There is something quintessentially French, however, about lighting up in a cafe, and even though I haven’t smoked in years, I have to admit I’m tempted the minute I land in the country. Part of the reason smoking is mildly appealing in Paris is also the fact that cigarettes are inexpensive compared to the U.S.

In Russia, another European country with a strong smoking tradition, nearly 40% of the population has a nicotine habit, fueled in part by the less than $2.00 a pack cost. President Putin, a fitness freak and cheerleader for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, has just signed a law that bans smoking in all public places beginning in June of this year.

According to the New York Times, the new law will ban smoking near the entrances of subway and railroad stations, and ultimately in restaurants, cafes, hotels, government buildings, universities and stadiums. Restrictions on advertising, increased taxes and efforts to change the culture of roadside tobacco kiosks are in the works as well.

For a country that has been a tobacco industry nirvana for a long time, these are big changes. If you do fly Aeroflot, one of the last international airlines to ban smoking, they do offer nicotine gum.

Flying is hard on the skin and body and until now, I have tried to counteract the terrible jet lag, fatigue and muscle soreness by taking precautions, particularly on flights of more than just a few hours. I can often be found in the back of the plane doing yoga or stretching and amusing the passengers and crew.

So, it was not a huge surprise when on a cross-country flight this week, I happened to read a small article in the New York Times Science Section entitled, Really? Flying Can Cause Mountain Sickness. I knew fresh air was in short supply in-flight but never thought that the cabin pressure might simulate a certain altitude. Turns out, the air inside a plane is pressurized to the equivalent of about 5,400 feet to 8,000 feet above sea level. I know if I hike above 12,000 feet I don’t feel too good, so I have no illusions of climbing Mount Everest. Still, I was mildly surprised to discover this information.

To counteract the dryness, it is so important to hydrate! I make my own lavender potion with distilled water and lavender oil in a tiny, sample size spray bottle. I always ask the folks around me if they mind, before spraying.

I always travel with my yoga mat and often head to the back of the plane in-flight to stretch out and realign. Now you can actually use all that post check-in extra time at the San Francisco Airport to center yourself and work out the travel kinks. The City by the Bay has opened a yoga room in terminal two. If you don’t carry your own mat, mats are provided in the 150-square-foot room.

So, rather than kicking back with a cocktail why not salute the sun or invert a bit before your long or short haul flight? Let’s hope it’s a trend that catches on.

“Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average…which means, you have met your New Year’s resolution.”

As Americans waistlines expand, there are so many ripple effects. From healthcare to clothing, design considerations to travel safety, more personal bulk means changing laws, rules and preconceived notions. I have heard sad tales of folks unable to squeeze into rides at Amusement Parks, being banned from bungee jumping, even forced to purchase two plane tickets because of size. That doesn’t even take into account self limitations because of shame or inability to maneuver. But, what about weight limits for boats, buses and other vehicles? More and more, places and companies are upping the average weight limit per person.

In the mid-twentieth century, 160 pounds was allotted per person, taking into account the portly and stocky, and on the flip side, children and the svelte. Fast forward to 2012 and the average American weighs 185 pounds. This has huge repercussions for everything from city buses and ferries, to small private fishing boat operators. According to a story in the New York Times today, the fleet of Washington state ferries are reducing the number of passengers allowed on each boat. Private vessel operators are also looking at reduced revenue because of Coast Guard rules that are popping up around the country. Even the Circle Line in NYC has been affected, although they prefer smaller loads to offer more comfort and ease of movement.

Many newly-designed public space seats are “banquettes” without arm rests to accommodate the larger backsides. Certainly the tiny divets, for bottoms are being rethought on many mass transit upgrades. This is not isolated to the U.S., as countries around the globe struggle with fat stigma and the consequences of the global obesity epidemic.

No one is actually suggesting weighing passengers, but it’s certainly food for thought as we all take stock of what we ate over the holidays and consider our New Year’s resolutions to slim down.

As coach service has become worse and worse, the lure of Business and First Class seems more appealing. Yet with the cost so high, one feels like a kid looking at candy or toys through a shop window: it’s there but so out of reach. I chuckled recently when I read about how the downturn in the economy has hit business and first class travelers hardest…seems we are all flying cattle car coach these days.

Triporati Producer Gwynn Gacosta recently returned from a trip to the Philippines and has this take on the issue of “Class” travel.

Slumming It in Business Class

I tend to hate air travel and lately, there’d been little to like about it.  The food, or lack thereof, is terrible; the service rude or indifferent.  I hate that we in coach class aren’t allowed to use the bathrooms in business class, even if those are the ones we are seated closest to.  That there is no comfortable way to sit in order to avoid the people directly in front of us, behind us, next to us.  Certainly not with the leg room provided.

For my recent trip to the Philippines, I had to mentally prepare for an over 12-hour flight each way.  And really, there’s really no other way to prepare for that except to accept that it’s going to be uncomfortable and hellish.  I always wondered what first class and business class would be like, but I never thought I’d be so lucky to experience it.

