Here is a travel nightmare for you. You are on vacation and your travel company goes out of business. What could be worse news? How about 40,000 passengers stranded around the world.

Anger at airport as XL rescue turns into a fiasco

Stranded victims of the XL holiday firm collapse threatened to riot and scuffles broke out after 400 travellers were effectively imprisoned in a departure lounge for 24 hours.

The incident highlighted the chaos surrounding some 40,000 British tourists marooned around the globe by the collapse of Britain’s third biggest holiday operator – despite a huge Civil Aviation Authority mission to bring most of them back.

Why is the USA a less attractive destination for Japanese tourists? We don’t know but they are studying the issue.

The vanishing Japanese tourist

OTTI statistics reveal that 3.7 million Japanese tourists visited the US in 2006. They represent the fourth-largest tourism market for the US behind Canada, Mexico and the UK. In 2006, Japan’s visitors spent approximately $16.03 billion in the US, but in 2006 the US experienced a 5 percent decline in the Japanese market following years of impressive growth.

United Airlines and Air Canada are heading in opposite directions with regard to the fees for that extra bag you want to bring along.

United Airlines increases fee to check a second bag

United is increasing the service fee to check a second bag on a domestic flight from $25 to $50 one way. These changes apply to customers who purchase a ticket on or after September 16, 2008 for travel within the US and to/from Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands on or after November 10, 2008.

Air Canada eliminates second bag fee

Air Canada announced today that in response to decreasing fuel prices, the airline is eliminating all second checked-bag charges implemented this spring and will be incorporating fuel surcharges into its advertised base fares on North American flights.

I am curious what our former Turkish exchange student would make of this story? Remember this is not a story about a crime just a management issue.

Turkish hotel fires philandering male staff

A small hotel on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast has fired all its male employees for repeatedly having affairs with foreign female guests, the manager said on Wednesday.

Pelin Yucel, manager of Image Hotel in Marmaris, said her 27-room hotel now only employs female staff. Most of the guests are British and Russian tourists, she said.

“We had been facing the same problem every year but after the last incident we decided to run the hotel by only female staff,” she said.

Remember to vote for the Amateur Traveler podcast at the year’s Podcast Awards.

And lastly the answer to the question that started this post. There are worst things than getting stranded.

Tanzanian lodge in court over leopard attack to French tourist’s son

A civil suit, first of its kind in Tanzania’s tourism history, took place in northern tourist city of Arusha this week against luxury Tarangire Safari Lodge over negligence that led to a leopard attack of a 7-year-old French boy.