How to Curb Rental Car Costs

(NEWSER) - With summer vacations increasing your chances of an extended stay at an airport, Travel + Leisure offers its annual list of airports likely to leave you grounded. The good news? Airports are getting better; even this year’s “winner” improved its delays by 3%. The list:

1. Newark: That 3% boost wasn't enough; it’s the only airport to delay 30% of its flights.

There are some things passengers can do to take control of their airport fates

(NEWSER) - With customer complaints up 60% and operational performance at an all-time low, it's not a good time for the airline industry—or its passengers. CNN offers these tips to fractious fliers:

1. Research, research, research: Check out airline performance at FlightStats.com or FlightAware.com before buying your ticket, book a flight during an airport’s least congested times (midday or late night).

Tiffany's, 42 restaurants, and a booze-friendly cinema

(NEWSER) - Heathrow’s new terminal has hit such turbulence with its opening that it may seem an odd time to sing its praises. But once the delays and lost luggage are solved, this massive addition, designed to eradicate the “Heathrow hassle,” will lure fliers with plenty of perks, reports Forbes.

1. From caviar to Krispy Kreme, 42 restaurants fill the terminal
2. Two spas serve up complimentary massages and facials
3. Hyper-fast check-in

Columnist pumps experts for hard-earned knowledge, tips

(NEWSER) - MSNBC travel columnist Christopher Elliott asks those sulky veterans of the airways— business travelers—for their best tips on making life on the road tolerable:

1. Expect nothing, and you won't be disappointed.
2. Be nice. It can't hurt, and it might even help.
3. Never pay cash—credit cards offer some protection against scams.

Where to avoid the people and the noise and find serenity

(NEWSER) - Even for die-hard swimmers, surfers, and sunbathers, sometimes a day at the beach is anything but, thanks to way, way too many people. The good news is that there are still undiscovered beaches out there. Travel + Leisure went scouting for such secret beaches. Here are its best finds:

• Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico: This artist colony is way cooler in both temperature and temperament than the Margaritaville of Cabo San Lucas, an hour to the south. Pacific breezes stir up rough and tumbling waves that have made this kicked-back community a surfer’s haven.