It’s official! Expect major delays next time you take a flight. New York travelers waited over an hour for flights and other cities experienced the same kind of delays as air traffic control furloughs begin to kick in. The Federal Aviation Administration spoke up and said they have greatly reduced their ability to handle arrivals and departures at busy hubs.

The furloughs officially began on Sunday by reducing staffing across the board by an average of 10%. The FAA warned of delays that could be as long as 3½ hours, especially at major airports. So far, light travel has kept delays to a minimum, although Los Angeles International Airport has reported more than a 2 hour delay on some flights.

Delays will start to become rampant as the FAA had to start furloughs with their 47,000 employees because of the automatic sequestration cuts, which were not avoided by Congress. The FAA’s employees include almost 13,000 air traffic controllers who regulate the skies over America. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said that “relatively good weather throughout the country and light traffic helped minimize air traffic delays.”

Paul Rinaldi, who is the president of the Air Traffic Controllers Association, said “about 1,200 to 1,500 controllers will be staying home each day, on average, and that come airports might be able to shift staffing to reduce the effect of the furloughs.” These automatic furloughs will last until the end of the U.S. fiscal year in September. Over 25,000 flights are handled by U.S. airport personnel every day.

With the average price in the United States at $3.65 for a gallon on gas, people are wondering why the sudden decrease at the pump. Trilby Lundberg, who is the publisher of the Lundberg Survey, attributes the drop to lower crude oil prices and a much more plentiful amount of production in America. Lundberg says “more U.S. refineries are gaining access to lower-priced domestic and Canadian oils and passing these benefits onto their marketers and retailers in the form of slashed wholesale gasoline prices.” The Lundberg study encompasses over 2,500 gas stations every two weeks.

Historically, lower prices at the pump have a way of boosting the overall economy in the U.S. Right now the cheapest prices are in Indiana with Washington state and Oregon following. Lundberg also predicts that gas prices will continue to fall a few more cents if crude oil prices stay where they are. Oil production has ramped up in America the last few years and many predict the U.S. will be a larger producer than Saudi Arabia by 2015. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that gas prices will get any cheaper. It’s a rigged game and the sooner the U.S. finds alternate ways to produce energy the better.

This all started back in December when a 23 year old Indian university student was gang raped and brutalized on a bus in New Delhi. She would later die from her numerous wounds and torture. Last month, another gang rape happened in central India to a Swiss cyclist, while a British woman jumped out of her hotel room to avoid a rape in Agra, which is the home of the Taj Mahal. A woman is raped in India every 22 minutes, according to study done back in 2011 and many believe the number is much higher in 2013.

Several nations have added India to their travel advisory warnings, which educate travelers to the dangers in other countries and what to avoid. India must act to make tourists feel safer if they are going to retain their $17 billion that comes from annual tourism. They also receive 6.6 million visits annually form international tourists, but that number continues to decline every day. India is a beautiful country with a lot of tradition, but people must feel comfortable and safe if they are going to come and visit. They must show a tougher commitment to protecting women in the future.

The first weekend of games is always the best and biggest. March 21-24 is normally the busiest time for sports lovers. Back in 2011, the city’s occupancy rate jumped up 97.7% with all the action that came to town. “Places are jam-packed and people are just going crazy” said Anthony Curtis, president of LasVegasAdvisor.com, which is an online newsletter. He went on to claim that “The Super Bowl may be a bigger single-day event but for the atmosphere and excitement there’s nothing like March Madness.”

There are many Las Vegas casinos to choose from when looking to enjoy the games and place a bet every now and then. The Aria Resort & Casino is a wonderful place to start. It’s been recently renovated and has a 10,000 square foot sports book that is top of the line in luxury and entertainment. With 90 big screen TV’s, plush couches and endless betting stations. Las Vegas spares no expense when taking care of their treasured visitors. It’s time to sit back, relax and “Let The Games Begin.”

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gave a dire warning to Congress about the impact of these sequester cuts involving air travel, especially with the across the board severity of them. The Federal Aviation Administration’s budget will be cut by $600 million this year because Congress could not make a deal on the budget or taxes.

LaHood says that over 100 small air traffic control towers will be shut down and another 60 may have to get rid of their overnights shift. There will also be major cutbacks to airport staffing, will could delay flights up to an hour and a half during peak times. At least one day every two weeks, 47,000 employees will be furloughed, which also results in a 10% pay cut for them. Talks about the sequester cuts have started between the airlines and their unions.

Is it a scare or is it real? I guess it depends on who you believe and how fast the affected industries can adapt to the loss of funding. With the ongoing good news in the economy, these massive forced cuts are the last thing people need right now. The obstructionism must end in Congress if the U.S. economy is finally able to rebound from the Bush Recession of 2008.

