking up cars at the airport are likely to rent at higher rates than those who shop around.

In May, the average weekly rental price for a compact car booked a week in advance went up 73% when compared with a year ago.  In June, the increase was 65%.

Rental car dealerships have cut their fleets creating a shortage and that's jacking up the prices.  Plus, demand is down.

So what can you do to find a deal?

1. Shop early.
2. Rent from locations away from airports. The farther out you go, the better the deal.
3. Upgrade. You might get a deal. Smaller, more fuel efficient cars may set you back more because of their high demand. Instead, opt in for a larger, roomier vehicle.
4. Look for virtual coupons on Fat Wallet and Coupon Winner.

Here's some more travel news you can use:

*  The Federal Aviation Administration says an American Airlines flight # 1256landed safely at New York's LaGuardia Airport after reporting a birdstrike at 900 feet shortly before 11 a.m. today.  After landing safely, the inbound Boeing 737 was taxiing whenit reported trouble with the nose gear and had to be towed to the gate.  A bird strike was responsible for the dramatic landing of a jetliner in the Hudson River last winter. All aboard survived

*  The Adams County commission voted 3-0 Mondayto allow a 165-acre dump near Denver International Airport. The vote came despiteobjections from neighbors and officials at Denver InternationalAirport, who said the landfill could attract birds dangerous to flyingplanes.  The landfill operator has said it willtake enough precautions to prevent dangerous bird flocks at the dump.

*  Many U.S. hotel operators may need 4 years to restore room rates to 2008 levels after slashing prices to spur demand.  Experts predict that it'll be sometime in 2012 or 2013 when we see a rebound in the national average room rate.

*  South Dakota police arrested a man they said tried to rob a hotel around 6 p.m.on Sunday with a butter knife. The clerk refused to give the man anymoney, and he left the hotel on foot. About an hour they arrested a 34-year-old man with the butter knife and charged him with robbery.