Yeah, I’d do it. That’s how cheap I am when it comes to air travel. Ryanair is apparently in the preliminary stages of retrofitting its fleet of planes to allow for a “standing room only” or “vertical seating” section where once there were four rows of overly comfortable, gilded-age era seat dwellers.

Will it actually happen? That’s anyone’s guess. As our friends over at Kathika point out, Ryanair has had a recent history of outlandish (depending on who you ask) ideas such as pay toilets and the so-called “fat tax.”

My idea, and stay with me here, is horizontal seating. Just a bunch of yoga mats in the back of the plane, à la kindergarten nap time. Most people just want to sleep anyways, and it’d be a great way to meet your fellow passengers. Just throwing it out there.

CNN’s reporting how travel blogging is changing the world of travel. Such examples include JetBlue’s reluctant policy change to allow folded bikes on their planes (at no charge!), hotel management’s eagerness to quash bad publicity by bribing bloggers with free hotel rooms, and the clarification of WestJet’s breastfeeding policy (allowed!).

In all seriousness, I think what this article’s getting at is how the internet’s filling a void for real, honest, interesting travel coverage untainted by the heavily subsidized, press-junket infiltrated mainstream travel media. (Wow, that last sentence makes me sound like the Sean Hannity of travel blogging. I’ll try to tone it down a bit.)

The travel industry isn’t just hip to blogging. In many cases, it takes blogs more seriously than the mainstream media.

“Blogging has a sense of authority and authenticity that other media doesn’t have,” says Rebecca Goldberg, a hotel design expert and editor-in-chief of Boutique Design magazine.

Here’s where the piece strays a bit. The article goes on to describe how you, the opinionated traveler, can contribute to the travel blogosphere: “All it takes is a computer and an Internet connection.” (Uh-oh, my secret’s out.)

But remember, don’t start some lame, general-focus site that highlights plain old destination travel around the world (yawn). Try focusing on a single topic “like renting cars or visiting a particular destination, and you’re off to the races, say experts.” A car rental blog? They are so striking gold here. What about a comfortable walking shoe blog? A hidden money belt blog? The possibilities are endless!

Also, remember to dumb it down a bit. “Write in a more informal, conversational style” they advise. In other words, don’t respect your reader. What an erudite, sapient specimen of exhortation for us all to excogitate. I really mean that.

The United Nations released their prediction this week that tourism is expected to drop 2% this year (minimum) with many insiders predicting that number to go as high as 5%. This all comes from the World Tourism Organization (is there anything those sprites over at the UN don’t do?), which is also predicting that China’s meager figure of 45 million travelers in 2008 is likely to double by 2012, somewhat offsetting the declines by those countries that will be spending the next three years paying off mortgage debts and bank bailouts. Did I tell you how happy I am that I’m a renter?

Global markets are in upheaval, the financial sector is in shambles, and people are genuinely worried about the possibility of a Depression-like scenario in the near future, which only begs the question: So what does this mean for my next trip?

It’s no surprise that plucky editors across the board have jumped on the how-does-the-economic-turmoil-affect-travel bandwagon. The NY Times is reporting a 10% drop in airline passengers as well as a drop in the number of investment bankers schmoozing clients at the Ritz-Carlton (boo-hoo). The Wall Street Journal is reporting a drop in high-end bookings like those in Vail (hmm . . . I wonder who’s cancelling those trips?) and in increase in the number of hotels slashing rates from Bora Bora to Aruba.

But on the very bright side, for the rest of us who are not likely to be jetting away to Bora Bora or booking weekend getaways at the Ritz anytime soon, there’s actually quite a bit of good news as far as budget travel is concerned. For Americans at least, our pitiful dollar is now inching away from its dismal standing amongst the world’s currencies and is slowly gaining traction, making the U.S. seem less like one giant discounted Wal-Mart to the rest of the world. This is good news for weary (and broke) international travelers from America. The Euro and Pound are both back at 2007 levels ($US1 = €.73 and $US1 = £.57) and there are plenty of places you can now visit that may have been out of the question only a year ago.

For example, this article points out that Iceland’s financial meltdown means big savings for outsiders (sorry Iceland, I know this is not exactly good news for you, but at least you can still take comfort in being the happiest people on Earth — see it’s not all bad). There are now some great deals in the Caribbean. Also, as already pointed out, the weakening of the Euro means that you may actually be able to sleep indoors during your next trip to the Continent. Other destinations across the world have suddenly become very affordable too (” . . . The dollar is up 24 percent in South Africa, 14 percent in both Brazil and Chile, 18 percent in India, 14 percent in Thailand, 13 percent in Australia, and 15 percent in New Zealand”).

So my advise here? Ignore economic troubles and travel instead. If you’re going to lose money, you might as well do it yourself doing something you love.