Travel weekly has recently reported that both Ryanair and EasyJet will protest about the increase in air passenger duty. Apparently, EasyJet are to send staff to airports dressed in Tax men uniforms, and Ryanair have recently published ads in the national press.

Mmm yes, that’s going to help a lot isn’t it?

This isn’t a publicity stunt to change Gordon Brown’s [the government’s] mind – it’s a publicity stunt to brainwash consumers into thinking that the airlines are doing something about this ridiculous increase.

January is far the busiest month of the year for the travel industry, and wow what a month! The increase in air passenger duty has to come under the ugly category, with the airlines showing their ugly, ruthless side.

I think its’ great that consumers have the tools to compare the best deals, with sites like SideStep.com, Kayak.co.uk, TravelSupermarket.com, Cheapflights and Henoo – these sites belong in the Good category, in my opinion.

I also think it’s great that independent travel agents are getting stuck in and fighting the big boys – okay they don’t have the marketing budget of the likes of Thomson and My Travel but they are embracing the internet and good for them

From a consumers perspective though let’s leave travel agents exactly where they are – the high street! I’d be disappointed to see travel agents moving on to the internet completely, and shifting their customer service over to Asia.

No matter how cheaper you can book your holiday online, people want to communicate with humans, and I hope that for the sake of profit that we don’t see tons of high street closures. Let’s see what February has in stall for us consumers.

Useful for those of you planning a road trip around the US, is Mapquest’s new Gas Price portal. Consumers can find information on gas prices at more than 100,000 stations around the country, as well as the location of stations offering diesel and alternative fuels, gas saving tips and more.

Personally, I think it’s a great idea and to test this new tool out I ran a search for gas prices in New Haven, Connecticut for Regular gasoline, and was provided with the best prices from the cheapest gas stations, which could then be sorted by distance and alphabetical order. Great idea, but how about reducing some of them gas guzzling cars to help save the environment?!

Well, what a weekend – what was supposed to be an interesting weekend in Malvern, ended up to be a weekend spent in bed sleeping. Its weird how these flu type viruses start – Friday afternoon I was having a few beers with friends, and a few hours later I was laid up in bed for 3 days!

For those that are annoyed at the Air Passenger Duty increase you can use the Governments beta online petition service. All you have to do is enter your name, email address and home address, and your name will be added on to the petition.

Air Passenger Duty is due to rise on 1 February 2007 and it has been announced that Gordon Brown wants it to be backdated and to affect those who have already booked their travel. Please make sure that you tell your family and friends to visit the Travel Rants Blog and sign the petition!

At Kids Can Travel, not only do we believe that kids can travel, travel with kids is fun and it is a great opportunity to introduce children to the world beyond their backdoor. Yet whether you’ve trekked in Nepal, hitchhiked in South America, backpacked in Europe or traversed North America by road, children are likely to change your perspective on travel.

Sleeping in the railway station because you didn’t consider the implications of a 2am arrival and no hotel room may, at age 20, lead to great memories. When traveling with kids, a night on the floor is more likely to be a nightmare. But that doesn’t mean you’re limited to caravanning on the beach round the bend until the tikes become teens.

The following tips will help you get beyond ‘Can I take my kids there?’

Getting Started
Select a family travel destination that reflects your families’ interests and offers family attractions and activities that are appropriate for the age of your children and, at the same time, enjoyable for the adults.

Do the homework
Research your travel destination thoroughly before you are comfortably seated on the plane. Determine travel health issues such as drinking water and vaccinations in advance. Find out if your all-inclusive resort offers a children’s menu before you book and, if possible, introduce the kids to your foreign foods before you depart.

Getting there
Reconsider direct flights. Determine the real cost of the difference in the fare; how much is the reduced travel time worth? Plan your travel time to coincide with a young child’s nap or sleep time. Pack your hand luggage with the kids in mind. Don’t open that book or magazine you’ve been dying to read until you’ve played with the children for an hour or two. For kids, a family vacation is a chance time to spend quality time with mom and dad.

On the Road
Schedule your itinerary to match their pace. Take time out for a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner and alternate playtime and sightseeing. Beat the queues and reduce long wait times; reserve train seats and book entrance times to museums and attractions in advance.

Travel smart and enjoy!