But what's most amazing about this household-name airline is that Southwest has never needed a passport for any of its travels. Sticking to the Lower 48 has undoubtedly paid off as a business plan thus far, but it looks like the LUV airline may be getting restless. As evidence I would cite the fact that Southwest has just inked a deal with Volaris, a low-cost Mexican carrier, to provide codeshare service south of the border.

I'm just wondering what will happen once Southwest tastes real Mexican cooking or lies on a sandy Acapulco beach. Will other "foreign relations" be far off? Which of course leads to the next thought: Who would Southwest hook up with? My first bet is on Ryanair, which is evidently considering transatlantic service to complement its European domination. Ryanair, with its ultra-cheap reputation and tendency to charge extra for every little thing, makes Southwest look like the Armani of airlines. But I digress. For flights to Australia, could that country's Virgin Blue be a possible mate? I think it a better match than Qantas, but the real struggle would be over who would spring for the fuel, since I'm quite sure Southwest isn't interested in picking up the tab on a 15-hour flight to Sydney, and I dare say Virgin Blue feels the same way.

Southwest and its potential partners might even someday create an alliance comprised of just low-cost carriers, which would really shake up the flying experience. If you thought the glamour days of air travel went out with Pan Am in the 1970s, welcome to the new no-frills flight. Forget meal service—you'd be lucky to find some Chex Mix under your seat on one of these planes. And baggage fees? Oh man, there'd be some serious carry-on cramming on a Ryanair trip from Boston to London. So no, it probably won't be much to write home about. But that's not why you'll buy a ticket. You'll pony up your $99 and get on that flight to Paris because it'll cost you ninety-nine dollars. In a time of capacity cuts and high fares, I'll take the cheap flight, thanks.

My only question is how big a napkin I need to sketch out an international route map for a new global Southwest and its friends. Would you buy a ticket on a long-haul international flight offered by one of these airlines? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.

(Photo: Southwest Airlines)

Well, here at the BookingBuddy blog, we're curious to see how a new administration changes the travel landscape. Shortly after Barack Obama was elected last week, we gathered in an undisclosed location, ordered about 50 pizzas, a few cases of energy drinks, and put Airplane! on the DVD player. Our task: Draft a list of ways the President-elect could improve the travel industry. We pored through Department of Transportation reports, highly classified TSA documents, and thousands of anecdotal reports from travelers like you, looking for problems and finding answers. We emerged a few days later with a list of suggestions so wise that the printed words actually glowed with what can only be described as a shimmering light of hope.

Much to our dismay, however, we quickly learned that Salon.com had already published a list of its own, and while Salon's list isn't luminescent exactly, it is pretty darn good. So, back to the drawing board. We split a five-pound bag of M&Ms and a few gallons of Mountain Dew and this is what we came up with. Mr. President, you can thank us later.

1. Onboard seat upgrades for all. We like AirTran's idea for first-come-first-served business-class upgrades on the plane. Let's see more airlines adopt similar policies. Bonus points if you can convince airlines to give upgrades away for free (like, say, if you do a top-notch tap dance routine, you get the empty business-class seat).

2. More airlines realizing their food isn't really good enough to sell. United got the hint, will other airlines follow suit? Methinks a gentle nudge (or a sharp elbow to the ribs) from you may help clarify the picture, if you get my meaning. Alternately, good food for sale would be acceptable.

3. More free helicopter rides. Nothing says "executive" like landing on top of a skyscraper, and Continental is making the dream of a high-flying luxe lifestyle a reality for all. So even if you're just a bored hamburger-flipper (or an underpaid travel news blogger), you can fly like some of the richest folks in the world (except Bill Gates, who probably has some sort of teleportation device).

4. Better advertising. Spirit's amusing political play on words and United's surreal animations notwithstanding, this wasn't a great year for airline ads. Never mind that airfares are usually displayed without taxes and fees, which borders on outright deception by making them seem lower than they really are, but the ads just aren't that good. Southwest took a wrong turn and ended up in creepyville, and Spirit—well, Spirit just does its own thing, doesn't it?

5. Stop the a-la-carte revolution. Sure, it's good for business. Sure, most people don't seem to mind too much. But pretty soon you'll have to pay to buckle your seat belt! I don't want to point any fingers (and certainly not at American, US Airways, or United!) but a few airlines have been leading the charge. I think a stern talking-to would set them straight.

Well folks, there are the five ideas I can print. There were more ideas, trust me, but I mean it when I say these are the ones I can print. What ideas do you have? Any suggestions for our President-elect? Leave a comment below with your thoughts. I'm pretty sure he reads this blog regularly, so he'll see them. Thanks

(Photo: CNN.com)

There is, though, one more element to this little debate that seems to have been overlooked. Specifically, it’s the fact that no matter how hypo-allergenic your pillow may be, no matter how warm your fleecy blanket keeps you, you will not sleep on your flight. I can say this with more confidence than ever now, considering that ain’t nobody able to afford those ultra-platinum-class seats with the full-reclining bed in a plush cabin-of-cozy. Sorry, Emirates.

