Now is the time to snap up deals for post-holiday travel within the United States and to the Caribbean, Mexico and even Europe. Airlines slash prices after the holidays because it is such a slow season. Fares are cheapest for travel Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Saturdays are the next lowest airfare days. Sunday is usually the worst day for prices, and Friday follows. Still, don't book your flight too early because flights can be more expensive if you book too far out.DALLAS MORNING NEWS

An unusual wristwatch caught the TSA's eye A traveler was stopped by the TSA at the Oakland, Calif., International Airport on Nov. 15 because of an unusual wristwatch. In hopes of stifling any uproar from critics, the TSA released a photo of the watch last week. This is no ordinary timepiece. It includes a toggle switch, wires and what look like tiny fuses (see the photo at: www.startribune.com/a1923). Though the passenger was arrested by local officials on suspicion of possession of components to make a destructive device, he was not charged.

LOS ANGELES TIMES

Sites can help flexible fliers find cheap fares Are you one of those lucky travelers who can fly anytime it's cheap? Several good websites allow you to specify a departure day, a length of stay, and then search over successive 30- or 60-day periods. Among them are Hotwire.com, Kayak.com, and Cheapair.com (Cheapair charges a $9.95 booking fee and shows fares over a 330-day period). United.com also has this feature, as does Southwest.com. Orbitz has hidden its flexible date search here: bit.ly/SVXiqq.

AIRFAREWATCHDOG.COM

Americans not using all their vacation days A survey by Harris Interactive Inc. found that by the end of 2012, Americans will leave an average of 9.2 days of vacation unused, up from the 2011 average of 6.2 days.

LOS ANGELES TIMES