Check out my latest column for ABCNews.com (I am one of the featured columnists; my musings appear there weekly).

This week: Open Skies, Europe, and YOU.

I talk about the ins and outs of European travel, and I pass along — what else? — a money saving tip on European “airfare seasons”. You can see it right here.

I originally wrote this for NPR, in advance of my guest spot on “Talk of the Nation”; due to space considerations, the folks at NPR had to shorten this a bit, but I thought you’d like to see it in its entirety. Here is the piece in full — Rick

Sometimes I get the feeling that there’s a whole group of people out there who believe in a mythical amendment to our Constitution — one that guarantees us the “Right to Cheap Airline Tickets”!

But anyone who’s actually bought airline tickets in the past 6 months knows this in not an “inalienable right”. And with good reason.

Keep reading; good solid information and great tips ahead!

I have been chatting with several reporters about European travel recently, including Michelle Higgins at the New York Times who had a good article this past weekend on one of my favorite subjects: “Open Skies” (get ready — it starts March 30th).

As you know, I spend a good portion of my day reviewing all sorts of airline ticket pricing information and it has been astounding and gratifying to see base airfare prices to Europe as low as $400 roundtrip for summer travel.

But then…the other shoe drops. By that I mean, reality dawns — and it becomes clear that this “astounding” deal does not include taxes, fees and fuel surcharges. However, even with these fees and surcharges, you can still find good travel deals to Europe. In order to make the best buying decision, though, it’s important to understand what makes up the total cost of an airfare. Keep reading; I’m about to show you a real airfare example, and how it all breaks down. You’ll be amazed.

The weak dollar: bad for us, good for them — “them” being, international visitors.

And for the 2^nd year in a row, the U.S. attracted a record number of visitors in 2007 (almost 57-million, and they spent more than $120-billion).

But the Travel Industry Association (TIA) says, “where are the high-roller tourists?”

I’m going to need your comments on this one, so please, keep reading…

Earlier this week, I was contacted by someone who caught a radio spot I did last year. He and his wife want to travel to Europe from May 21 to May 31. They are flexible on destination cities and hope to depart from Madison, Milwaukee, or Appleton. They’re willing to fly out of Chicago, but it’s not their first choice.

They had found airline tickets from Chicago to London for $599, but they’re hoping to find something less if they can, having traveled to Dublin before for just over $300. I would like to walk through the process that will help them (and others with similar vacation plans) find the cheapest flights to Europe, but first I would like to point out some things currently affecting the price of airline tickets to destinations across the Pond…

It’s that time of year again, where you’d better show up with chocolates or flowers (or, to be on the safe side, both).

But for a really special Valentine’s Day celebration, how about Paris? Air France has a special deal just for you. And here’s even more Parisian luxury…

I just read 2-great articles with 2-different takes on how international travelers can stretch their dollars this year.

Economizing is travel author Rick Steves’ theme: he suggests staying at B & B’s and hostels; using public transportation instead of rental-cars, and ATM’s instead of travelers’ checks. See more of his ideas here.

Travel + Leisure touts going where the dollar isn’t so weak, including Eastern Europe, the Bahamas, Brazil, Vietnam and New Zealand. More suggestions here.

Planning is key. So is saving on airfare; use our Email Alerts.

If you travel the world, maybe the answer won’t surprise you: Air France travels to more countries than any other airline (86 of them).

So which U.S. airline boasts travel to the most nation-destinations? No, it’s not American. And, you should know there’s only one U.S. carrier in this contest that cracks the top-5.

Getting curious? Placing your bets? Just click “MORE” for the rest of the answers.

Liked this? Then check out “What are the Top 6 Longest Commercial Flights?”

What do you call an airline spawned by the new “Open Skies” agreement to ease transatlantic travel? How about…Open Skies? Yes, that’s the name of a new airline being launched by British Airways this summer.

And so the “invasion” of America has begun…or is it a British invasion of France? Turns out, BA’s new airline is taking on Air France: starting in June, Open Skies will offer flights from Paris (and Brussels) to New York.

The UK’s TimesOnline reports Open Skies will offer 24-”flat-bed” seats in business class, as well as “premium economy” and regular economy seats.

(I love the term “premium economy”… so much better than “steerage”.)

You’ve probably been reading about this in the news: there is the potential for “chaos” as one British paper put it, if an airport workers 48-hour strike goes into effect on January 17 (and there may be 2-shorter work stoppages leading up to this).

If no agreement is reached with the union, the 48-hour walkout could hit Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports.

Check the BAA’s site (this company owns 7-UK airports) for details.

THE FARECOMPARE.COM LIST

Top 12 INTERNATIONAL Travel Tips (Trans-Atlantic Focus)

I track 8 airfare feeds a day (3 domestic and 5 international) and this past week has seen the domestic airfare market in a bit of a lull. There has been a few little skirmishes but nothing major to get super excited about, this evening for example:

• United dropped the $100 below the lowest price from Albuquerque to Atlanta (obviously a swipe at Delta)
• American dropped $86 below the the previous lowest from San Antonio to Los Angeles

These are small and targeted “airline price tweaks” that occur all the time, so nothing really exciting.

But …