A couple of large airlines are sending out notices to their confirmed international passengers warning them to arrive four hours ahead of departure. All international airlines are asking for earlier arrivals than the earlier arrivals they were asking before. There are many reasons and many different problems among the airlines now.

For travelers, one common problem is cost increases — and expect more as fuel prices continue to increase. As we move into the peak travel season, we expect a lot of headaches. So be sure to check with your airline about what time you must arrive to check in! I have two friends who were refused check-in after arriving one-and-a-half hours early. "Flight is closed," they were told. When they screeched, the woman at check-in said sternly: “No airline can check in an international flight after two hours!" But four hours check-in feels like a week. When I called an airline about this I was told that if you receive a four-hour warning by mail take it seriously - it means four hours, not three and a half.

You should think twice before flying to euro countries anyway. It takes $1.58 to buy a euro today. And it takes $2.00 to buy a British pound. You can expect a cup of coffee to cost $40 in some cool cafes.

Not Buenos Aires, Argentina. The dollar is strong in Buenos Aires. You can buy everything in sight. Buenos Aires looks European. And there are a lot of great Italian restaurants there.

Last warning for the day: don’t wear or carry, in fact don’t take valuables on trips this summer. More countries than ever have warnings out of snatch gangs on the streets.

Me? I’m going to British Columbia. Canada. Gorgeous. Safe. A dollar is a dollar.