With a new x-ray technology, flight restrictions may be eased in the near future…

…the new machines can detect the density of liquids, and will even create three-dimensional views of them through luggage.

This would eliminate the need for liquid restrictions on flights!

As soon as a year from now, jamming your shampoos and lotions into small plastic baggies will be ancient history. If you are a traveler who cannot part with normal sized toiletries, look forward to bringing them in your carry on and saving the extra cash from your checked bag fee.

The machines are being tested in many United Kingdom airports before widespread use will be implemented and liquid restrictions lifted.

Here’s a fabulous & practical tip for your next overseas meeting: rent local cell phones to save time and energy!

Susan Rosen of In the Event… is the winner of our June Stellar Tip Contest for this tip:

“When traveling outside the US, we’ve found it imperative to rent a local cell phone to keep in contact with the DMC and hotel staff. For internal communications we use our walkie talkies, but hotels do not use them any longer & most hotel staff are using cell phones for communications.

Our guests could find us no matter if we were at our desk or not… well worth the investment.”

For more great tips, visit the Stellar Tip Archive…you can even search by keyword to find the most relevant tips from your peers.

Travel oftentimes doesn’t go as smoothly we all would hope - if you’ve ever had a flight cancelled, lost your passport, or gotten really sick out of the country, your trip can quickly become a nightmare.

This article from BudgetTravel.com has some really helpful travel tips for emergencies like these and more…

1. Losing Your Passport: make a photocopy of your passport and driver’s license and pack it separately. Emergency passports can even be issued same day.

2. You Get Really Sick: review your healthcare policy; many provide coverage out of the country (but bring the local phone number, because 800 numbers often will not work).

3. Stolen Wallet: cancel debit and credit cards as soon as possible, file a police report, and notify the airline if your identification is also missing. Hiding a few $100 bills in a separate bag or article of clothing before traveling is a good way to protect yourself in a pinch.

4. Cancelled Flight: airlines are responsible for getting you on another flight. Calling the airline’s 800 number can be faster than waiting in line at the counter. If you’re involuntarily bumped from your flight, the airline is responsible for compensating you if you are not on another flight in the hour.

Check out the full emergency travel tips article for more useful and practical ways to prevent and deal with mishaps.

If you have a great tip of your own, feel free to share! Or, submit it to our Stellar Tip Contest for your chance to win the monthly prize.

Business travelers have found a way to lighten their load when flying - by leaving laptops at home.

A few years ago, leaving a laptop at home would have left many travelers isolated and cut off from the rest of the world…but as a USA Today article reports, the technology surrounding Smart Phones has made this possible.

Smart Phones with fast email and internet access like the Apple iPhone and Blackberrys have made it easy to stay connected to the office on the road…and occupy much less space than a laptop would.

With increased fees from airlines for baggage weight and checking, phones are becoming even more convenient to stay connected.

Do you bring a laptop when you travel? Have you ditched your laptop for your Smart Phone?

I came across an interesting article on msnbc.com about housekeeping practices in hotels…

…Some hotels are becoming such efficient working machines that rooms are being cleaned at very unaccommodating times for guests; cleaning rooms when guests are still present, for example.

Have you had any negative hosuekeeping experiences? What do you think the easiest way to avoid future problems would be?

MSNBC’s Christopher Elliott offers a few tips in his article, here are a few…

1. Use the Do Not Distrub Sign when you do not want your room cleaned and switch the sign to Please Service My Room when you would like their services.

2. Reuse your towels, etc. - limits disturbances and help conserve energy at the same time.

3. Reward good behavior - tip the maid when you are pleased with your service; it’s an easy way to communicate a job well done.