Interesting: the International Air Transport Association (IATA) says there has been a world-wide decline in “premium travel” - first class and business class - and this is most likely the result of a drop-off in business travel because of the general economic downturn in the world (and thanks, Sky Talk, for the heads up).

That’s not really so surprising, but the IATA did suggest that some of this “premium travel downturn” can be laid at the feet of failed institutions like Lehman Brothers, which has led to “a reduced number of business travelers from financial services”.

According to the IATA statistics, world-wide premium travel demand fell 0.4% this past June, and then 1% this past July. Are passengers not upgrading anymore? is this a sign that frequent flyer programs are getting stale? Does this bode well for $10,000 cabins on the A380? — only time will tell — time wasn’t enough for Eos, Silverjet and Maxjet.

Los Angelenos like to think they’re pretty cool, but they seemed to melt yesterday when Dubai’s Emirates airline flew into town — with its Godzilla-like aircraft — the A380.

What’s not to like? It has onboard showers, first class suites, mini-bars, and more.

“If Ritz-Carlton Hotels put a commercial jetliner into service, it would be like the Airbus…” – Dan Weikel, Los Angeles Times

Be sure to see what my ABCNews.com column editor Scott Mayerowitz’ wrote about the Airbus — that lucky guy got to see it in person in New York last week, and — yes, I am jealous.

And, keep reading — three more pictures of this magnificent beast are coming right up.

Those huge new A380 aircraft being flown by the Emirates airline offer a special perk for first class passengers:

Showers.

You should know, though, that the showers are limited to 5-minutes. Not enough time? Oh, yes it is.

Here’s a tip from a colleague who lives in “drought country” where water-rationing is occasionally in-force: first, get in the shower, quickly get wet, then turn it off. Next, soap up, and put on the shampoo. Then turn the water back on, and rinse.

Nice way to travel.

Did you know, that there are more than 10,000 private jets in the U.S.?

If you’re on one now, I’m delighted for you; but the Los Angeles Times quotes some new reports that claim you’re not paying your fair share toward aviation safety.

Some highlights:

• A little over $2 billion of $7 billion in federal funds for airport improvements was used to fix up airports that mostly serve private jets (i.e., Aspen)
• Private plane passengers avoid the 7.5% ticket tax for ATC services

Interestingly, the authors of these studies don’t seem to like so-called “rich people” very much — as you’ll see if you keep reading.

I know the summer sun is blazing, and you’re more likely to be thinking about a trip to the pool than what you’re doing this Thanksgiving or Christmas, but believe me, there are always reasons to start your holiday airfare shopping early. Case in point: at FareCompare, we’ve found business class seats to Europe over Thanksgiving and Christmas for less then the cost of economy seats.

Joe Brancatelli of Joe Sent Me wrote about unexpected holiday business class deals on Continental Airlines, and we discovered while scouring our airfare feeds for the best deals for our Travel Deals blog is that these BusinessFirst airfares were filed by Continental Airlines on June 6th. There are some restrictions involved, but if you’re flexible on travel dates, you can still take advantage of them.

You’ll find deals to a wide range of European destinations from Newark, Houston, and Cleveland. Deals are good for travel on selected days around Thanksgiving and Christmas — prices are a bit higher for Christmas than Thanksgiving. Remember, you can book these business class seats right now for less than you can book economy seats on Continental.

I just booked 4 for my family and father in law to London over Thanksgiving (from Houston) — Check out how first clsss can be cheaper than coach and the list of non-stop first class deals from Newark below:

The world’s biggest jet flew from Singapore to London’s Heathrow today. This was the plane’s first commercial European flight.

Up next? Godzilla goes to Tokyo (now that makes sense!).

Why do some call this Airbus A380, Godzilla?

Because it’s a monster of a plane, that’s why!

Keep reading, and I’ll explain (just click on “more”).

Something new from Virgin (but then, isn’t there always?): Virgin Charter.

As one executive put it, it’s part Priceline, part eBAy, part Travelocity; and of course, it’s all Richard Branson.

Read about this intriguing new venture here; it just might put private planes within reach of some of the rest of us.

I chose one of my favorite topics for my latest column on ABCNews.com: flying first class at coach prices. It must be a hot topic, because it hit the front page on ABCNews.com, and it was highlighted on the homepage of the ABCNews.com business and ABCNews.com travel sections.

I’m glad this topic is getting some notice, because even though I have done my best to let people know that they actually can find first class airline tickets for just a little more or sometimes even less than coach prices, most folks still look at me like I’m crazy. It’s the truth, though. Y-Up or Q-Up airfares give you the chance of flying upfront for far less.

Keep reading to learn more about Y-Up and Q-Up airfares…

Remember the song, “Leaving on a Jet Plane”? It was a hit for Peter, Paul and Mary when it was released in 1969, and it’s a perfect anthem for the so-called Baby Boomers.

Why? Because boomers love to travel.

And that’s one of the few characteristics you can ascribe to this group of unique and adventuresome individuals (a group that includes Brad Pitt, Jimmy Buffett, Courteney Cox and Madonna).

