Air Travel

Prices go up and prices go down, but this year they're going every which way. While it's difficult to predict how the economy will impact the cost of products and services, there are several sure bets on both ends of the scale. Here are a few predictions.

GOING UP:

Orange Juice
The FDA discovered "low levels" of a fungicide in the 2011 orange crop imported from Brazil, the world's largest produce of oranges.

Airfare
More people want to fly, but the airlines have trimmed their sales and are putting fewer planes in the air. Expect an increase between 3 percent and 10 percent worldwide.

Parking Rates and Tickets
Cash-strapped cities will try to boost their budgets by increasing city-imposed fees.

Gas
Did you enjoy that recent small reprieve from high gas prices? Well don't get used to it; the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts regular gas will average $3.45 this year.

Groceries
Rising energy costs, poor weather conditions, commodity prices and the lousy value of the U.S. dollar mean food is expected to increase 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent from 2011, according to the Consumer Price Index. Read more

It's inevitable that as the New Year creeps closer, we begin to muse about what's to come in the next 12 months.

The editors over at dealnews researched and listed price adjustments that consumers can expect to see in 2012. Some increases seem almost customary, like ever-rising gas prices, while others, like a potential 25% hike on tap water, are more surprising.

1. Domestic and International Airfare
Greater demand and fewer available airline seats will likely lead to higher ticket prices for flights next year. American Express predicts prices within North America will increase up to 5% for economy seating, depending on the length of the flight, and up to 7% in business class. Things look more bleak for European travel. A new "green tax" implemented by the EU is aimed at reducing emissions, and it will levy a fee of roughly $15 per passenger, each way, for flights to the U.S. Fees on shorter flights within the EU will be taxed slightly less.Read more

September is here. What are the best purchases to make this month? The worst? Good shoppers know that sometimes, to get the best deals, you need to plan. Arm yourself with the dealnews September buying guide, and you'll know exactly what to look out for this month.

Labor Day
Just because it's a holiday weekend doesn't mean you should automatically whip out your credit card. We saw numerous sales and coupons from popular retailers, but few were much better than what we had seen in the months immediately leading up. There were a handful, however, that were either Editor's Choice worthy or tied for the best sale we'd seen that year; that included sales from Converse, Bath & Body Works, Men's Wearhouse, Forever 21, Sears, and Eddie Bauer. That doesn't mean the remaining are bad deals per se; a 25 percent off coupon to the Gap (like we saw that weekend last year) is still an extra 25 percent off. It's just not the best we've seen.Read more

The Federal Aviation Administration stopped collecting taxes Friday due to a partial shutdown, so logic dictates that should mean a reduction in airfare considering those taxes make up nearly 20% of flight cost. Not so fast, my friend. U.S. carriers leaped on the opportunity created by lawmakers' failure to extend the agency's operating authority. By Monday, most U.S. airlines raised their fees to cover the difference, with the possible exceptions of Alaska, Spirit and Hawaiian airlines. Virgin originally bragged it wouldn't take advantage of the tax holiday, but joined the opportunistic crowd by Monday. Frontier Airlines followed suit.

So what's a traveler to do? Here are 15 ways consumers can reduce airfare costs and avoid those pesky added fees:

1. Shop Consolidators
OneTravel.com and Hotwire.com are just two websites that consolidate the lowest fares available. But check the terms carefully as there might be some semi-hidden restrictions.

2. Book Mid-week
Airfare prices are at their lowest in the middle of the week, according to FareCompare.com who claims Tuesday afternoon offers the best value and selection of low cost flights.

3. Weekend Layovers
Business travelers know it's actually cheaper to extend their visit over a weekend to save on airfare. That's because many plane tickets are sold for weekday round trips. Read more

In the pre-9-11 world, getting on a plane was as easy as emptying your pockets and walking through a metal detector. In the post-9-11 world, airline passengers must take off their shoes, their belts, empty their pockets and be subjected to invasive body scans and pat-downs that add dignity and privacy to the price of an airline ticket.

But a new Star Trek-like handheld scanner may signal the end to some of those more invasive security checks.

"Benjamin Franklin once said that those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety," said Mitchel Laskey, CEO of Brijot, maker of the AllClear, a handheld screening device that the company claims can scan for security risks without pat-downs or invasive imaging. "While I can't disagree with the idea of using security screening to make our airways safer, I knew that there had to be a better way than taking naked pictures of people or patting them down like common criminals. That's why we developed the AllClear."

The AllClear is a handheld, battery-powered, passive millimeter wave people screening device that detects metallic and non-metallic objects and provides an alternative to the need for pat-downs, according to Laskey.Read more