Fly your children to Vancouver for free using a special deal we've uncovered!

Zoom Airlines will allow kids 17 and younger to fly free if accompanied by adults. The young ones are still assessed taxes and fees, but the airfare is covered.

But hurry: you have to book your travel by July 31.

Zoom flies from Vancouver and Montreal to several European destinations: London, Paris, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff and Belfast.

In order to get this amazing discount, simply book travel at www.flyzoom.com and enter the promotion code: Children2008.

Zoom Airlines does offer some fine print on the deal. There is limited availability, and other restrictions may apply. So visit www.flyzoom.com to learn more.

How many layers of clothes can you fit under your ski gear? Rather than a warning of a chilly Canadian winter, this is a question you should ask yourself to help avoid nasty new airline baggage fees.

Rising Fuel Costs = Rising Flight Costs

Whether or not airlines "need" to charge you more, they've got a pretty good excuse to. The cost of oil has recently topped $1.34 US/barrel. This cost, which is only predicted to increase, affects the bottom line of every industry dependant upon transportation of goods or in the case of airlines, people and goods.

Some airlines have decided to create new baggage charges. Others have gone with new fees corresponding to the distance of your journey:

$25 charge for second piece of checked luggage:

• United Airlines
• US Airways
• Continental Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Northwest Airlines
• American Airlines
• Air Canada Tango and Tango Plus

$15 charge for first piece of checked luggage:

• American Airlines (notice this name in the above list as well)

Canadian airline companies, West Jet and Air Canada have both implemented surcharges corresponding to the distance you fly. Fees range from $20 - $45 each way.

Find these new fees hard to stomach? Take a fist full of Gravol because we may just be glimpsing a snapshot of what's yet to come. Several American airline companies are considering following American Airline's lead and charging for the first checked bag. It seems likely that if another airline comes up with a new fee, the others won't be far behind.

Three Tips to Avoid Extra Fees

1. Fares Shmares - Compare final costs, rather than the advertised fare. These days it's too difficult to keep up-to-date on which airline is charging which fees. Select a flight you want to compare and take it to the payment stage to find out what you'll really pay.
2. Wear Three Sweaters in July - This may sound extreme (and even for the penny pinchers, it is) but the theme here is solid. If you're just on the verge of needing to bring another bag, consider wearing a few extra pieces of clothing while going through security. Airports are air-conditioned so even if it's 100 degrees outside you'll be alright wearing your warm and woolies for a few minutes. Once through security, you can strip down and extra clothes can be stowed in your overhead compartment.
3. Rent, Don't Lugg - The cost of renting ski and snowboard gear often beats the cost and hassle of transporting your own. If airlines aren't already charging an arm and a leg to carry your gear, they may be soon. Pre-booking your rentals online is quick, easy and inexpensive.

The Long and Winding (and Construction-Laden) Road to Whistler

The Sea to Sky Highway drive from Vancouver to Whistler is one of the most beautiful, scenic journeys in the world. It will soon be known for freshly paved, dual-lane roads as well. In the meantime, if you're traveling during off-peak hours, hover your foot over the brake and pack your camera. Snap some gorgeous mountain shots while waiting for a yellow-vested human signpost to wave you on.

Convenient Inconveniences

The Sea to Sky Highway Improvement Project's goal is to finish construction by 2009 in time for the 2010 Olympics while maintaining travel-worthy roads for the majority of regular traffic.

Without construction delays an average journey to Whistler will take 2 hours 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver or 2 hours 45 minutes from Vancouver International Airport. Expect average travel times and smooth sailing, without scheduled delays or closures during peak travel times:

• 6 am to 9 am Monday to Friday
• 5 pm to 8 pm Monday to Thursday
• noon Friday to 10 pm Sunday
• all major Canadian and US holidays

Can't travel during these times? Plan on an average 45-minute delay from West Vancouver to Whistler. For a specific schedule of maximum delays and closures check out the weekly Sea to Sky Highway closures schedule the week you intend to travel.

It may also be a good idea to program 1-877-4SAFE99 into your phone to check road works and conditions before heading out.

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait... in Traffic

The Sea to Sky Highway Improvement Project completion is scheduled for 2009. Improvements will make the drive to and from Whistler faster and safer.

Roads will be straighter with longer sightlines meaning consistently higher speed limits. Getting stuck behind a logging truck will be a thing of the past with 80 kilometres of new passing lanes between Horseshoe Bay and Whistler.

