The recession’s widening influence is now causing turbulence in the sky.  Over the summer when the airline industry went on a fee binge, charges were tacked on for any service imaginable. In a desperate attempt to cut the bottom line, U.S. Airways even started charging for non-alcoholic in-flight beverages. But after seven months of non-complimentary drinks, the airline has decided to reverse the in-flight beverage fee.

So why the sudden change?  MSN Money reports: “Well, in this airline’s case, it was more about what didn’t happen. First, other airlines didn’t follow US Airways’ lead. Sure, they were fine with fees for checking bags and other things, but they drew the line when it came to charging for drinks. Second, passengers didn’t accept the fee. It became about more than a soda.”

Granted an in-flight soda will only run you a few bucks, but in our current economy, adding any black to your bottom line is helpful.

We’re giving you the inside scoop on where  to be  Inauguration week so you can party with the stars and even the President-elect himself. We’ll hopefully be bringing you exclusive coverage from the balls but in-case you want to adventure on your own here you go. If you thought the Golden Globes was a party, just wait until you see Barack Obama’s inauguration. Next week, Washington will look a lot like a colder version of Hollywood.

Slightly worried that the 3 million fans scheduled to pour into Washington, D.C. over the weekend might–I don’t know–trample you, then run off with your personal toilet paper supply and hand warmers ? 

Well this might not help if mob rule breaks out, but the Washington Post thinks they have an answer to some of the Obama-maniacs Inauguration struggles:  text message alerts.

Up to 30 text messages will be sent to those who subscribe–which entails sending a text message with the words “INAUG” to WPOST (97678)–and they’ll start at 5 am on Jan. 20th.

Information will cater to those traveling in and out of the capital, including mass transit issues, Metro line closures, traffic jams, and (let’s pray it doesn’t come down to this) escape routes.

If you’re on of those people that likes to give and receive (strange), then feel free to send the word DCALERT to WPOST (97678) and inform them of anything interesting you see or any advice you might give.

Just don’t forget to unsubscribe after the Inaug.  Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with information on D.C. events and “national news alerts.”  Another warning:  Standard text messaging rates apply– so unless you have the unlimited plan, you might want to refrain…

“To stop receiving alerts, text STOP INAUG, STOP NEWS and STOP LOCAL to WPOST (97678″

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/09/AR2009010902223.html

Perhaps the most valuable resource on Inauguration day...BYOT.

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of revelers rang in 2009 from frigid Times Square as the famous Waterford crystal ball dropped, signaling the end of a historic and troubled year that saw the election of the first black U.S. president and the worst economic crisis in decades.

As the clock struck midnight, a ton of confetti rained down while the partygoers hugged and kissed.

Josh Torres and his girlfriend, Sarah Manganello, both 21, screamed and cheered as they watched the ball drop. Manganello had advice for people in the new year: “Learn from what you’ve done and move forward.”

The wind chill made it feel like 1 degree in the area, but that didn’t stop the throngs bundled in fur hats, heavy coats and sleeping bags from attending the event.

Former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton helped Mayor Michael Bloomberg lower the ball atop 1 Times Square for the 60-second countdown to midnight. Last year, Hillary Clinton was in Iowa campaigning for the presidency, and now she’s expecting to be secretary of state in President-elect Barack Obama’s administration.

Many other New Year’s Eve traditions around the country were in place, but some festivities fell victim to hard times, and those that remained felt somewhat subdued. The nation’s economic troubles made many people less interested in giving 2008 an expensive send-off. Public celebrations were canceled in communities from Louisville, Ky., to Reno, Nev., and promoters in Miami Beach, Fla., reported slower ticket sales than expected for celebrity-studded parties that they say would have sold out in past years.

But New York’s celebration was still going strong. Five minutes before midnight, 1,000 balloons with the words “Joy,” “Hope” and “2009″ were released from rooftops in the area. The Waterford crystal ball — 12 feet in diameter and weighing nearly 12,000 pounds — dropped as the crowd erupted in cheers.

Sam Tenorio and his family drove to New York from Orlando, Fla., so his teenage daughter Brianna could see the Jonas Brothers perform live in Times Square.

