Here's the latest list of 10 travel deals for this week. Many of these links lead to offers with a very limited shelf life, so if you're interested, act quickly. But don't act so quickly that you miss the fine print. Winter Travel Deals aren't quite so fleeting, and are also worth a look. Among this week's deals: discounts on Entertainment Books, a sale on room rates in New York City and a pair of cruise offers.

U.S. budget travelers who have been shopping for airfares recently might think prices are getting ugly. What happened to those enticing low prices?

New U.S.D.O.T. Passenger Protection Regulations require posting the sum of airfare+taxes. The idea is to curb sensational fare advertising that doesn't include taxes and fees until the consumer has entered the booking process.

The stated goal is "fair and reasonable treatment" for travelers. But at least one of the airlines that fought the new rules is crying foul.

Consider the argument I received in a news release from Spirit Airlines this week. Spirit President and CEO Ben Baldanza: "If the government can hide taxes in consumer's airfares - which they are mandating us to do starting this week - then they can quietly carry out their hidden agenda and increase the taxes consumers bear."

I have no idea if such a "hidden agenda" exists. But if taxes do in fact go up, would it be perceived the next day as an airfare increase? If so, is that fair to the industry?

David Berg, general counsel for the trade group Airlines for America told the New York Times that "you can't show the taxes in essentially close proximity with the total price, and they can't be in the same size font -- it has to be smaller type." Berg's conclusion: "That makes it harder for passengers to understand the taxes they are paying."

One might also wonder if frequent-flier programs that reward based on prices paid will change their rules. Southwest created a lengthy blog post explaining the situation and sent emails to Rapid Rewards members this week stating that there is "no change in how your points are calculated." You'll now need to make note of the "base fare" and add your possible rewards points accordingly.

Whether considering rewards points or simply the make-up of your final airfare, it appears U.S. budget travelers will be focusing more than ever on the fine print. Happy reading.

Anybody ready to start thinking about Spring Break?

As January draws to a close, it's only natural to start thinking about spring. The pessimists among us will remind us of seven winter weeks that stretch across the calendar before spring officially arrives.

Optimists look at it this way: this is a great time to start planning a budget spring break getaway. Booking early can save money, especially on airfares and hotel rooms.

Check out 10 illustrated planning steps for booking an affordable spring break getaway. Throw another log on the fire and get busy!

Here's the latest list of 10 travel deals for this week. Many of these links lead to offers with a very limited shelf life, so if you're interested, act quickly. But don't act so quickly that you miss the fine print. Winter Travel Deals aren't quite so fleeting, and are also worth a look. Among this week's deals: discounts on trips to Mexico and the Caribbean, an airfare sale between New York and Delhi, and senior discounts from Rail Europe.