SmarterTravel.com Offers 10 Reasons Recession Travel is Easier

• Deals Galore: With fewer people traveling, airlines, B&Bs, and other travel providers are more willing to make special offers. That means sales, deals, added value packages, and extra perks. Close to 150 B&Bs have joined BedandBreakfast.com's Tanks for Traveling program with offers from free or discounted extra nights to spa services, free dinners and more. 
• More Frequent Flyer Award Availability to Europe: Now is the time to do more with your miles, at least in one situation. SmarterTravel's Tim Winship recently polled frequent flyers and discovered that passengers are having an easier time now booking award travel to Europe than they did a year ago. Plus, United has discounted award prices for Europe flights. And, many airlines, including American, Continental, Delta, United, and US Airways, are offering elite-mile bonuses.
• Faster Airport Security Checkpoints: Fewer passengers traveling mean less crowded airports, and that leads to shorter lines at security checkpoints. So you can reduce the time you spend shuffling through the line in your socks, holding your pants up because you've taken off your belt and trying to keep track of your jacket while you fumble with your laptop. Another recession travel silver lining? "Less pocket change may well reduce those pesky second trips through the metal detector. Just kidding. Sort of," says SmarterTravel.com.
• Higher Chance of the Empty Middle Seat: Fewer people are flying, which gives you a better chance of scoring an aisle or window seat with an open middle seat. Says Smarter Travel, "On a recent cross-country flight, my row-mate and I divided the prime real estate of the empty middle seat between us: he took the legroom and I used the seat. Not quite first-class, but still pretty good." The drop in passengers also reduces the odds of finding yourself in the DMS (dreaded middle seat); and if you do, it increases the possibility of switching to an open aisle or window seat once onboard.
• Favorable Exchange Rates: The global downturn has had a broad effect on currencies around the world. After years of a weak dollar cramping overseas spending, Americans are seeing much more favorable exchange rates in many countries. You can now get more euros, British pounds, Icelandic kronas, or Mexican pesos for every dollar. Not only do better exchange rates drive down the overall cost of a vacation, but they allow travelers to splurge a bit on an upscale B&B without breaking the bank.
• Easier No-Reservation Dining: On a tropical getaway, making a dinner reservation can be anathema to the laid-back, take-it-as-it-comes pace of vacation. Overseas, the prospect of making a phone call in a foreign language can be daunting. However, in places hit hard by a drop in visitors, you're more likely to score walk-in seats or dramatically reduce the time you wait at restaurants. During a recent six-night stay in Maui, a SmarterTravel reader reported he was able to eat daily lunch and dinner at restaurants around the island and only had to wait for a table once. He says, "We even ate dinner out on Valentine's Day at a nice restaurant and there was no wait." As always, if you're trying to get a table without a reservation at a popular restaurant, it's still a good idea to show up at off-peak times, say 5:00 or 8:30 for dinner instead of 6:30.
• Shorter Lines: Fewer travelers in popular destinations are rough on local B&Bs and local merchants, but there is a bright side. Visitors who do make the trip may find shorter lines at museums, attractions, taxi stands, and the other places you'd normally squander precious vacation time. For instance, a SmarterTravel reader recently reported "no massive lines for cabs and open spots at tables" in Las Vegas. The trend may not last through summer, but it's an appealing benefit for now. 

Remember, a B&B stay always includes plenty of bonuses, both during recessions and booming economic times. Free breakfasts, free wi-fi (I recently paid $25 at a Hyatt for two days of wi-fi access), complimentary refreshments and free parking all add up to more than $100 in value.