If you can afford to fly, you’re still going to be sardine-packed into your four-inch reclining seat. (Which goes with the territory. To all of those who are still complaining, I offer you a resounding “eh.”) You can read your book, listen to your iPod, and perhaps even enjoy in-flight entertainment in relative peace and comfort. But you will not—I repeat—will not sleep. The human body was not designed to sleep upright. Horses, sure. Flamingos, you bet. But not humans. Unless the airline starts pumping chloroform through those air vent thingies or mixing Ambien in with the ginger ale, there is absolutely nothing in this world or above it that will allow you to sleep.

Well, nothing … save one thing. If you get yourself all wrapped up tight in your new pillow and blanket and snug as a bug in a rug, request a copy of the airline’s policy on new charges and dig right in. It may just be the opiate a weary and fee-squeezed traveler needs to finally to catch a few furtive moments of sleep.

(Photo: www.seagnome.com)

So what, pray tell, could Spirit offer that neither Barack Obama nor John McCain, Joe Biden nor Sarah Palin could provide? Puns. Lots and lots of horrible puns. Read:

"Spirit, a Maverick in airline sales, brings you Ochobama! He's built his platform around bringing you low fares, from only $8* each way for $9 Fare Club** members. We're also offering many more great fares for everyone. We've been Biden our time to bring you this sale. Check out the low fares and save big today! All other sales Palin comparison. But hurry, the polls close on the best fares on November 4, 2008 at 11:59 PM ET! All fares are based on roundtrip purchase and taxes, fees & restrictions apply."

This comes from the airline's "Ochobama" sale, which features fares starting at $8 one-way (hence the "ocho," get it?). Now, if you're not familiar with Spirit's advertising schemes, you should know the airline tends to make up characters to represent its sale, and writes a blurb that is somehow thematically linked to its character. In this case, the ad came with a number eight adorned with a set of large, Obama-esque ears and a red tie.

Sometimes Spirit's ads are just plain silly and corny and sometimes they're downright offensive. This one obviously falls in the corny category. My guess here is that Spirit's ad folks, like the rest of us, are borderline delirious after months upon months of intense campaign coverage.

(Photo: www.kvlc.talstar.com)

Which brings me to American Airlines’ new TV ad. The ad (as you can see below, should you choose to click) depicts a sports agent and his doofy, tall, presumably basketball-playing client traveling all around the world to try to get this clumsy fool a contract. OK. So then at the end of the ad, after this agent has finally gotten his client a job, they prepare to board a plane, the sign at the gate flashes “Going the distance for your client,” and the voice-over announces: “American Airlines. We know why you fly.”

Hmmm.

Okay, so, you know why I fly. And, believe me, I appreciate that. How nice of you. There are so many reasons to fly, it’s got to take a lot of effort to keep track of all of that. Flying to visit grandparents. To find cheaper real estate in Tennessee. To flee Colombian drug cartels. Thanks for staying on top of that.

Unfortunately for American, the unexpected by-product of a benefit-less ad like this is a follow-up question. Specifically: “You know why I fly? Okay, what are you going to do about it?” Oooo. Probably not the response they were hoping for. I’m going to guess they were going for “good will” and “making a connection with their customers”. But by not letting people know what American is doing to make flying more pleasant, people are going to focus on why it’s unpleasant.

Which is not to say that other airlines aren’t guilty of this kind of real-information deflection, as well; But if you’re looking to set yourself apart and win back some loyalty, this kind of ad may require a follow-up. People are smart enough to see behind the story nowadays. The best way to win loyalty? Give your customers real reasons – benefits – to fly on your airline.

Or maybe just some cake. (Take advantage of low expectations, American; it’s not gonna take much.)

Back when United began charging for checked bags, BookingBuddy blogger Heather Gilbert took it rather hard, attributing a personal packing crisis to the new policy. As she wrote in February, "I’ve never gone on vacation and actually worn all the clothes I’ve packed. Most of my clothes are simply an insurance policy meant to cover my various whims and 'what-ifs.'" This spring, her fellow blogger Nicki Krawczyk came up with the ingenious solution of wearing all of her clothes onboard: "That’s right: all four sweaters, three shirts, two pairs of jeans and two pairs of khakis. You’ll be warm and rather bulky, but since other people don’t seem to care about encroaching on your seat space, you can pay that back in full."

Perhaps such extreme measures aren't necessary anymore. United's new service isn't cheap, but it's highly competitive with more established luggage-shipping services. According to the Wall Street Journal, United will get your 50-pound suitcase from Santa Monica to Manhattan for $179 one-way, while the same service from Luggage Forward would run you $364, and Luggage Concierge would charge $333.

So maybe it's time to travel light. You can throw your laptop and a few snacks into a carry-on and head on over to the airport. Leave the heavy lifting for the experts.