If you’re a boomer (born 1946 through 1964), I need your help: tell me where you love to travel to (and please keep reading for details).

Starting today, I am a weekly columnist for ABCNews.com; you can see my first column by clicking here. It’s all about the potential merger between Delta and Northwest, and I explain how it may affect all of us financially, and in terms of the number of flights available to us, as well as the whole “flight experience.”

ABCNews.com recruited me to share my “wisdom” and my tips & tricks with their website readers, so I’ll be talking about everything from cheap flights to First-Class travel and news about, well, future mergers and more.

But…I’m going to need your help with comments (please keep reading, and I’ll explain).

I thought I’d turn tables a bit, and instead of presenting you with some good advice, I’d tell you about some of the bad advice I see floating around the internet.

So, I’ve come up with this: 6-Pieces of Air Travel Advice to Ignore…and what you should pay attention to.

I talk about cell phones, passports, First Class and plenty of other things.

Just click “more” for…THE LIST.

Yes, it can be done…I found such a flight just today, on American Airlines. And guess what?

I’m would be spending LESS on First Class from Dallas to Orlando if I wasn’t such a cheapskate, than I would have paid for advance-purchase Coach.

These are the special “Y-Up” fares I’m always telling you about; click here for more information, and a very simple explanation of how to find these incredible deals.

These are not always available. But when they are, grab ‘em!

And thank me later.

If you haven’t already, take advantage of our Email Alerts; a sweet and simple way to get the cheapest fares first.

And now, it’s all part of My Trips, which offers much, much more; you can read all about it here, but know that this simple (and fun!) service lets you be choosy (find a specific fare, fly your favorite airline, opt for Coach or First Class). Check out the My Trips section on FareCompare. And sign up—it’ll make your vacation planning incredibly easy, and save you big bucks—we promise.

And, speaking of First Class, check out this section, where we show you how to fly First Class, at Coach prices (yes it can be done!).

A couple of weeks ago most of the day at Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport with a crew and producer from 20/20 chatting about a variety of travel myths.

The premise was myths in the form of a true/false quiz (they posted on their site early last week with the answers from the interview now).

We also posted a page on the site with further explanation on the air travel myths topics.

The video for the segment is posted (click more to the right) and take a look at our new “First Class Airline Ticket” blog for more details on discounted first class airfare…

It is that time of year again - you get your frequent flier mileage statement and that frown appears on your face as you realize
you’re about to lose that hard earned airline VIP status…

If visions of “Just 4 more segments” or “Only 4,000 more miles” are dancing through your head - don’t despair — All hope is not lost – you still have a few options …

Southwest is reaching out to business travelers employed by companies of all sizes.

With new boarding options and a slew of business traveler benefits, Southwest hopes to provide passengers a better experience and reshape its customer base in the process.

One of my favorite subjects is our “Discounted First Class” tool on the FareCompare.com site and I just noticed a great “First Class” deal from Dallas to New York on Northwest Airlines.

A while back I posted about an unbelievable first class deal from Dallas to Seattle, well this time Dallas is again in the mix…

Yes, believe it or not, we’re hearing that federal employees are abusing their own rules on flying business-class.

In other words, they should be flying coach, but they’re bumping themselves up.

And sometimes that means spending thousands more on a ticket than they’re supposed to. This information is courtesy of a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which says these rip-offs are costing us taxpayers an extra $145-million a year…

Daily Candy has a great feature on the FareCompare First Class Y-Up search tool.

Y-Up airfares (or Q-Ups) are a favorite topic of mine, because they truly give you the chance to fly first class at coach prices.

Y-Up airfares can help you fly in comfort and style without digging too deep into your wallet, and at FareCompare, we’ve committed ourselves to providing travelers with the most in-depth, timely information on Y-Up and Q-Up airfares out there…

I have heard a number of international travelers kick around the idea of buying three coach seats next to each other instead of buying one business class seat.

The thought behind this is that they will have plenty of room to stretch out, and they will still save a substantial amount of money (the cost of one business class ticket can easily be double that of three coach tickets).

OK, at first sight, this might sound like a great idea, and people have pulled it off successfully (check out this NY Times article to get the lowdown on a success story).

There ARE a couple of ways to get a cheap First Class ticket (or lets be realistic, a somewhat cheaper First Class ticket); according to our friends at Elliott.org, a poster wrote that he and his companion were looking for a cheap fare from Hartford to Tampa, and I noticed that the airlines were asking for $500 to $600 roundtrip in coach class.

They then clicked on First Class and saw First Class airline tickets for $450 roundtrip!

If given the choice, most people would choose to fly first class over coach.

After all, there is more leg room, more comfortable seating, real food, and even entertainment options.

However, most of us never fly first class because the cost is simply just too high. Well, there is a way to find first class tickets at coach prices, and those great fares aren’t even too hard to find, once you know what you’re looking for…

Ah, the snow flakes falling, chestnuts roasting and visiting mother in-laws.

What could be better than traveling on one of the busiest air travel days of the year, Christmas Eve (hmm wonder if i can schedule a dentist appointment …)