When I arrived at the airport, a Cathay Pacific customer service rep informed me that my flight had been overbooked.  “Would you mind switching to a Japan Airlines flight, which leaves at around the same time, but arrives in Manila earlier?  And for your inconvenience, might we also offer you $200 spending cash as well as a coupon voucher for a free business class upgrade and access to our business class lounge for your next Cathay Pacific flight?”

Uh…is this a trick question?

True to their word, after signing some paperwork and given my new JAL boarding passes, I was handed my $200 dollars and my coupon.  I hadn’t even left for the Philippines, and yet I couldn’t wait until I could get my upgrade for the flight back.

That day came soon enough and I check in at Ninoy Aquino International in Manila, voucher in hand.  Turns out that I could only do it for one leg of the trip, and obviously I wanted to do it for the Hong Kong to Manila leg, so they told me to check in at the transfer desk in Hong Kong.

At Hong Kong International Airport, I headed right up to the transfer desk and stood in the coach class line.  There were lots of people, most were tired and disgruntled.  Then I noticed that there was no line at the business class window.  Could I get away with marching right on over?  Five minutes later I had a pass for the airport lounge and a boarding pass for the flight.  I glanced sheepishly at my former line-mates, rolling their eyes and looking annoyed.

Airport lounges are places I’d always been curious about.  You’d see the doors open briefly to let a patron in, and then shut, leaving people like me, out.  I just knew there was a different world in there – a paradise, perhaps?  Free drinks?  Spa treatments?

Through the hallowed doors I went, and inside was a long bar, serving whatever you pleased.  At the end of the lounge was a dining area with a variety of food served cafeteria-style.  They also served hot soups, made to order.  I grabbed a tuna sandwich and a pastry with a bottle of water, and I stopped and looked around.  Where do I pay for all this?

And this is the beauty of the airport lounge: you don’t.

Belly satisfied and feeling rested, I thought of taking advantage of the private shower stalls at the other end of the lounge but I didn’t have a change of clothes with me nor any toiletries.  I sat down on one of the big, comfy club chairs and journaled.  People were either on their computers or stretched out on the chairs with their feet propped up, sound asleep.

When I arrived at the gate, I started to line up behind the crowd of people already in front of the gate.  A gate agent, spotting my ticket, waved me over to where she was – where the other business class/first class ticket holders were – about eight people in all.

I liked this treatment.  I liked it a lot.  But I couldn’t help but think that maybe there was some mistake.

I boarded the plane and searched for 12A.  There before me was an individual seat with an entertainment console right next to it.  My seat reclined at the touch of a button to a bed.  I had, at my fingertips, endless choices for movies and music and games to play and a TV screen that swiveled around at whatever angle was most comfortable.  A businessman in the seat next to me sensed I was new to the club.

“This is actually better, you know.  You’re not climbing over anybody to get to the bathroom or to get to your seat.  It’s like having your own office.”

I looked at him.  “Oh, you misunderstand, sir.  This is not a complaining face. This is the face of someone who has seen the light.”

He looked amused.  “The light?”

“Yeah,” I said.  “No way should anyone have to travel any other way again.  Ever.”

He smiled and put his jacket away.  “I wholeheartedly agree.”

For the duration of my flight, when I was not reclined and sleeping like a baby, I was treated to great service: real table linens, breakable stemware filled with fine wines, and decent, filling meals.  My legs were propped up, and at the touch of a button, I felt the vibrating massage at my back.  I was wrapped in a comforter, not a scratchy wool blanket.  I had movies to watch and music from a programmable CD library, and the use of large, comfortable headphones.  Oh, and a cute complimentary toiletry kit that included Murad skin products and a comfy pair of socks.  If I wanted to, in the middle of the night, I could ask for a sandwich, a bottle of water, chocolate truffles, whatever I wanted.  And I did.  I most certainly did.

Twelve hours came and went, and I was sad when I landed.  Yeah, I was going to see my kids again, but I wasn’t so sure I was ever going to be in business class again.  Now that I have seen what goes on behind those curtains, how could I ever go back to coach?

It’s often the little things that make a difference. When I checked in online for my flight from San Francisco to Boston I discovered that the one bag I planned to check would cost me $15. I haven’t been living in a cave so I knew about the plans various airlines announced last year about charging for checked bags, but this was the first time the fee had been applied to me. “Nonrefundable,” the note on the computer screen said. “Forget it,” I muttered, figuring I’d wait until I got to the airport to decide whether to check or carry on.

I happen to detest carrying luggage onto airplanes. In my darkest moments I could probably confess to detesting those who do carry their bags onto airplanes, but it’s only those who bring along their spare sofas disguised as wheeled luggage who truly bother me.

But I also am no fan of standing around a luggage carousel waiting for a bag to magically appear, so I do wheel on my rollaboard from time to time. These days, though, with the regrettable proscriptions on liquids in containers larger than three ounces, I usually just check my bag to avoid the hassle of trying to smuggle a four-ounce bottle of contact lens solution on board.

