Holiday Airfares Up, A New Name for Booze Cruises and More

Holiday Airfares are up by 5% That's the depressing newsflash from USAToday, which is using stats from booking sites Kayak.com and Orbitz.com. As always, there are some days when the prices will be (slightly) less painful (such as Christmas and New Years days). And the worst days to travel? December 22, 23 and 26.

Cheers! Is the not-so-original new name for the unlimited booze packages offered by the party-hearty Carnival Cruise Lines. With the new name comes an expansion of the program. Now it will be possible to drink until you drop, for one lowish price ($42.95), aboard the Carnival Victory, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Breeze and Carnival Dream. The price covers unlimited servings of cocktails, beer and wine in the $10/glass and less category, and 25% off full bottles and premium cocktails. NCL is offering a similar program on many of its ships.

Hacking hotel key cards: Ruh roh! Turns out it's not at all hard to break into hotel rooms that use key card systems, according to a source that would know, Gizmodo.com. Another good reason to always use the hotel safe when leaving valuables in your room!

Soon we'll be flying the planes! The Economist is reporting that more and more airlines are having their passengers self-tag their bags when they check in. I suppose it's a good way to make sure your luggage gets where it's going, but I worry about all the folks who may be losing their jobs because of this move. For more on the topic, click there.