With over two million pets being flown around the USA annually, Pet Airways is the world’s first pet friendly airline to cater specially for the transportation of our four-legged friends.

The airline’s launch means pets can be part of the travel experience, rather than being packed away to kennels.

But travelling Pet Airways isn’t quite what it seems.  If you have images Labrador’s being buckled into their seats, the reality is slightly different.

Although Pet Airways prides itself by putting animals in the main cabin rather than the hold, the animals are actually tucked away in their own spacious containers.  Plus they’ll have their own air hostess to ensure their comfort and safety throughout the flight.

Fares start from just $149 one way, and unfortunately only on routes within the USA.

As the website says, “On Pet Airways, your pets aren’t packages, they’re “pawsengers.”

This looks more like a scene from Lost, but you can now book a stay in one of the world’s weirdest hotels – the fuelage of a Boeing 727.

The Hotel Costa Verde has been created from a vintage 1960s Boeing 727 jet which was salvaged and placed as an alternative holiday home on the edge of the Costa Verde National Park in Costa Rica.

The plane has been fully refurbished to offer the maximum in hotel comfort and is perched 50-foot high so guests can soak up the views across the jungle and ocean.

One of the wings has been converted into a hard wood terrace, and the entire interior has been decked out in teak panelling.

I think this could be a cool addition to www.hotelopia.co.uk.  For now, those wishing to visit have to visit the Costa Verde website directly.

Anyone who passed through Palma airport recently, would’ve been treated to some free spending money for their holiday in Majorca.

Apparently a drunken man from Manchester was so delighted by his €52,000 inheritance, that he tried giving away wads of notes and travellers cheques to passing passengers.

Most bizarrely the Spanish police put a stop to this generosity, and bundled him back on the plane back to the UK.

Now on the basis that the Hotelopia HQ is based just a short stroll from the arrivals lounge, I’m gutted that I had to read about this in the TravelMail. If anyone feels the need to display such amazing generosity, then do please, just walk down the road and pay us a visit.

A passenger returning from his holiday in Menorca stepped forward to fix a fawlty jet when it was announced his Thomas Cook flight home to Glasgow would be delayed.

The passenger, a fully qualified aircraft mechanic saved his fellow passengers from a possible eight-hour delay by fixing the plane himself.  Instead the flight was delayed by just 35 minutes.

This story is a real contrast to the PR spin churned out by Ireland’s happy-to-be-hated airline “Ryanair”.

If anyone believes the story that airline is seriously looking into creating standing room for their passengers, as well as the “pay-per-pee policy”, or even that “passengers will be made to carry their luggage to the plane,” then just wait until airline announces that passengers will have to fly the plane themselves.  It’s only a matter of time…

Michael Jackson is set to be immortalised in the Ukraine.

Oktyabrskoye, a little known village in the South East of the Ukraine, may soon experience an increase in hotel bookings if proposals to rename the town “Jackson” go through, according to the Daily Mail.

There are also talks in process to open a museum and house collections of the late popstar’s memorabilia, which could put the town on the tourist trail for must-see sights for dedicated Michael Jackson fans.

And just as the death of Elvis Presley provided a positive boost to tourism in Memphis, the passing of Michael Jackson will surely provide an increase in tourist dollars to locations associated with the pop legend including his former Neverland Ranch in California.

And with the sales soaring of Michael Jackson hit albums and singles, this bizarrely proves that some popstars are in fact more profitable dead than alive.

After almost four decades since Britains could travel to Australia under the £10 Pom scheme,  STA Travel in association with Tourism Australia and Qantas today have announced the return of the £10 tickets DownUnder.

£10 flight tickets will be available at selected branches of STA Travel on 5th August to provide anyone with a valid Australian Working Holiday Visa the chance to get to Australia for less than the price of rail ticket from London to Brighton.

The new generation of £10 Poms will be able to fly into one of five Australian cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide which means they’ll have more money to book a cheap hotel stay rather than a hostel when they arrive.

While the recession has witnessed a 21% rise in 18-34 year olds taking out a Working Holiday Visa, the £10 Pom scheme expects to provide extra incentive for young people to escape the stresses and strains of British life.

Tickets will be available from 8am on the 5th August at selected STA Travel branches in Belfast, Glasgow, London Victoria, Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Southampton.

Check out possibly the simplest holiday weather website to hit the net yet.  Forget about isobars, precipitation and incoming cold fronts, the inspired www.doineedajacket.com tells you all you really need to know about the weather – whether to leave home with a coat, or not.

And as much of Southern England has been hit by a heat wave, the Do I Need a Jacket website tells me to not leave home without my jacket in Belfast (apparently there’s light drizzle in the air today), and in Plymouth (because it’s raining)!  If you live in these destinations, maybe you should be thinking of booking a break away.

The rest of Europe appears to be basking in sunshine. So leave your coat at home if you’re off on your hols.  Don’t forget your sunscreen though.

Thomson Experience in association with Hotelopia has confirmed today that they will offer a full refund to those who’ve booked hotel and Michael Jackson concert ticket packages following the star’s death last week.

However, those who booked a package and still wish to visit London can do so, and will be offered alternative entertainment options including West End concert tickets to shows including Thriller Live, the show celebrating Michael Jackson’s life, Oliver and Mama Mia.

London plays host to a wealth of theatre, museum and other attractions so ticket holders can still visit the city for less and take advantage of exclusively renegotiated hotel rates.

This includes paying just £119 for a four star hotel stay (per room, per night including breakfast and taxes) or £199 per room staying at five star hotel during the dates the concert should’ve taken place.

Also customers will be the first to be advised of any replacement concerts taking place at The O2 and if/when they’ll be given the option to book.

To get a refund or to book alternative entertainment options please send your reference number which starts with 164 to customerservice@thomsonexperience.com and outline which option you wish to follow.

Refunds will be processed as soon as possible.

Following the sad news of the death of Michael Jackson today, we’ll soon annouce how those who’ve booked ticket and hotel packages to the This is It Tour though Thomson Experience can get refunded.  No comment has yet been given by the organisers.

Watch this space….

The money markets may rise and fall, but for some holidaymakers one of the greatest determining factors when booking a summer break is knowing roughly how much they’ll expect to spend on a pint.

Big drinkers can now be assured that  as well as booking a cheap hotel, they can roughly calculate beer sinkage on http://www.pintprice.com/

Considering the average price of a pint in London is £3.20, it’s worth getting out of the UK and hopping on a flight to Seville where the average price is just £1.10.

But if cashing in on the cheap beer is a big factor when it comes to planning a trip, head to Panama where a pint costs just £0.31 (if you ignore the cost of the flights).  Stay clear of the United Arab Emerites where a pint will set you back £6.36!