Thank US Airways. The carrier accounted for much of that jump by improving from a 68.7 percent success rate in 2007 to a much more reliable 80.1 percent a year later.

Which airlines do the best? Forbes Traveler has the rankings of all 19 major U.S. carriers.

Here are the Top 10:

1. Hawaiian Airlines: 90 percent

2. Southwest: 80.5 percent

3. US Airways: 80.1 percent

4. Pinnacle: 79.6 percent

5. Frontier: 79 percent

6. Skywest: 79 percent

7. Alaska: 78.3 percent

8. Northwest: 76.8 percent

9. AirTran: 76.7 percent

10. Delta: 76.4 percent

To see the rest of the list, head on over to Forbes Traveler.

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Planes are smaller. Amenities are few, and they will cost you. On-board storage space often seems inadequate. Overworked and layoff-stressed airline employees aren’t always the most friendly or accomodating.

If you are well-heeled enough to fly in Business Class or First Class, however, some carriers are rolling out the red carpet. Forbes Traveler recently put together a list of Hot New Aircraft Features.

If you can pay the tab, check out some of these upgrades:

On-board showers

Wi-fi access

IPod docking stations

New coach and premium economy seats

Double beds and private compartments

Better airplane food

Cabin humidity controls

Mood lighting

Larger windows

More storage bin space

Double jetways

Interested in learning more about these? Head on over to Forbes Traveler for some information and a slideshow.

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A little R&R is just what the doctor ordered, and as luck would have it, this past year delivered a bumper crop of superlative spas from Macau to Mexico. Our reviewers left no hot stone unturned in their effort to identify the 50 transcendent spots for head-to-toe pampering.

U.S. spas on the Hot Spas List include:

California: Spa Montage, Beverly Hills; Spa at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach

Colorado: RockResorts Spa at the Arrabelle, Vail

Florida: Icon Brickell at Viceroy Miami; Lapis at the Fontainebleau,
Miami Beach

Georgia: 29 Spa at the Mansion on Peachtree, Atlanta

Nevada: Spa at Trump, Las Vegas

New Mexico: Spa at Encantado, Santa Fe

New York: Caudalie Spa at the Plaza Hotel; ESPA at the Peninsula; Sense,
a Rosewood Spa, The Carlyle; Shibui Spa, Greenwich Hotel, New York City

Texas: Stoneleigh Spa, Dallas

Source: Conde Nast Traveler

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When we travel we still need — and love — to eat out. The most sought-after reservations are for gussied up gastropubs with stellar cocktails or pocket-sized restaurants with just a handful of tables. From a $25 prix fixe lunch at Maison Boulud in Beijing to a $59 four-course dinner at Convivio in New York, our list of 50 restaurants has amazing values abound.

U.S. restaurants on the Hot Tables List include:

California: Palate Food & Wine, Glendale; Kogi BBQ, Los Angeles; Zinnia, San Francisco

Florida: Sra. Martinez, Miami

Georgia: Holeman & Finch, Atlanta

Illinois: L2O, Chicago

Louisiana: Cochon Butcher, New Orleans

Massachusetts: Hungry Mother, Cambridge

Nevada: Wazuzu, Las Vegas

New York: Convivio, Corton, John Dory, L’Artusi, New York

Oregon: Lincoln, Portland

Pennsylvania: Zahav, Philadelphia

Washington: Poppy, Seattle

Hungry for more? Go online to the Conde Nast Traveler web site for 65 additional
tables.

Source: Conde Nast Traveler

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The hotel findings range in size from a three-pavilion hideaway outside of Sydney to a 2,034-room high-rise on the Vegas Strip, and in price from $89 at a Palm Springs hot spot to $2,050 for a sprawling safari tent in northern Botswana. Hot and trendy doesn’t have to mean pricey — check into 43 of the hottest hotels for under $250-per-night. The 140 hotels and resorts on this year’s Hot List span 53 countries and include new-to-the-list destinations Israel, Mongolia, Peru, Slovenia, and Zimbabwe.

