The 2009 AirVenture Oshkosh (better know as the Oshkosh Air Show) starts next Monday. This year’s highlights include Predator B, an unmanned U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft that looks like a giant insect. Check out the Predator B and more planes with these video clips.

A just released report from researchers at Harvard University confirms that travelers have three times the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blog clots in a vein, which can be fatal if they travel to the lungs. While frequent flyers have been aware of the potential risks of VTE for some time, the report also states that people who spend more than two hours  traveling by car are also vulnerable. The study says that drinking extra fluids and getting up and moving at least every two hours help ward off the condition.Â

Prompted by the crash of a Yemeni airline plane off the Comoros Islands, in which a teenaged girl was the lone survivor, Slate has compiled a fascinating list of tips for how to stay alive if you find yourself floating in the ocean amidst the wreckage. Among the suggestions: don’t swim (it depletes your energy sources and body heat) and “abstaining from bodily discharge” to avoid attracting sharks.Â

Q: I was traveling with my niece and the handle on her suitcase was damaged. Are airlines responsible for repairing damaged suitcases? My assumption is that if you’re traveling and you give them your suitcase that they have a responsibility to return it to you in the same condition.

A: It certainly would be nice if your assumption was standard operating procedure for U.S. airlines. Alas, that’s not the case. Every airline has a different baggage policy so you need to check the specific airline’s website. Northwest Airline’s policy, for example, does not take responsibility for broken wheels or feet, lost pull straps, damage resulting from over-packed baggage, damage to oversized bags and damage to retractable baggage handles.

I talked to AAA  Minneapolis and they said that while suitcase repairs often end up being surprisingly inexpensive, the best way to protect yourself from shelling out money for a broken wheel is to buy travel insurance.  They also told me that  several high end luggage companies offer guaranteed free repairs for luggage that is damaged during transit. Those companies include:

• Briggs & Riley
• Travelpro (Platinum Series only)
• Eagle Creek (Exploration and Velocity series only)

Travel Troubleshooter guru Christopher Elliott has an interesting story on the sky high rates airlines charge for pets. Elliott takes the airlines to task for their pricing (why, he asks, does it cost $150 each way for a cat to fly under your seat when children younger than 2-years-old fly for free on their parents’ laps?). But he also asks important questions about whether or not animals should even take to the skies, given that its not entirely uncommon for them to die in transit.  (For details of pet policies for major airlines, check out this list put together by the Animal Humane Society.)

Do you travel with your pet? How was the experience? Do you think that pets should be allowed on commercial airlines?

Q: The news about the Continental Airlines pilot who died during a transatlantic flight made me wonder what would happen if a pilot died flying one of those increasingly common commuter planes?A: We contacted the Regional Airlines Associations in Washington, D.C. and they assured us that when it comes to a pilot dying mid-flight, you’re as safe on a commuter plane and you are on a heavily staffed 747. That’s because all United States aircrafts operating with 10 or more passenger seats must have 2 pilots. In addition, pilots must undergo regular physical examinations and must be younger than 65.