Air travelers, rejoice: Fares are expected to drop 10 percent to 20 percent soon. For travelers, it can't happen soon enough. In the first three months of the year, the average domestic airfare in the U.S. climbed to $373, up 4.8 percent from the same period last year, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. Rick Seaney of FareCompare.com said the price drop should affect flights starting around Aug. 21, with the start of the slow fall travel season.

LOS ANGELES TIMES

The lowdown on tight connections

Travelers sometimes come across international flights with only an hour between connections. Here's what you need to know: If the reservation is made through a legitimate travel agency or airline website, it must comply with the minimum connect-time rules, which are written into the system. If you miss the connection, the airline will automatically put you on the next available flight and cover your hotel and meal expenses while you wait, under most circumstances. If you go the DIY route -- which is to say, you book two itineraries separately with a one-hour connect time -- you're on your own.

WASHINGTON POST

Website reviews cheap places to stay in Europe

The site www.eurocheapo.com provides candid reviews of cheap lodgings in Europe. Remember, you get what you pay for. For example, it gives a big thumbs-up to the "quaint charm" of the $118-a-night Hotel Astor in Munich, despite its seedy location, with "nowhere to run from the sex shops and strip bars in this part of town." The site has good advice about cheapo train tickets, too.

DETROIT FREE PRESS

Many travelers would like to take Fido along Given the chance, 51 percent of U.S. pet owners said they would bring their pets on every trip they took, according to a new survey by AAA and Best Western International Inc.

LOS ANGELES TIMES