The program will be offered to Lufthansa’s Miles & More frequent-flyer program members, who opt-in for the free service (just select the automatic check-in option under the “Travel Services” section of your Lufthansa.com customer profile) – though the program is expected to be extended to all passengers in the months ahead.

Should you need to cancel or change your travel plans, passengers with tickets that allow such modifications can make them on Lufthansa.com or by calling the airline directly. Baggage check-in will be conducted at the airport, via the baggage drop-off counter or at a designated check-in kiosk. The same kiosks – or the airline’s website – will also allow customers to change seats, as availability permits.

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rate on flights, hotels, packages and more travel deals.

The new partnership will be featured on Hawaiian Airlines’ soon-to-launch flights (on June 5, precisely) between New York City and Honolulu (where continuing connections are additionally available to Kauai, Maui, or Hawaii Island), on what will be the only nonstop offering on that particular itinerary (advertised rates start at $431 each way). Or, customers can book travel immediately via Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where JetBlue operates, and Hawaiian Airlines currently offers multiple daily departures to Hawaii (rates start at $339 each way). Plus, the airlines have agreed to allow for reciprocal frequent flyer benefits between the two carriers.

For the time being, customers can book the new connecting itineraries by calling Hawaiian Airlines (800-367-5320), JetBlue (800-538-2583), or by contacting their preferred travel agent; the companies’ websites will be updated soon to allow for bookings on routes that incorporate travel on the two airlines.

Visit our Hawaii Travel Guide for more trip-planning information, then use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights, hotels, cruises, and more travel deals.

The upgraded cabins will feature durable and environmentally sensitive materials geared towards lessening onboard weight and waste products (look for recyclable carpets), brighter color accents, and slimmer passenger seating. The new seats will bump up those available onboard from 137 to 143 and offer improved ergonomics, as well as increased under-seat room for carry-ons. They’ll also reduce the recline from three to two inches – a pain, perhaps, if you’re planning on dozing, but as it applies to the guy in front of you, too, it guarantees less intrusion into your personal space overall.

Ultimately, the extra seating will allow for revenue opportunities that will help stave off the airline implementing any new additional fees (Southwest still offers complimentary checked bags and other fee-free offerings that have long since disappeared from most all U.S.-based airlines). Similar cabin design overhauls will be made on the airline’s subsidiary AirTran Airways planes, as well.

This route is now the Canadian airline’s sixth U.S. destination (Porter also flies to New York, Chicago, and Boston, and has seasonal flights to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Burlington, Vt.). Flights will begin operating on April 16, with up to three roundtrip flights daily.

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on hotels, flights, vacation packages, and more travel deals.

A recent Bloomberg article suggested that the new fees could translate to anywhere from $15 to $17 on a standard flight from NYC to London (while other industry analysts have predicted spikes of as much as $50 to $90 on transatlantic routes). So far, we’ve seen Delta and United both add a digestible $3 per passenger surcharge on its one-way transatlantic flights, as of last week.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is considering imposing a retaliatory fee on any European airlines entering U.S. airports. It all seems like messy politics, but the truth is, the new airline carbon fee is proving to be a good policy – not just for environmental insurances, but for airline coffers, too.

The aviation industry accounts for 3 percent of carbon-dioxide emissions on the planet and is one of its fastest-growing sources. A World Bank report estimated that the implementation of such an airline carbon fee would raise ticket prices by about 2 to 4 percent, but cause emissions to fall by 5 to 10 percent since fewer people would fly, airlines would strive for more efficient routing, and older, environmentally unfriendly planes would be taken out of commission. Overall, the new European plan requires airlines to buy into Europe’s cap-and-trade system, with targets of reducing emissions 3 percent by 2012, and 5 percent by 2020.

Plus, new U.S. Federal Aviation Administration-funded studies have indicated that the EU carbon law could boost U.S. airline profits – by as much as $2.6 billion by 2020, in fact – since U.S companies were likely to pass on the full cost of the carbon emission permit fees to passengers, even though the current implementation plan grants 85 percent of their emission fees free of charge for the first few years.