(Photo: Perfect Flight)

AirTran, the low-fare carrier that was recently named the fourth-most-reliable airline by Forbes, has now begun offering $49 to $99 seat upgrades after passengers have already boarded. While most airlines routinely allow upgrading at check-in or the gate, AirTran's move puts upgrades where they have the most immediate appeal. Because you never crave a better seat more than when you're faced with any one or all of the following:

• Trying to squeeze your adult-sized body into a space clearly made for a doll.
• A hygienically challenged seatmate who may just fall asleep (and drool) on your shoulder.
• The latest issue of SkyMall as your sole source of in-flight entertainment.
• Having to shell out money for every little mediocre amenity, from a one-ounce bag of pretzels to half a can of Sprite or a mini-pillow.

For fifty or a hundred bucks it's not like you'll be getting a private cabin a la Singapore Airlines. But when you first stretch out your legs, take that sip of gin and tonic, and look at the person next to you (as opposed to on top of you), that economy-class frown will just melt away.

(Photo: Justin Cederholm/Airliners.Net)

Here's one reader's take: "They act like the passengers don't matter at all. If I'm sleeping in the aisle seat because it's 2am and we've been sitting on the runway for 7 hours, don't yell at the person in the window seat about a drink such that you obviously wake me up - have some common decency and speak softly. If you want to play with your bag that you brought on board, move it out of the way so I can get to the bathroom - I'm the passenger and you're the service professional. It's your job to do everything you can to make my life easier. I couldn't care less about their personal issues - they should pop some pills and shape up."

A flight attendant posted as well, lending a voice to the other side: "Sometimes the people who sit in first class, esp. the women become so taken with themselves that frequently they never look you in the eye when you take their order. And worse than that they get their male companion to order for them never giving any acknowledgment of my presence. Do you think I'm going to knock myself out to serve that person-think again."

One reader offers a tip that will make flight attendants' lives easier: "One of the best ways to help them and all passengers is: No carry ons. Faster boarding and esp. faster getting off the filled aircraft. Big deal another 10 minutes to get your suitcase when leaving." Still, others are just plain frustrated with flight attendants in general: "It would be nice to have flight attendants at least START with a nice attitude."

Finally, another flight attendant posted a sobering paragraph, reminding us all to keep things in perspective: "When someone is screaming in your face because their vegetarian meal did not get on, or they may have to check the bag, or they forgot diapers, (you know this is all our fault by the way) I calmly take a breath and think of the thousands that died on 9/11 and realize how insignificant all these little issues are. What customers do forget is we are the ones that will get your *&#% off a burning airplane and we will put you before ourselves, because that is how we are trained so if you don't get that extra drink in the timely manner you are so accustomed to, maybe we're giving oxygen to someone who actually needs us, or we are checking to make sure you are in a safe environment. I personally apologize for any rude behavior on any stew's part and really there is no excuse, sometimes we just lower ourselves to that level when someone is spitting in our face about really insignificant issues"

Want to jump in on the discussion? We'd love to hear what you think, so leave a comment below.

Last month, my esteemed colleague reported on this blog that our sister site, TripAdvisor, is planning to donate $1 million to one of five worthy charities, as chosen by a vote from the community at large.

Super; many of you have already voted. But … many of you have not. And many of your friends and family haven’t voted either. Here’s the thing, I’m not going to try to guilt you into taking 30 seconds and clicking a button to send a million bucks to help sick children or animals on the brink of extinction (Oops! Sorry, guilt is a reflex.), but I will make one little point: This is eeeeeeasy philanthropy. I know that you felt bad every time you nodded your head, mumbled, and shuffled past the fresh-faced youngsters collecting money for their candidate of choice. No worries, the 20 bucks you would have tossed in the coffer for your favorite politico ain’t nothing compared to the one million big ones you could be helping to give away.

So, vote. Vote now in this handy dandy little widget. Then, tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell your coworkers. Tell that certain someone you’ve had your eye on and he/she will be impressed and attracted by your selflessness. Possibly. But it’s worth a shot, right?

Just vote.

Well, maybe. I'm sure plenty of crab served in Maryland does, in fact, come from Maryland and its environs, and that crab is likely to be clearly labeled on your menu. But the fact is that some crab served in Maryland comes from Texas. And it flies Southwest.

This fascinating (not, I hope, only to geeks like me) video chronicles the journey of a crab shipment from Houston to Baltimore aboard a Southwest flight. Along the way we meet the folks who make Southwest's cargo business run, and get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on. Check it out:

If you're like me, you're asking yourself a few questions right now. These questions could be: How do the crabs not perish/stink up the cargo hold? Personally, I'm flummoxed by this. Second, cardboard boxes? Really? Third, what was that random shot of water around 1:22? Or was it ice?

Anyway, thank you, Southwest, for this enlightening insight into the worlds of cargo shipping and traditional Maryland cuisine.