Sure, we know the DOT’s second public Aviation Consumer Forum, which was confirmed today for June 24 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile Hotel, is supposed to foster the constructive exchange of ideas between members of the public and our fair government, but how much do you want to bet it turns into a good old-fashioned gripe fest of Airbus A380 proportions?

Attendees will be able to pose questions, and representatives from the airlines will be onhand to make brief presentations on topics like frequent flyer programs, reservation issues and refund practices. Hmmm. I’ve got a few questions I’d like answered:

What the !@#&% happened to my pretzels?

Does anyone clean the seat back pockets anymore or am I supposed to do that myself?

Is my pilot on Chantix?

Why do airlines continue to publish glossy in-flight magazines if they’re so broke?

The all-day event is free and open to the public. To register, go to the link above.

Come June 15, American Airlines will begin letting passengers check bags in curbside free of charge. That’s also the day the airline’s unprecedented $15 charge for the first checked bag goes into effect.

The airline currently charges passengers $2 to check bags at the curb.

Earlier this morning, low-cost carrier Silverjet announced that it ceased operations today after not receiving funding from its financial backers. While the web site says that the airline is working with new investors to secure funding that could allow the airline to fly again in the future, an email sent by a company representative to colleagues sounded much more like a final farewell when the author stated, “It is a horrible day and one we all hoped and thought would never come….it has been an absolute pleasure working with you all and please do stay in touch.”

Silverjet is only the latest airline to cease operations this year in the midst of record-high fuel prices, but it is especially notable because it is the last of the business-class only carriers to fold. Competitors EOS Airlines and MAXjet Airways filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

The airline is advising passengers with tickets for future travel on Silverjet to seek refunds from the point of purchase, meaning the credit card company used at the time of purchase or travel agency that issued the tickets.

This week, we had the pleasure of chatting with Veronica Belmont, Internet television It Girl and tech know-it-all extraordinaire who has captured the hearts of geeks and nerds everywhere in her current role as host of Revision3’s Tekzilla, and, before that, on Mahalo Daily and CNET. Of course, she wouldn’t describe herself that way. The 20-something San Francisco resident proved herself to be ultra down-to-earth, funny and personable when we caught up with her to pick her brain about some very important tech and travel topics. Like, for example, the reason my GPS is constantly hurting my feelings. Read on…

When was the last time you took a vacation and were totally “off the grid?” Does that notion even sound appealing – or totally nightmarish?

I’ll just say it’s been well over a year since the last time I truly unplugged. Honestly, I don’t even think it was on purpose. I went to Big Sur, and there just happened to be no cellular reception! My email went unanswered for a record 3 days. The Earth, shockingly, continued to turn.

How does it feel to be known as one of the sexiest geeks alive?

You’re embarrassing me! Do I have to answer? OK, well, I have to say that it’s a little odd, because I never thought of myself that way. It’s flattering that some people do! Next question!!

Favorite airline? (Is it Virgin America? We knew it!)

Oh man, do I really give off that vibe? Yes, Virgin America is my favorite, and I swear that it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that they play Revision3 content. I fly a few times a month, so any steps that an airline takes to make the experience better means a whole lot to me. I’m pretty sure they have the best cocktails too.

Favorite hotel or hotel brand?

I’m a big Westin fan, when I get to stay there. I do not, however, appreciate paying $15 for a bottle of contact saline solution. Also, any hotel with a sand-bottom pool gets me every time.

You live in one of the best cities on the planet: San Francisco. (I’m a bit biased, considering that I live there, too.) What are three things any first-time visitor to San Francisco must, must, must do?

Definitely eat a burrito in the Mission, preferably at Taqueria Cancun and then bike in Golden Gate Park all the way down to Ocean Beach to burn it off!

Let’s talk about GPS devices. Which one is your current favorite?

My current favorite GPS device is the Dash. From a geek’s perspective it’s great, because you can send it addresses from your computer when you’re planning a trip, and the device will update wirelessly when you’re ready to go. The live traffic updating is really convenient too.

My Garmin says, “recalculating,” in a really condescending way. How can I stop taking it so personally? (Note that I’ve already tried changing the voice from the nasal American woman to the stuffy British man. It helped, but not much.)

Your GPS sounds like a jerk. I suggest selling it and going with a TomTom. That way you can have Mr. T or Tom Selleck reading your directions! If that’s not an option, just remind yourself that at the end of the day the voice in your GPS is trapped inside a little gadget, while you’re visiting interesting and wonderful places.

I’m a frequent traveler, but a pretty bad photographer. Still, I like to try. And cool gadgetry and features make me happy, even if I never actually RTFM and, consequently, never end up using them. What digital camera would you recommend for someone like me?

My favorite point-and-shoot camera is the Panasonic Lumix, and you can’t really mess up a picture too badly with that one. If you want something a little more high-end, I use the Canon G7 as my day-to-day camera, even if it’s not quite pocket-sized. But the pictures are great!

Do you have any strategies for making it through airport security efficiently with a bunch of tech gadgets in tow?