But $15 is $15, right? Well, the friendly skycap at SFO seemed chagrined that he had to charge me, and he couldn’t take cash, only credit cards (what, United doesn’t trust their hard-working, always-smiling, ever-efficient skycaps to turn in the cash?), not to mention that his tips probably go straight out the window when passengers have to pony up. But I decided in the end I’d rather not hassle with the bag through security, and I gave him a cash tip for his trouble.

Then I looked at my receipt and there it was, plain as day, United’s vaunted customer service culture staring me in the face: “Excess Baggage Ticket Customer Receipt” it read.

I breathed an expletive. Excess baggage indeed.

At the gate I saw the usual gathering of sofa-wheeling passengers, some with toasters, one actually trying to stuff a four-burner stovetop range into a black canvas bag designed to fit in the overhead bin.

My boarding pass had a big “Seating 4” boldly printed on it, meaning that I’d be in the last group to board because I had an aisle seat. I didn’t mind, all I had was a small computer bag with a couple of books. But then the gate agent announced that the plane was filling up, and all passengers in number four seating group with rollaboard luggage should come to the counter to check in their bags because there wouldn’t be room on board for them. “Do it now,” she said, “so you don’t have to come all the way back from the jetway when you’re told there’s no room.”

Amusing, I thought. I’m sure United’s bean-counters didn’t think about this when they imposed their $15 checked-luggage fee. Not only are they forcing people to carry on every last piece of luggage to avoid the surcharge, now they’re going to have to do battle with livid passengers being told they can’t carry on their bags, they need to check them here at the gate, and each one will be $15, please.

Imagine the uproar. We’ll never get to Boston, I figured.

Except there was no charge.

After observing a half dozen friendly — and FREE — transactions, I approached the agent and said, “If I had brought my bag here to the gate instead of checking it in at the curb I would have saved $15?”

She smiled. “You sure would have!”

This is why I love United Airlines.

The flight was 1/3 full, and of that 1/3, at least half seemed to be friends who were scattered about the plane. They were jabbering in a language I couldn’t identify. My best guess was Russian, second best was some other Slavic language, third best was Hebrew but I’ve heard enough Hebrew to be pretty sure it wasn’t that.

These people kept getting up and wandering around the plane no matter what was going on, starting as soon as we pushed back from the gate. One guy wore a fur-lined cap and overcoat as if he were in Red Square, and he paced up and down the aisle throughout the flight. Another woman did the same, berating (or seeming to) some other guy seated up front. They paid no attention to the seatbelt sign, the flight attendants’ warnings, the captain’s announcements.

Prepare for takeoff? Time to get up and wander around. Turbulence shaking the plane like a damp rag? Let’s get up and see what Natasha’s doing in the back.

They seemed to understand no English, and no body language whatsoever. No matter what the attendants did or said, these folks acted as if the airline staff didn’t exist. At one point an attendant was almost begging a guy to sit down because of turbulence and I found myself, in my whacked-out jet-lagged state, wishing he’d get flung to the floor so the universe would get his attention. It was almost as if they were characters from Night of the Living Dead, true zombies. It was so odd and so literal that I began to feel unnerved, wondering what they might do.

But when we landed they were all in their seats, and they clapped in unison when we touched down safely. But none of that mattered to me. Once the plane’s doors opened I got out of there as fast as I could go.

I will beware of bankruptcies.
I will figure on fees.
I will get an edge through e-mail.
I will diligently monitor the U.S. dollar.
I will plan ahead to get a passport.

Did you know you might be charged for more legroom on flights?  Another obvious, but often overlooked issue, the fact that the fluctuating dollar could drastically raise or reduce the cost of a hotel room abroad. Or, that on June 1, tighter border rules take effect. Most Americans returning by sea or land from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean will need a passport, a passport card or other secure document. Check out the article: Vow to make the most of your 2009 travel dollar to find out more about this list of travel tips for 2009.

So, I read with interest, a buried article on the MSNBC site, with the headline entitled: Indian airline fires 9 overweight crew members. It is no surprise to me that India is catching up on the obesity epidemic as many Indians have moved into the middle class. In general, weight in India is often a sign of prosperity. In fact, diabetes is a huge concern in a country, once known for famine, where now 35 million people and counting are suffering from the preventable disease. Interestingly, all the attendants fired were women and even though India has laws aimed to protect against discrimination based on factors including caste, gender, and religion, there are no specific ones about weight. Food for thought.

The weighty subject of obesity and all the inherent social problems is vast. We have all sat next to an obese person on a flight, crammed into the ever diminishing seats. It is unpleasant for all parties concerned. Many weight challenged folks often purchase two seats, just to be more comfortable.  Others say the extremely overweight should be mandated to do so. Parents are obliged to buy a separate seat for young children and all passengers have to pay a surcharge for overweight baggage. Is it different though if a passenger is extra large? This is certainly a dicey topic and one that deserves more scrutiny as fattism has sparked many a controversy in recent years.

Meanwhile, eat right, get on your workout clothes and plan an active vacation for 2009 because I don’t think the seats are getting any bigger!