“The economy is what it is. It’s going to turn around. You just have to be positive,” Tenorio said. “That’s what we’re doing, otherwise we wouldn’t be here. I think that’s why most people are here tonight: optimism.”

Along with the Jonas Brothers, Lionel Richie and the Pussycat Dolls performed. Dick Clark made several TV appearances from inside a studio, and Ryan Seacrest hosted the event.

Las Vegas casinos put on a midnight fireworks display and daredevil acts, including a 200-foot jump at The Mirage hotel-casino by Robbie Knievel, son of the late Evel Knievel.

The stunt made Knievel appear to jump over a manmade volcano perched in front of the hotel-casino, though he actually jumped next to it as it spewed a fireball under him for live spectators.

Others weren’t so lucky. Windy weather and rough harbor waters caused Baltimore officials to postpone a New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration. In Reno, officials canceled their fireworks show for the first time since 2000.

“With the downturn in the economy, with people getting laid off and with the tightening of budgets all over town, we just didn’t think it was right to spend $20,000 or $30,000 on something that goes up in smoke,” Mayor Bob Cashell said.

Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson expected to save $33,000 by canceling a New Year’s Eve party he traditionally throws.

Elkhart, Ind., planned a party at its outdoor skating rink, with volunteers leading some games, instead of a $5,000 event with fireworks. The city hadn’t gotten any complaints about the scaled-back celebration, said Arvis Dawson, executive assistant to the mayor.

“I think most people understand,” he said.

Philadelphia planned to celebrate New Year’s Day with its more than century-old Mummers Parade, though it had fallen into jeopardy when city officials withdrew about $400,000 in support.

After weeks of limbo, the Mummers Association successfully raised enough private donations to continue the pageant filled with flamboyantly dressed performers, sometimes described as the city’s Mardi Gras.

Rich Porco, a Mummer for 51 years, said the uncertainty made this “one of the worst years I’ve ever been involved with.”

Instead of preparing for the festivities, “you found yourself thinking more about, ‘Is there going to be a parade?’” Porco said. “It was hard.”

In Pasadena, Calif., hundreds of thousands of spectators were expected for the Rose Parade. Organizers said any economic hit they might have suffered was lessened because commitments to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on floats have been in place for at least a year.

“We may or may not feel the effects of the economy this year, but more likely next year,” Tournament of Roses Chief Operating Officer Bill Flinn said. “We do feel one of our jobs is to bring optimism at a time when things are not so good for so many people.”

The Peach Drop, which has been the staple of downtown Atlanta’s New Year Eve since 1989, was expecting almost 100,000 in attendance at Underground Atlanta — an 80,000 dropoff from last year. Some attendees believed the shaky economy played a part in fewer people showing for the event, but they said it wouldn’t deter their spirits.

John Buleey, a building contractor from Dawsonville in north Georgia, expects hard times to come next year. The 39-year-old also said the struggling economy should improve by the year’s end.

“Sure, we’ll go through tough times,” said Buleey, who wore a shiny, gold-colored hat that read “Happy New Year” across the front along with his five family members. “But judging from the past, this country will overcome our financial woes.”

Associated Press video journalist Ted Shaffrey in New York and writers Cristian Salazar in New York; Damian Grass in Miami Beach, Fla.; Oskar Garcia in Las Vegas; Joelle Diderich in Paris; Frances D’Emilio in Rome; Tom Coyne in South Bend, Ind.; Robert Imrie in Wausau, Wis.; Dinesh Ramde in Milwaukee; Kathy Matheson in Philadelphia; Solvej Schou in Pasadena, Calif., and Thomas S. Watson in Louisville, Ky., contributed to this report.

Back in August, we learned from a court ruling that Saddam Hussein‘s yacht Basra Breeze (formerly Ocean Breeze) belonged to the Iraqi government after a Cayman island firm partly owned by King Abdullah of Jordan claimed possession. Now the Iraqis have put the 269-ft. megayacht up for sale with a pricetag of $30 million, but the décor is so tacky and outdated it will require at least another $30 million to overhaul the ship, the London Times reports.

