First things first: You have 2 more days to take advantage of Restaurant.com’s 70% off code (see left sidebar for link). With this deal, you only pay $3 for a $25 gift certificate. That is a screaming deal.

Jetblue has an airfare sale going on right now with some good deals, depending on where you’re going. Book before August 6 to take advantage of it.

If you haven’t yet signed up for TravelZoo’s weekly deals newsletter, I highly recommend it. Why spend precious hours of your time hunting for deals when they do it for you? Click on the link in the left sidebar to sign up.

An article in today’s New York Times, “Restaurant Chains Close as Diners Reduce Spending” is a stark reminder of how the economy is impacting the tourism, travel, restaurant, and hospitality industries. I’m sure there will be more of these before things start getting better. However, the article raises a really good point for me: A lot of these chain restaurants are practically interchangeable, which leads to less brand loyalty. They all offer the same kinds of appetizers, salads, soups, entrees. . .and atmosphere. So what does it matter which one you choose? If they’re all alike, they’re going to be competing for the same customers. If a restaurant can build a niche market, on the other hand, they might stand a better chance of survival. Unique food offerings is a good start, along with a unique atmosphere. But how about marketing to an underserved population, say, for instance, becoming a restaurant known for providing a friendly, warm atmosphere for solo diners to socialize with one another? Just a thought….

Speaking of marketing to underserved populations, I just noticed yesterday that the Luxor in Las Vegas is now marketing to the GLBT community quite aggressively. According to their website, the “Luxor prides itself on its diverse staff and offers a unique Diversity training program for all employees.” Their wedding chapel even offers several Commitment Ceremony packages. Good for them….The Luxor is offering some great discounted prices through September, by the way.

An article from today’s Wall Street Journal offers some great advice on how to keep in touch with folks back home in a cost-effective way when you’re traveling overseas: By leaving your cell phone at home. That may sound counter-intuitive (”how can I stay in touch without my cell phone???”), but cell phone charges overseas can be killer. The author offers some good advice on how to stay in touch and get around those costs at the same time.

Meanwhile, airline news continues to be grim: Germany’s Lufthansa cancelled 78 of 2,000 flights (mainly European and domestic) on Wednesday as thousands of its employees are on strike. India’s Jet Airways is cutting the number of seats on some of its overseas flights to cut costs. Delta is doubling its fee for a second checked bag from $25 to $50 and increase the cost of a third checked bag from $80 to $125 on flights booked after August 1. AirTran is shrinking its hub in Atlanta.