There’s a micro media storm brewing for train travel. As air-carriers struggle to satisfy passengers, the idea of taking the train is becoming more and more popular. We used to think it was just us who were enthusiastic about trains, but in the last week we’ve seen two of our friends take trains across the country, analysts are reporting record train use and this Saturday is National Train Day. When you place some of these observations upon the landscape of a troubled travel industry, this could be the beginning of a significant shift for travelers.

While the air line industry responds to issues of efficiency and the environment, travelers are moving toward new modes of transportation. Today, we’ve compiled headlines that consider some of these issues. Click Read More for today’s headlines.

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Losing time is stressful. You can’t get it back, and in the last few weeks we’ve watched airline carriers make decisions effecting tens of thousands of passengers. All of it adding up to lost time, lost opportunities and piles of stress.

The New York Times published an interesting article discussing the never-ending question. What are our rights as passengers? How do we protect our time? As reported, “While there’s no question that these are tough times for the airline industry, it is the paying passengers who are feeling the effects. Indeed, the recent spate of flight cancellations and a series of low-cost airline shutdowns have caused many travelers to face a frustrating reality: airline passengers have virtually no rights.” So where do we go from here? Click Read More for the rest of today’s briefing and daily travel headlines.

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Today’s travel briefing highlights a few stories from Europe. First up, the UK’s Guardian reports on Eurotunnel – the mega-transit that shuttles cars and trains across the channel from the UK to France. It was in debt and operating well below its initial projections. However, after 20 years and some major corporate restructuring, Groupe Eurotunnel posted its first profitable year and will pay its first dividend in 2009. Eurotunnel’s continued success is promising. It’s also exciting for all those looking to hop from city to city.

Second, get ready for in-flight chatter. There’s no quiet-car on planes, so we’re not so sure about this development, but here it goes… USA Today reports, “European regulators have dropped the ban on in-flight cellphone calls, but passengers’ ability to chat will depend on which airline they fly.” Click Read More for the rest of today’s daily headlines.

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On Sunday the NY Times ran an interesting article entitled, Suddenly, the Roof of the World is Closed. It presents an interesting look at Tibet and its tourism. After violent protests began in March, Tibet’s booming tourism ceased to exist. China’s government barred tourists by discontinuing their issuance of entry permits to Tibet. And, they closed two main routes to Mount Everest – in hopes of protecting the Olympic torch’s eventual trip to the mountain’s summit.

As the article points out, prior to the protests Tibet had a growing tourism industry. “Visits to Tibet surged in recent years as access to the region, high in the Himalayas, got easier, interest in Tibetan Buddhism grew and rising Chinese incomes spurred domestic travel. In 2006, China opened the Qinghai-Tibet railway (the so-called train to the Roof of the World) linking Beijing to Lhasa. And roads into Tibet, while still rugged, have been paved. Tibetan-themed boutique hotels have even opened…”

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Passengers are moving closer to wide spread paperless check-in thanks to the work of Continental and a handful of other airline carriers. We look forward to downloading boarding passes to our mobile device and using that as our ticket. No more crumpled kiosk slips jammed in our pockets.

As the NY Times reports today, “First came the kiosk, a strange addition to airport terminals when Continental Airlines began offering it as a check-in option in 1995. It was followed by Web check-in, introduced by Alaska Airlines in 1999. Now, with 80 percent of passengers using these self-service options, the next step is electronic boarding passes, which essentially turn the hand-held devices and mobile phones of travelers into their boarding passes.” Click Read More for additional headlines and information in today’s travel briefing.

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New York City takes the lead and begins accepting Euros in small shops. As reported by Reuters, it’s become worthwhile for small businesses to accept the foreign currency as the US Dollar’s value continues to slump. Many frequent travelers, local Europeans and tourists seem to welcome the change.

Serving as a sign of the times, could the Euro take the Universal Currency title away from the US Dollar? Click Read More to view the Reuters Report.

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Today’s travel briefing highlights economies that are running out of control. In Zimbabwe, Monocle’s journalists pose as tourists to report on the country’s troubled economy. Then in other news, US travelers face surcharges and hidden fees from airlines to balance out the devaluation of the US dollar.

We found the Monocle report especially interesting. As pictured above, the city’s infrastructure appears to be fine, however a deeper look reveals something very different. Zimbabwe has banned journalists from reporting on the country’s pending economic collapse. With inflation running out of control, food and fuel dwindling, and no plan for repair – the country is facing crisis.

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