Launched in 1981, the ship features acres of marble and gold, Arabesque arches, dark wood carvings, “deep pile carpets in lurid colours and rugs woven with views of holy cities”, and gold faucets in the bathrooms. There’s also a bulletproof atrium with banquet seating for 200, two medical treatment centers and a mini operating theater, and a helipad. In Saddam’s time the ship had a crew of up to 35 on 24-hour call, but the dictator was so paranoid he barely ever left Iraq or spent any time onboard.

With the rising cost of fuel and a weak economy making people think twice about their spending, the airline industry stands to lose $5.2 billion this year with most of the US airliners carrying the brunt of the burden.

According to Dave Demerjian, of “Wired,”the industry attributes its free-fall to the price of oil. In a familiar but still depressing rehash of the numbers, the IATA says fuel bills have jumped $50 billion this year to an estimated $186 billion. Jet fuel now accounts for 36 percent of the industry’s costs, up from 13 percent just six years ago. And while crude oil is trading at about $106 a barrel this week — way down from the high of $148 we saw in July — association spokesman Steve Lott tells us it’s still too expensive. The year-to-date average is $113 a barrel, up from $73 last year. “Ninety-five dollars a barrel is the price where the business model starts to work,” he says. “We think that’s the break even point.”

We need new leadership and we need it now otherwise soon the things we enjoy will be gone.

JetBlue Airways Corp. is auctioning off more than 300 roundtrip flights and six vacation packages this week on eBay, with opening bids set between 5 and 10 cents.

Offering flights to more then 20 location, including four mystery Vacation packages the discount carrier is hoping to boost awareness of it’s brand in the mists of a receding travel market for main large carriers.

Each auction will have a specific range of dates in which customers can travel. The travel dates, times and flight numbers will be posted when the customers bid.

The vacation packages include airfare and a four-night hotel stay for two at Marriott hotels in locations including Las Vegas and Nassau, Bahamas. The four mystery packages include two locations where passports are needed and two that don’t require passports.

Taxes and fees are additional and will vary according to the particular route, but they will be disclosed in each listing, according to JetBlue spokeswoman Alison Eshelman. Flights leave on Thursdays or Fridays and return on Sundays or Mondays. All travel must be completed by October 6.

You can bid on the auctions through http://www.jetblue.com/ebay .

Ahhhh… Finally the summer (or almost. I still haven’t been to the McGill swimming pool, the secret chic summer hangout of every true Montrealer, so for me it’s still winter): the parties, the barbecues under the rain, the gladiators and pedis, and, of course, the holidays!!

So here’s what I’m looking forward to these days:

1. The Montréal Jazz fest!
Finally it’s jazz time again, and I’m getting ready to check out the coolest bands ever: Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band, Lee Scratch Perry’s The Wailers, Ravi Coltrane, Dee Dee Bridgewater. All my favorites are here, plus a bunch of hip guys like We Are Wolves, So Called and TV on the Radio. (June 26 to July 6, montrealjazzfest.com)

2. Zee Island of love
For once, my job is really glamorous: I’m taking off on Friday for a few days of reporting in Grenada, the small Carribean paradise known for its savory spices, lush tropical landscapes and dream beaches. Wondering what’s in my Samsonite by Marc Newson silver suitcase? Not much: One Pucci silver string bikini, a Tom Ford for Gucci gold low-cut piece that’s a killer (I wore it in Punta del Este and several people asked me if I was a model, despite my 20 extra kilos), a few colorful skirts to mix and match, purple Birkenstocks (our intern, who’s from Vermont, keeps laughing at them) and all the beach beauty basics (Monoi tanning oil, although I might give sunscreen a try; Bumble & Bumble Creme de Coco shampoo and masque, which smells orgasmic; a Pucci makeup case with pastel eyeshadows; a scent by Comptoir Sud Pacifique that smells like the beach…)

Just to make you dream a little, I’ll leave you with the website of Spice Island Beach Resort, the fabulous hotel I’m staying at: spicebeachresort.com. Enjoy!