US domestic flights are to appear more expensive from tomorrow as airlines are forced to include all mandatory taxes, fees and charges in advertised fares.

Most fixed charges will be around £14 for a non-stop domestic flight, doubling on a one-stop flight. The new rules mean that a truer price will be shown on advertisements.

Passengers will also be allowed to cancel their reservation within 24 hours if they make their booking at least a week before departure,  without incurring a charge.

A lawsuit is pending in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia as some airlines challenge the US Department of Transport over their decision.

President Obama has announced plans to streamline the visa process for some nationalities to visit the US.

He made the announcement at Walt Disney World in Florida, stating that those from China and Brazil should have a faster visa processes to encourage them to visit the US and boost tourism.

He said: “I want America to be the top tourist destination in the world. The more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work. It is that simple.”

He also called for Commerce and Interior departments to develop a national tourism strategy which will highlight America’s national parks, and cultural and historic sites.

“The steps the president took today are significant and will boost travel to and within the United States,” said Roger Dow, president of the US Travel Association.

Happy New Year to all our readers! Before we move on to this year’s news, here’s a round up of some of the biggest stories we covered on this blog in 2011, it certainly was an eventful year!

January started with the troubled BMI threatening to withdraw its Heathrow – Glasgow route after passenger charges at Heathrow were raised (this was confirmed a month later). Ryanair returned to Manchester with four new routes. And the political troubles in Egypt disrupted flights.

Spiraling conflict in Egypt caused complete cancellation of routes to popular holiday destinations in February. Meanwhile, Which? launched a super complaint on airline card fee charges,the cost of Qantas’ engine troubles were revealed, and airlines flying from the UK finally started to show clearer air fares.

March brought faster flight times under a deal signed by traffic controllers. But by far the biggest news of the month was the huge tsunami which hit Japan and led to re-routing of flights to avoid possible radiation risk, and advice to leave Tokyo.

A Skyscanner survey found Spain back in favour for British holidaymakers in April.

In May Belfast Airport started to charge for going for a cigarette break, and the ongoing battle between Unite and British Airways was finally settled!

More natural disasters happened in June with violent aftershocks in Christchurch, New Zealand and volcanic eruptions in Chile.

The News of the World phone-hacking scandal broke in July with airlines withdrawing their advertisements as a result.

In August research revealed the use of smartphones were ruining people’s holidays.

The Rugby World Cup was held in New Zealand in September, where Wales’ hopes were dashed.

The first biofuel passenger flight took place in October, however green campaigners claimed it wasn’t as environmentally friendly as everyone thought.

Europe announced a ban on body scanners at airports in November, but the UK decided to go against the decision.

Finally, December saw 150mph winds hit parts of Scotland, which is where we are now at the start of 2012 as tremendous winds continue to batter the UK once more.

So, what travel news is in store for 2012? Keep up to date here!

According to Post Office Travel Money’s 2011 Long Haul Holiday Report, customers travelling to long-haul destinations will get better value for money holidays as prices fall in places such as Sri Lanka (where resort costs have fallen by a third from last year), the USA, Dubai and Egypt.

A spokeswoman for Post Office Travel Money, did however admit that the survey was intended to provide only a “snapshot” of prices in overseas resorts. Nevertheless, Sarah Munro of Post Office Head of Travel Money said prospects were bright for British holidaymakers, adding: “After a summer when the weak UK pound bought less holiday cash in Europe, tourists heading further afield for winter sun can look forward to seeing their pounds stretch further in most long haul destinations.

“Resort prices have fallen in two-thirds of the countries we surveyed a year ago and, in addition, sterling has strengthened against 15 of 26 long haul currencies.

“For example, the UK pound will buy over 19% more Kenyan shillings than a year ago and is also stronger against Caribbean and Latin-American currencies. Holidaymakers visiting the USA, Dubai and Egypt will be quids in too.”

The report claims that a ‘basket’ of 10 items, including a three-course meal for two with wine, would cost £31.81 in Sri Lanka and £51.48 in Thailand.

Elsewhere, China showed the year’s biggest price rise of 27%, to make the essential items average £116.43.

The full body scanners have caused much controversy since their test run; but those who have been concerned about the apparent nudity shown in the scanned images can be appeased as the images will now be changed.

The US Transportation Security Administration has approved plans to upgrade it full body scanners (at US airports for now) which will replace naked images with a computer generated one on the operator’s screen. Suspicious objects will be superimposed on the outline to ensure the security procedure is not compromised.

“This software upgrade enables us to continue providing a high level of security through advanced imaging technology screening, while improving the passenger experience at check points,” said TSA administrator John Pistole.

Now we’ve heard about ducks crossing the road and holding up traffic, but think of the surprise when 150 diamondback terrapin turtles were spotted trundling across a runway at the John F. Kennedy International Airport!

Flights had to be delayed on Wednesday as the reptiles tried to get over to lay their eggs on the sandy Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge shores.

Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said pilots from Jet Blue and other airlines halted their flights to let the expectant reptiles pass.

“Flight delays attributed to turtles were minor, about 15 minutes or so,” he said.

Port Authority staff rushed out to the tarmac  to scoop up the turtles to help them along in between take-offs and landings.

Showing a soft side, Marisco said of the actions taken: “At one point, we decided to heed Mother Nature and use other runways. This is not impacting flights.”

Last week around 362 twisters swept through southern America in just three days. At least 350 people have died as a result of this, the largest outbreak of tornadoes in history, according the National Weather Service.

