TRAVELING IN 2013 (Getty Images) There are few certainties when it comes to travel. But in this new year, travelers can count on one thing: They'll have to spend more money if they want to fly. Airlines had a profitable 2012. And industry analysts say they'll probably have an even better 2013 if they keep raising fares, charging more fees and cutting back on the number of flights. That may push some travelers to their cars. If it does, they...

(Getty Images) A sobering new study shows America's tired population is creating a major hazard on the road. According to a report just released by the CDC, more than 4% of Americans say they have recently fallen asleep while driving. Experts admit that number could be even higher because many people don't realize they've drifted off for a moment. Government awareness campaigns are quick to promote the dangers of drunk driving, but most people don't realize sleep depravation can be...

Ellwood says passengers used duct tape to calm the drunk man. (Andy Ellwood via Tumblr) A photo of an allegedly obnoxious, drunk passenger who wound up duct taped to his seat during a flight from Iceland to New York's JFK is exploding on social media. Blogger and businessman Andy Ellwood first posted the photo on Tumblr. He got it from a friend who was on the flight. "Passengers hog-tied fellow passenger who drank all of his duty free liquor in...

A pilot poses inside an Airbus A380 at Guarulhos international airport, in the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 22, 2012. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/GettyImages) Some U.S. airlines may see a pilot crunch as soon as this year, as thousands of pilots start to retire and new rules requiring extra training and more rest start to kick in, some aviation analysts say. As the economy slowly improves, potentially increasing the desire by Americans to travel, a wave of pilots is reaching...

A Cessna 560 XL Citation Excel business jet airplane prepares its approach to Vienna Schwechat international airport as it flies in front of the moon on Sept. 23, 2012. (ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/Getty Images) NEW YORK -- Fewer business travelers are likely to hit the road this year as the travel industry is challenged by corporate America's persistent economic fears. Business travelers are expected to take 431.8 million trips in 2013, the Global Business Travel Association said Tuesday. The industry trade group...

Passengers on a QANTAS flight in Australia could have used Samuel L. Jackson on board. The Sydney Morning Herald reports a 9-foot python attached itself to the wing of the plane. "There was no panic. At no time did anyone stop to consider there might be others aboard," passenger Robert Weber told the newspaper. The python wraps itself around the wing of the plane in mid-air. (YouTube Screenshot) The plane landed without a problem. This isn't the first time reality...

A man walks in front of a poster of the All Nippon Airways (ANA)'s Boeing 787 plane in Tokyo. ANA had to cancel a flight earlier this week after a computer wrongly indicated there was a problem with the Boeing 787's brakes. (Associated Press) Prompted by a series of mechanical issues this week, the Federal Aviation Administration says it'll investigate Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Although both the FAA and Boeing say there's no data to suggest the plane is unsafe, investigators...

Will the sun finally set on some of the airlines' most aggravating policies? (Getty Images) Tougher New Airline Regulations Ahead Trying to book and pay for a plane ticket can make you feel helpless. But the Department of Transportation (DOT) is expected to come to your rescue this spring, according to reports from USA Today and Huffington Post. The new regulations could force airlines to tell you exactly what you're paying for before you buy a ticket. (MORE: 5 Travel...

A view of the Florida island on sale on eBay. (eBay) A longtime Volusia County resident is trying to auction off part of an uninhabited island in the Intracoastal Waterway for as little as $459,000 on eBay. On the plus side, the waterfront views are unencumbered and neighbors are nonexistent on the 3-acre site in Port Orange. On the minus side, future inhabitants would need solar power, a rainwater cistern and permission from local government to build anything there. The...

(Project Linq Las Vegas) If your kids are afraid of heights, you better start breaking them of that phobia now; observation wheels top the list of family travel trends for 2013 and beyond. To be clear, I’m not talking run-of-the-mill (pun intended) Ferris wheels here. I’m talking big-ass Ferris wheels. Giant ones. Like, wheels that make the legendary Singapore Flyer (501 feet tall) and the iconic London Eye (443 feet) look like rinky-dink rides from a Hobbit-oriented amusement park in...

(Matt Villano) We Americans have grown accustomed to insuring all of our most valuable stuff—our homes, our cars, even our lives. Oddly, however, very few of us insure our trips; according to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, fewer than one-third of Americans who travel purchase travel insurance. If you’re a solo traveler whose plans rarely change, I can understand being hesitant. But for family travelers, especially those who spend multiple thousands of dollars on vacations with multiple children, NOT buying...

(One Step Ahead) Vendors serving the parenting space will stop at nothing to try and convince us moms and dads how much of their stuff we need. Sometimes, they’ve got a point—that little clip-and-tether doohickey that keeps the baby’s pacifier from hitting the ground is genius. In the case of family travel, however, most of the products dubbed “must-haves” represent colossal wastes of cash. Here are three (well, really, four) of the least necessary I’ve come across so far. Baby...

(Rayes/Thinkstock) While it’s important to bring a bathing suit when you and the family hit the road this summer, it’s even more critical to make sure your children are safe. I recently sat down with Alison Rhodes-Jacobson, a.k.a. Safety Mom, to glean some tips for safer family vacations. Here are the highlights of our chat. Q. How can parents ‘train’ their kids to be safer when the family is away from home? A. Have an emergency evacuation plan in case...