There are several ways to enjoy the Grand Canyon depending on which direction of Rim to come in from. The South Rim is the most popular, hosting over 3 million people a year. The North Rim accommodates 750,000 annually, with 500,000 enjoying Grand Canyon West and the famous Skywalk. Each entrance has its own distinct pleasure.

The Grand Canyon supports a big economy with over 7,400 jobs connected to the historical site and brings in over $465 million in revenues from tourists every year. National parks across the nation bring in almost $13 billion annually while hosting 280 million visitors a year. It is hard work to preserve these historical sites and keep people coming at a large rate.

The number of visitors to the Grand Canyon has been increasing every year which is great for the local economies. It’s a once in a lifetime must, to see one of the natural wonders of the world. A lot of first time visitors make a return to the beauty and sheer size of this giant hole in the desert. So come to Northern Arizona and experience the Grand Canyon, you won’t regret it.

Discretionary spending would be cut by $27 billion over the next seven months and deal a major blow to air traffic control. President Obama said that “air traffic controllers and airport security will see cutbacks, which means more delays at airports across the country.” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood claimed that the “vast majority of the Federal Aviation Administration’s 47,000 workers would be furloughed one day from every two-week pay period through September, with a maximum of two days per every two weeks.”

Many businesses that rely on reliable travel options will also see a major dip in customers. Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson, is very angry at Washington and sees gridlock as the most serious threat to their business. He said that potential cuts “are very concerning and pose not only near-term threats to the travel business but longer-term threats to the economy if our political leader can’t get to an agreement. Mr. Sorenson claimed that “the fourth quarter was very strong across the board and it’s almost as if the political process is targeting and trying to pull back the economic growth that’s under way.”

Everyone is frustrated by the lack of progress from the leaders in Congress. Republicans have said “No” to just about everything the President has wanted to do. There could be over 1 million jobs lost due to this sequester. This kind of “governance by crises” is getting old and the people are getting tired of the name calling and finger pointing. They must come together and make a deal to avoid these disastrous cuts.

The party goes on from mid-January until Fat Tuesday on Feb. 12. The last day of Mardi Gras is the busiest with nine parades in the New Orleans area alone, starting at 8:00 in the morning with the legendary Krewe of Zulu, who always steals the show. The major parade routes go through the French Quarter and Bourbon Street while entertaining thousands.

The largest float in the history of Mardi Gras will be unveiled Feb. 9 by Endymion, called “Pontchartrain Beach Then and Now,” which is a 365 foot long Mega-Float that comes in nine different parts. Kelly Clarkson will be the celebrity grand marshal for the Krewe of Endymion and will be riding along with 230 other passengers. The massive float was built at a cost of $1.2 million.

There is always a great party going on in New Orleans somewhere, you just have to find it. But this time of year, the party will find you. Over a month of festivals and celebrations during Mardi Gras not only improve the spirits of the people, they bring in over $1 billion into the New Orleans economy. So do yourself a favor and join the party down in New Orleans, where they do it right.

Bowl games in Florida, Arizona and California are the most popular requests from football fans, while trying to get out of the gloom and doom feeling in the north that is usually taken over by blizzards, ice, snow and bitter cold. A person can change their whole outlook on life when they are excited about packing shorts and bathing suits for a sunny trip to a warmer climate.

Except for your diehard football fans, many people complain that there are too many bowl games and they are on television every night for a month. There are 35 to be exact, which gives a lot of universities a chance to showcase their program, while treating their alumni, students and season ticket holders to a nice little vacation and a juicy spot on national T.V. That kind of exposure is hard to get for some football teams.

Travel packages are in big demand this time of year and many fans are looking to take advantage of the opportunity. Even if it’s only for one week, getting away from the gloom and doom of harsh winters can carry a person through to the summer with a lot less griping. So take advantage of any warm climate spot you can and support your team. Don’t forget the sun block.

Only 30% claimed that the agency was doing just a fair job with their security. There are still some people who obviously consider the TSA’s role as intrusive and not that important, but it is changing the minds of many travelers who appreciate the job they do and their commitment to everyone’s safety.

The only ones who seem to be complaining about the agency are republicans in Congress. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky wants to privatize the agency, which is the GOP’s answer to every government venture. Rep. John Mica of Florida, who is the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, continues to be the leading critic against the TSA. He also wants it privatized and continues to exalt his authority even though he has no jurisdiction. The TSA was transferred into the Department of Homeland Security after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, along with a lot of other agencies.

The popularity of TSA is many times higher than Congress, which has crept up to 16% recently. The GOP needs to leave agencies alone if they are doing a good job and the people support their efforts. Safety in American airports cannot be compromised. A few minutes of inconvenience is worth having to ensure that the skies will stay friendly.