Last year, Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW) had its biggest year ever, in part thanks to the 5.5 million international passengers that came through its new Terminal D.

Now, DFW is hoping for more — after all, Terminal D can handle 12.8 million a year; and in recognition of all this international traffic, the airport has been named one of 20 “Model Ports” by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.

One thing Model Ports is supposed to do is streamline the customs process, and I think we can all get behind that. Keep reading.

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.

London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 was set to be the new gateway for British Airways’ long-haul flights. With Open Skies kicking off, Terminal 5 looked to be ready to go. The folks at Heathrow were excited, British Airways was excited, airport execs in the US were excited, and international travelers were excited. After all, Terminal 5 was going to make check-in more convenient, connections faster, and travel to and from Heathrow on BA simply easier to deal with.

So, how did it all work out? Well, not quite how Heathrow and British Airways had hoped. Instead of making life easier for international travelers, Terminal 5 descended into chaos and has left travelers stranded, baggage misplaced, and British Airways losing money.

After five days of service, things don’t seem to be getting better. Keep reading to see what British Airways is doing to try to make things right…

There’s a lot of doom and gloom out there over Open Skies — and I say, baloney!

Perhaps you saw this article on CNN.com (actually, it’s an Associated Press report); it quotes a lot of industry experts who contend that, when the Open Skies agreement kicks in March 30, there won’t be much in the way of lower airfares, or much of anything positive, unless you’re a business traveler.

Well, I have a different take…and, to quote one of my industry experts, much of Open Skies will make people “happy as clams!”

That’s what he said, alright. Keep reading…

There was quite an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times today, about our nation’s “aging airline fleets.”

The reporters noted the recent delays due to maintenance issues, and blamed it in part on the age of the planes, saying U.S. airlines “operate some of the oldest fleets in the world.”

The big problem: older planes need more upkeep, which can mean more down time. And more delays for you and me.

Which U.S. airline operates the oldest fleet? Keep reading, and also keep reading about why this could put us at a disadvantage with “Open Skies.”

Just as the airways are “opening up” between the US and Europe, we’re similar changes in open skies policies with Australia. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced that new Open Skies policies will basically eliminate restrictions for carriers in both countries:

“This agreement will strengthen the already close ties between the United States and Australia,” said Secretary Peters. “Today’s agreement begins a new era where American and Australian consumers, airlines and economies can enjoy the benefits of lower fares and more convenient service.” (From DOT)

Keep reading to see how these new Open Skies policies will affect you…

SkyTeam is an alliance of international airlines committed to making life a little bit easier for world travelers. Now, as Open Skies regulations are set to change, Sky Team and its 11 full-member airlines are increasing their presence at London Heathrow.

Joining forces in Terminal 4, the SkyTeam airlines hope to ease connections, provide more flight options between the UK, Europe, Asia, and the States, and create a more unified travel experience for passengers. So, what does all of this mean for you? SkyTeam hopes it means you will look to their members when flying internationally, and I hope it means that added competition and greater options will reduce airfare prices.

Keep reading for a breakdown of what SkyTeam has to offer and to learn more about other airline alliances that can affect the way you travel internationally…