CNN.com - Travel Opinion: Scanners help economy by warding off fear The Christmas Day attempted attack by would-be "underwear bomber" Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab provoked the U.S. government to plan to spend $1 billion for full body scanners and other bomb-detecting devices at airports. Some prices can be too good to be true Royce Smith planned to visit Sydney, Australia during spring break to attend an arts festival and work on a book, when he found an unbelievably good fare on American Airlines' Web site: A round-trip ticket from Wichita, Kansas, to Sydney for just $1,198. 10 reasons to go to Easter Island With a stunning new lodge and a once-in-a-millennium eclipse, Easter Island has never been more alluring -- or comfortable. Ordinary items make the best keepsakes When I first started traveling, I was delighted by refrigerator magnets, T-shirts, embroidered patches and snow globes -- all the usual gift-shop kitsch. Now, I hunt for what I call "unsouvenirs." Air marshals say service roiled with cronyism, chaos Despite calls from President Obama to beef up the program designed to provide security aboard U.S. flights, the Federal Air Marshal Service is in disarray, a CNN investigation has found. Havana hot spot still dazzles after 70 years Clad in a gold sequined bikini and topped with a feathered headdress, a curvy cabaret dancer strutted onstage. Mardi Gras has nothing on Saints mania There's a party brewing in New Orleans that's filling up hotels and drawing the faithful to the city, but this weekend the magnet isn't Mardi Gras. The New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl debut has fans in a fever to celebrate with their brethren. Opinion: Obama's 'stupid' jab at Vegas President Obama made a couple of stupid little jokes about Vegas. He uses our Las Vegas as a symbol. Everyone knows what Vegas means. Doc Pomus wrote "Viva Las Vegas" for Elvis years before Doc ever visited Sin City and got everything right. Snow-weary region expects second wallop As the mid-Atlantic tried to dig itself out of a record-setting blizzard, a second weather system lumbered toward it, promising to dump more snow this week. Wilds of Patagonia a pristine retreat Ready to hobnob with the locals?