Expedia lists bag fees

Expedia Inc., which operates sites such as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity, has added a feature to all of its websites that displays in each search the fees airlines charge to check bags. Critics have complained that bag fees are hard to find on most airline websites. In the first six months of the year, the nation's 14 largest airlines collected $1.8 billion in bag fees. Los Angeles Times

Bizarre plane birth

An unidentified woman forced an emergency landing in Alaska on Oct. 8 after giving birth during a flight from Taiwan to Los Angeles. She appeared to be seeking to give birth in the U.S. in order to obtain American citizenship for her child. She could now be stuck with a bill of $33,000. The child was granted U.S. citizenship. Associated Press

Travel trend
Airlines sacrifice comfort for fuel efficiency

If you're crammed into a shrinking airline seat in a cabin in which passengers are packed sardine-style, it might be comforting to know that you are helping the environment. U.S. airlines have gradually improved fuel efficiency on a passenger-per-mile basis, according to a study that gives credit to the airline trend of squeezing more passengers onto planes. The bad news: Passenger comfort has been sacrificed, according to the nonprofit International Council on Clean Transportation. "These changes ... translate to increased fuel efficiency but at the cost of reduced passenger comfort and access," the study concluded. The average domestic flight in the U.S. carried 145 seats in 2010, but by 2014 that number rose to 150 seats, according to the council. The squeeze is expected to continue. The average wide-body plane will grow by about 20 seats over the next 20 years while the average single-aisle plane will grow by about 10 seats, according to aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co.

Los Angeles Times

DEal of the week

Ten nights in Vietnam for $1,799

World Spree is offering its Amazing Vietnam tour from $1,799 per person double. The 10-night trip includes round-trip air on Cathay Pacific from Chicago to Hanoi, with return from Ho Chi Minh City; two domestic flights; two nights at the Sheraton Hanoi; overnight cruise on Halong Bay; two nights at the Sunrise Beach Resort in Hoi An; two nights at the Imperial Hotel in Hue; three nights at the Hotel Majestic in Ho Chi Minh City; 14 meals; several guided tours with entrance fees; land transport; airport transfers and taxes. Priced separately, air and hotels alone cost about $2,100. The lowest price applies to select May and September departures. Book by Nov. 30. Info: 1-866-652-5656; worldspree.com. Washington Post

Hotel check-in

When in Quebec City, stay in a monastery

Simplicity rules at Le Monastère des Augustines. This summer, Quebec City's newest lodging opened in a former monastery operated by the Augustinian order of Catholic sisters. The lodging focuses on a holistic wellness experience. It has 65 rooms, some modern and some the original nun's rooms. There's an ultramodern lobby and meeting space, plus an intriguing museum. The rooms have no TVs. No music. All around are signs urging you to unplug from the Internet. The buffet breakfast is to be taken in silence. The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner. Guests also can partake of free yoga, meditation, art classes and discussion nights (in French). Info: 1-416-694-1639; augustines.ca/en/monastery. Detroit Free Press