312 tornadoes whipped across Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisiana and Kentucky in a single 24 hour period. The death toll continues to rise as emergency workers pick through the debris in the south-east states. A state of emergency has been declared in seven states.

According to Bloomberg, high winds and thunderstorms have caused flight disruption in key US airports, including New York and Atlanta, with more than 500 flights cancelled across the US last week.

Nearly 50 people were killed two weeks ago when storms ripped through US states from Oklahoma to North Carolina.

Astonishingly, nine out of every ten Brits holidaying in Spain this year will have got there on a no-frills airline like easyjet or Ryanair. The percentage for most other European destinations isn’t far behind. And with the budget airlines’ charge for checking in a suitcase ever rising, an increasing number of holidaymakers are taking just what will fit into a cabin bag with maximum dimensions of 55x40x20cm. Ryanair also imposes a 10kg weight limit whereas easyJet allows any weight ‘within reason’.

Ryanair has been especially tough on slightly oversize bags, sometimes creating lengthy departure gate queues as passengers with a cabin bag bulging beyond the max argue with staff then desperately extract enough to slim the bag.

If no-one has yet coined the phrase cabin bag anxiety, it’s time they did. But what the extortionate bag check-in charges do mean is that it’s worth investing in a cabin bag that makes the most of what you’re allowed. Luggage specialist Antler has come up a bag specifically designed for that purpose. It claims the Duolite is the lightest, most durable case it has ever produced. Combining a hybrid ABS and nylon material with a frameless construction, the Duolite is super lightweight, with the cabin case weighing in at just 2.1kg. With dimensions of 55x35x20, it meets most airlines’ cabin bag size limits (but always check before flying).

A weight of 2.1kg probably doesn’t mean much to most people, but we’ve been trying one out and the first thing everyone says is, “Isn’t it light?” The second is that  it nevertheless feels well made and strong in a high-tech sort of way, and the third is that it wheels along very easily. So although it has a recommended retail price of £89 (the lowest discounted price we saw online was £84), that could be a worthwhile investment. Our only reservation is that its width of 35cm is actually 5cm, or a couple of inches, less than most airlines allow, so you aren’t quite maximising the allowance. Having said that, the structure of the case intrudes very little into the internal space, which can also be expanded slightly by undoing a zip-fastened gusset extension to give a depth of 23cm if the airline isn’t being too strict. The bag has one zipped external pocket, and comes complete with a TSA padlock (which can be opened by security staff without having to break into the case).

For those trips where a cabin bag just isn’t enough, Antler does two matching suitcases of similar construction. The medium case (67x44x30/33cm) weighs 2.5kg, with a rrp of £105 and the large (74x49x33/36cm) weighs 2.9kg with a rrp of £109. With excess baggage charges of up to £40 per kilo, the two kilos or so saved compared with a typical case could almost pay for these cases, which all come with a 10-year warranty. Further details and stockists at www.antler.co.uk

There’s a new reason for visiting Florida, especially if you have young Harry Potter fans in tow. Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando has just opened its newest, grandest and most ambitious addition: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The Wizarding World is full of sights from the Potter universe. Rides including Dragon Challenge, Flight of the Hippogriff and the Forbidden Journey promise to bring thrills to guests of all ages, while sights like Ollivander’s Wand Shop, Hagrid’s Hut and Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods will delight Potter fans.

If that list of whimsical flights of fancy leaves you cold, flight search website Skyscanner is trying to drum up business with a list of alternative wizard venues. Starting with New Zealand, used as the setting when JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. With unrivalled vistas and great natural beauty, it’s the perfect setting for the wizard Gandalf to bestride Middle Earth. Tolkien fans continue to catch flights to New Zealand to experience the world of hobbits, elves and orcs for themselves.

Orcs no good? Then there’s always the Wizard of Oz, in Kansas, USA. In 1900, L. Frank Baum described the adventures of one Dorothy Gale, a young girl who is whisked away by a tornado, ending up in the Land of Oz. Befriending a talking scarecrow, a cowardly lion and a tin man, she journeyed to visit The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and get back home to Kansas, where today fans can visit the Oz Museum which holds masses of memorabilia from the books, films and musicals.

Possibly even more magical, if you’re a basketball fan, would be a visit to the Washington Wizards in Washington, DC. Based in the capital city’s Verizon Center, this professional basketball team had a genuine wizard of the court play for them in the form of superstar Michael Jordan from 2001 to 2003. They still fill their arena for every game and their skill and showmanship make for an unforgettable experience. Or so they say.

Closer to home is Parc Asterix, a theme-park 22 miles north of Paris that’s based on the world of cartoon character Asterix. There you can meet the wizard, a member of Goscinny and Uderzo’s tribe of rebellious Gaul warriors who comically torment Julius Caesar’s legions in ancient France. Getafix is a potion-concocting druid who can prepare an elixir that grants superhuman strength to those who drink it.

Following on from my previous post on the new $14 visa charge for the USA, ABTA, along with money saving websites, have taken up the call to urge holidaymakers who might visit the USA within the next two years to apply online for their ESTA before charges come in to effect on 8th September.

By applying early a family of four will save $56, approximately £40. All passengers travelling under the Visa Waiver Program must have a valid ESTA to gain entry to the USA.

The charge has been introduced to help fund the promotion of the USA. ABTA Head of Public Affairs Luke Pollard said: “We fully support the US Government’s wish to encourage people to visit their country. However charging visitors $14 each to fund this drive seems a rather odd way of doing so.

“Customers should go online to obtain their ESTA before 8 September to avoid the charge.”

To apply for an ESTA click here.