Why the increase in D.C. and the decrease in New York? It comes as part of a slot-swap deal with Delta; the two airlines traded takeoff and landing slots so that Delta could cement its hold on NYC and US Airways could become even stronger in the Washington market, where they also note there will be a job increase. With increased holds at their hubs, the airlines can easily expect an increased percentage of the hub’s passengers (and their money).

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on hotels, flights, vacation packages, and more travel deals.

In all fairness, the airlines would be the only industry subject to this type of regulation. (For the time being, rental car agencies, hotels, cruise lines, etc. will remain exempt). However, increasing use of Internet and social media site (Facebook, Twitter) advertising in recent years has made the fine print more difficult to pin down, leading to the government’s push for the upcoming changes. Including optional charges, like checked baggage fees, will remain exempt from the new regulations.

Here at Savvy Flyer, we’re looking forward to seeing clarity brought to how tickets and flights are priced and promoted – that straightforwardness is sure to be breath of fresh air(fare).

Recently rated the most tech-friendly airline, Delta Airlines continued its tech trend by installing six cameras in a suitcase to show us exactly what journey our luggage goes on when we check it. Although the video leaves some to be desired (no TSA screening area photography allowed, for example, and the outdoor shots are at night), it’s no doubt interesting to see the journey that the bag makes, especially as it rides through a maze of conveyer belts reminiscent of the airport scenes in Toy Story 2 (which turn out to be pretty accurately portrayed, animated dolls aside).

The video is an ad for the Delta Mobile app, which has a luggage-tracking feature akin to package trackers used by UPS and other mail carriers.  Using Delta’s Wi-Fi, you can track your checked luggage throughout the flight, which can come in handy when you want to know which baggage carousel you should go to in order to retrieve your luggage. You’ll also know where your bag goes if it’s mistakenly on the wrong flight, taking some of the guesswork out of an already frustrating experience.

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights, hotels, cruises, and other travel deals.

At the Toronto-Pearson International Airport, you can arrange for a flyer to be greeted by carolers upon arrival. Through December 24, if you’re flying domestic into Toronto-Pearson, tweet @torontopearson with the person’s name, flight number, and flight date whom you’d like to surprise with some holiday cheer.

And, finally, if you haven’t had a holiday photo sent out, here’s your chance: Southwest Airlines and Windows are joining forces to provide free holiday photos at 21 airports across the country. There will also be dozens of giveaways of Microsoft and Windows prizes. Flyers are able to edit their photos at the kiosks, print them out, and send them to friends and family. Perfect for killing time while waiting for your flight.

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on hotels, flights, vacation packages, and more travel deals.

PCWorld

Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) took first place for the airports, thanks to its consistently high scores across all categories and longstanding commitment to meeting the needs of tech-oriented travelers. Overall, it seemed that Northern California reigned supreme as a region, with no fewer than three airports – Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Oakland International Airport (OAK), and San Francisco International (SFO) – landing in the top 10. New York’s JFK and LGA airports, Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW), Salt Lake City (SLC), and Baltimore (BWI) rounded out the top 10 slots.

Denver (DEN) came in on the tail end of the list with the lowest marks, due to an inadequate number of airport electrical outlets and USB ports, along with slow Wi-Fi and cellular services.

Delta reigned supreme for domestic airlines, thanks to recent upgrades at 20 of its airports that have provided charging stations, as well as iPad installations at New York City airports (with Minneapolis-St. Paul soon to follow), a savvy travel app, a strong social media presence, and onboard Wi-Fi on many of its domestic aircraft. JetBlue ranked lowest on the list for its mediocre tech amenities, low-rated mobile app, and its lack of Wi-Fi-equipped planes or mobile check-in options.

To read the full article, visit PC World’s website.

Savvy Flyer readers – what’s your favorite airport/airline for the tech traveler and why?

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on hotels, flights, vacation packages, and more travel deals.