U.S. properties named to the list include:

• InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa, Paradise Valley, Ariz.
• Montage Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, Calif.
• London West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif.
• SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach, Calif.
• Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs, Calif.
• Se San Diego, San Diego, Calif.
• Cavallo Point, Sausalito, Calif.
• Bardessono, Yountville, Calif.
• Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Avon, Colo.
• Capella Telluride, Telluride, Colo.
• The Regent, Bal Harbour, Fla.
• Viceroy, Miami, Fla.
• Fontainebleau, Miami Beach, Fla.
• Mondrian South Beach, Miami Beach, Fla.
• Mansion on Peachtree, Atlanta, Ga.
• Avia, Savannah, Ga.
• Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii
• The Blackstone, Chicago, Ill.
• Dana Hotel and Spa, Chicago, Ill.
• Hidden Pond, Kennebunkport, Me.
• Mandarin Oriental, Boston, Mass.
• Hotel Ivy, Minneapolis, Minn.
• Encore Wynn, Las Vegas, Nev.
• Encantado, Santa Fe, N.M.
• Greenwich Hotel, New York, N.Y.
• Thompson LES, New York, N.Y.
• The Nines, Portland, Ore.
• Hotel Saint Cecilia, Austin, Tex.
• Stoneleigh Hotel & Spa, Dallas, Tex.
• Arctic Club Hotel, Seattle, Wash.
• Four Seasons Hotel, Seattle, Wash.
• Donovan House, Washington, D.C.
• Iron Horse Hotel, Milwaukee, Wis.

Full reviews of each hotel and spa can be found in the May 2009 issue of Conde Nast Traveler or on the Conde Nast Traveler web site.

Source: Conde Nast Traveler

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But what happens when you hit that mountain and it hits back? All of a sudden, you’re the person on the ski trip who doesn’t like to ski.

What to do with all that time you’ll have left on your hands?

Shermans Travel has given this some thought, eventually coming up with a list of “Top 10 Ski Resorts for Nonskiers.” If multiple crashes, sore muscles and the threat of major reconstructive surgery don’t sound all that appealing, steer your traveling companions toward places where you can have a good time, too.

Here’s the list:

1. Bad Gastein

2. Megeve

3. Mont Tremblant

4. Park City

5. Sierra Nevada

6. Stowe

7. Sun Valley

8. Taos

9. Whistler Blackcomb

10. Zermatt

What makes these resorts more attractive to the less active? Find out at Shermans Travel.

Sponsored list:

• Hotel offers under $99 (feed)

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Whether it’s spring break or a big summer adventure, it’s never too early to make some decisions and hatch some plans. In recent years, environmentally-friendly travelers have been flocking to ecotours, checking out some of the world’s natural wonders while there is still time.

Shermans Travel has put together a list of its “Top 10 Ecotourist Hotspots.” It includes some of the usual stops, but includes a surprise or two.

Here goes:

1. Alaska

2. The Amazon

3. Antarctica

4. Blue Mountains

5. Borneo

6. Botswana

7. Costa Rica

8. Dominica

9. Galapagos Islands

10. Himalayas

Ready to find out why these locales are of special interest? Check out Shermans Travel.

Sponsored list:

• Hotel offers under $99 (feed)

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1. Manhattan, New York, September 11 2001 – 4500+ Killed (Boeing 767-200s of American Airlines and United Airlines intentionally crashed into World Trade Center towers.)

2. Tenerife, Canary Islands, March 27 1977 – 583 killed (KLM Boeing 747-206B collides with Pan Am Boeing 747-121 on runway.)

3. Tokyo, Japan, August 12 1985 – 520 killed (JAL Boeing 747SR-46 crashes into mountain, 4 survivors.)

4. Charkhi Dadri, India, November 12 1996 – 349 killed (Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing B747-168B collides in mid-air with Kazach Ilyushin Il-76TD.)

5. Ermenonville, France, March 3 1974 – 346 killed (DC-10 Series 10 of THY Turkish Airlines cargo door bursts open – crashes into forest.)

6. Irish Sea, June 23 1985 – 329 killed (Air India Boeing 747-237B, terrorist bomb.)

7. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, August 19 1980 – 301 killed (Saudia L-1011-200 Tristar bursts into flames after emergency landing.)

8. Kinshasa, Zaire, January 8 1996 – 297+ killed (Overloaded African Air Antonov-32 crashes into market place – 4 of 5 crew members survive.)

9. Persian Gulf, July 3 1988 – 290 dead (USS Vincennes downs Iran Air Airbus A300B2-202.)

10. Chicago, USA, May 25 1979 – 273 dead (American Airlines DC-10 Series 10 crashes due to damaged hydraulics.)

Source: aviationattorneys.com