There are approximately 300 traffic accidents on the Sea-to-Sky Highway every year. New barriers, intersections and reflective pavement markings should create better visibility and decrease the number of crashes. New weather stations along the highway will also contribute to more efficient road maintenance.

Snooze While You Cruise or Soak in the Sights

Wondering if you're up for the challenge of driving the Sea to Sky Highway? Maybe you'd rather gawk at your surroundings instead of staring at the car in front of you? Avoid the nerves and frustration of being in the driver's seat. Be a pampered passenger of one of the many buses, private transfers or trains that run between Vancouver and Whistler daily.

Buses from Vancouver Airport:

Pacific Coach Lines*
Perimeter Whistler Express*

Buses from Vancouver:

Snowbus*
Greyhound

Private Transfer:

Star Limousine*

Scenic Train Journey from Downtown Vancouver:

Whistler Mountaineer

*Indicates discount available through AlluraDirect.com Whistler Guest Newsletter.

However and whenever you take your next trip to Whistler you'll likely be setting off on vacation so you shouldn't have any worries. Sit back, relax and enjoy the view. And bring a spare set of batteries for your camera!

We all fear the same airport nightmare: thousands of people scattered across the airport floor, their luggage sitting idly beside them. You are in the same predicament as your flight, too, has been delayed or canceled.

This situation can create stress and panic for even the most seasoned traveler.

Airports can be stressful places. But don't let your ski resort vacation suffer from a bad airport experience.

Whether traveling to a ski resort in the summer or winter, always remember Rule 240.

How Rule 240 Can Save your Ski Resort Vacation

Rule 240 states that if a flight is canceled or delayed for any reason other than weather, the airline must place a guest on the next available flight; for free. Not the airline's next available flight, but the next available flight leaving from the airport.

It helps to investigate why a flight is delayed or canceled. Even if an airline claims a flight is delayed for weather, check the weather of your destination and see if other flights are departing for your destination.

Is Rule 240 a Myth or Reality?

Rule 240 sounds too good to be true, and some claim it is. While many travel experts insist Rule 240 is a myth, others find themselves on alternative fights after uttering the magic "Rule 240" words at airport ticket counters.

Rule 240 did formally exist at one time. Before 1978, when US airlines were deregulated, the Civil Aeronautics Board required all carriers to adhere to the same set of rules. Among these rules was Rule 240.

Since many international flights fly through the US, these standards soon spread to airlines around the world.

With deregulation in 1978, airlines were free to remove Rule 240 from passenger contracts. Despite this, however, many airlines continue to honour Rule 240, and it has been evoked by passengers many times. Vestiges of Rule 240 clauses, guests have found, are buried in the "condition of carriage" contracts for many airlines.

On the other hand, avid believers of Rule 240 are ridiculed for the myth of Rule 240. There is no longer a good reason for Rule 240 to exist, and critics argue that it does not. Airlines are purposely ambiguous in explaining their policies. Most airlines like to limit the extent that customers can evoke Rule 240.

The bottom line? If stranded on the way to your ski resort vacation, it pays to complain.

Gate Agents have the final say to whether Rule 240 can or cannot be evoked. Rule 240 may be offered by an airline, even if it is not advertised or recommended at the ticket counter.

The key is to ask - not demand - "hey, could you '240' me?" In many cases, you will be accommodated.

As Spring breezes its way into our lives, we welcome the longer days and shorter nights with happiness. But Spring also marks the end of Winter and, soon, the end of the ski season.

The last day of skiing & snowboarding for many of our ski resorts falls on Sunday, April 6th:

• Big White
• Silver Star
• Fernie
• Red Mountain
• Kicking Horse (bonus weekend of operation: April 11-13)
• Panorama

Sun Peaks' and Mont Tremblant's season closes the following Sunday, April 13th.

Be sure to get in your last days of the season!

I recently did some digging online to answer that question.

Seems pretty straight forward. I figured the almighty Google would return me some explanatory results.

Nope.

Instead, I was served a bland list of vacation rental directory homepages, all of whom eagerly served up their inventory, but didn't bother addressing the question: what, exactly, are vacation rentals by owner? How do they work? What are the benefits? What are the risks involved?

To be honest, our site also fails to offer a sufficient explanation for a guest new to the idea of renting a home instead of a hotel. So I decided to hold my proverbial nose to grindestone and create an informative and polished Squidoo lens:

Vacation Rentals By Owner

Have a read and let us know what you think in the comments!