Philippines carrier Cebu Pacific Air(CEB) is offering more than 500,000 domestic and international seats for free for travel from June 9 to December 31 this year.

Candice Iyog, CEB vice-president for marketing and product, said passengers will only pay the taxes and fuel and insurance surcharges, which are non-refundable. .

Air travel expected to drop by 3 million passeners this summer

Air travel is expected to be down this summer because of economic concerns.

David Castelvetter of the Air Transport Association predicts about 211 million people will hop a flight between June 1 and Aug. 31. That's 3 million fewer than last year.

Airlines, as well as travelers, are faced with some very difficult decisions in the name of survival, Castelvetter says.

``They're trying to raise their fares, and there are limits to how much you can raise your fares before people just choose not to fly," Castelvetter says. ``They are also unbundling many of the services that used to come with the price of a ticket. You see some carriers charging for an extra bag, charging for extra weight."

The list goes on. ``Charging for a meal on-board an airplane, charging for making a reservation over the telephone.

Wish you were here? Is the travel industry 'recession proof'

The package tour industry is in surprisingly bullish spirits despite the weakening of consumer spending across Europe. The big travel operators believe they can ride out the credit crunch unscathed, as customers will still refuse to give up their holidays abroad. Some market experts are not so sure, predicting a period of pain in a year's time should the economic problems continue to spiral.

Despite much of the population tightening its belt as the economy worsens, holidays remain a priority, leading some industry figures to claim the business is "recession proof".

Travel and tourism open house planned Tuesday in parish

The Iberia Parish Conven-tion and Visitors Bureau will host a travel and tourism open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday in conjunction with the 25th annual National Tourism Week.The Bureau said the event will include door prizes, refreshments and free travel information for Iberia Parish and the state.The open house will also feature an exhibit on Iberia Parish attractions and an art exhibit by L'Acadian Art Guild. .

Travel goods that go the extra mile

At the Travel Goods Show 2008, industry bigwigs showed off their latest and greatest travel offerings. Here are trends our correspondent spotted, with picks for products that showcase them well. TREND ONE: GOING GREEN Act2 GreenSmart 100 Percent Recycled Laptop Jackets by Shoreline, $40 Whether we're talking hybrid cars, bamboo flooring or recycled cotton T-shirts, all things eco-friendly earn growing chunks of any given market share. Travel goods prove no exception. Act2, a green company committed to sustainable production, scored with its laptop jackets, made entirely from recycled plastic water and soda bottles. Act2 estimates the manufacturing energy saved would fuel your laptop for 149 hours. With holes for power cords and exterior handles, the jacket remains attached to your computer while you use it, so you're always ready to close, zip up and go.