Despite the fact that I carry a small army of gadgets around with me, I’m shocked that I don’t get stopped more often. I keep all gadgets in my carry-on, because frankly I don’t trust airlines to not rifle through my stuff. My best tip is to invest in a bag that has lots of wonderful compartments of various sizes, so every gadget has its own home, and you always know where to find it.

When you travel, are there any rules that you live and die (or fly) by? Can you share them with us?

I never check luggage unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’ve gotten to the point where I can pack for a week or more just out of a carry-on case, which is no small feat for your average lady. If you must check luggage for an extended trip, bring a couple of days clothes with you on the plane just in case, as well as all gadgets and chargers. I also always keep my toiletries on the outermost compartment of my carry-on, for easy access through security and to prevent too much damage if anything leaks!

Want more Veronica? You can catch her dishing out tech advice and insight alongside co-host Patrick Norton every day on Tekzilla.

Are we about to witness another Pan Am-style implosion in the airline industry? Dean Foust and Justin Bachman suggest that such an upheaval may be on the horizon as the legacy carriers groan under the strain of triple-digit oil prices:

While many carriers have in the past exploited bankruptcy as a competitive maneuver to cut costs, experts believe that any carrier that falls into Chapter 11 going forward will likely have to liquidate. That would probably include one or more of the major airlines. “I think the real risk this time is not Chapter 11, but (Chapter) 7 — liquidation,” says a senior executive of one major airline. “What happened to Pan Am? TWA? Eastern? I think there’s a real risk here that some airlines just go away.”

Accurately predicting just what will happen in the airline industry over the next year or two is as much of a guessing game as determining whether an upcoming trip will go smoothly. But certain changes in the industry seem more likely than others. One that’s already in motion is consolidation. Another prospect is foreign ownership of carriers operating within the United States. And of course, over the long term, fewer companies and downsized fleets (American recently announced it will cut aircraft and today JetBlue announced that it will significantly slow its own growth after its shares hit an all time low today), mean higher fares and decreased choice for travelers.

The news paints a bleak outlook, and it’s one I certainly can’t ignore. If there’s any upside for travelers that I can see right now, it’s that we’re going to be forced to become savvier when we travel and smarter about finding deals before we go.

…with one of the most offbeat travel promotions I’ve encountered in my three+ years of blogging. Nevada’s Moonlite Bunny Ranch, a “world famous” Nevada brothel owned by Dennis Hof of HBO’s Cathouse, is offering to give travelers $15 when they visit the 53-year-old Carson City destination and show their American Airlines baggage claim tickets (well, to be fair, the press release doesn’t specifically mention the airline, but it is the only one charging $15 for the first checked bag). Now what you choose to do with that $15 reimbursement is up to you. A nice bag of carrots for the bunnies, perhaps?

Before heading to the airport yesterday to retrieve my husband from the wilds of Memorial Day travel mayhem, I checked his flight’s status on United.com and found something I hadn’t noticed before. When you check flight status online, United now displays the reason for a flight’s delay or any changes in schedule along with the estimated arrival time, baggage claim and terminal information. I’m not sure how long the airline has been doing this, but I hadn’t seen this level of detail at the flight status stage before - and it’s certainly not a feature on every airline web site.

While learning that his flight’s delayed departure happened because the airline needed more time to service the aircraft was far from an earth-shattering revelation, I did appreciate the added level of transparency there. And over time, the collection and documentation of delay details like this could certainly aid travelers and help them as they decide which flights are most likely to be on time.

Every week, I run across a handful of news stories, features and blog posts that stand out from the pack. What hit my mental dashboard and stuck this week:

Recession-Proof Travel: How to Save Money When it Matters

Naked Pilot, Flight Attendant Charged After Romp in Woods

Tales from ‘Fareland’

Not that Kind of Crystal

The True Adventures of Marital Bliss Inside the Golden Nugget’s Spa Suite

Urine Collecting Underwear for Pilots

5 Common Airline Ticket Errors and How to Avoid Them

Who says big (no, huge) dudes can’t move with the equal grace and skill of a cat and ballerina rolled into one? If you’ve ever watched a Sumo match, then you know what I’m talking about.

If you haven’t witnessed the splendor of two semi-nude rikishi warring inside the ring, then you’re missing out. But that need not be the case, especially considering that the Grand Sumo Tournament is returning to Los Angeles on June 7 and 8, 2008 for the first time in 27 years.

During the two-day display of flesh and flighting (and time-honored rituals and symbols associated with Japan’s ancient national sport), the top 40 professional sumo wrestlers in the world will compete for the Sakura Cup at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The weekend kicks off on Friday at the Dodgers vs. Cubs game, where one of the champion Sumos will be throwing the first pitch.

Tickets for the event range from $10 to upwards of $400 for ringside seats and are available via Sumo Tour, but why spend your cash (after all, you’re gonna need it to cover airfare costs this summer) when you can go for free, courtesy of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau and DiscoverLosAngeles?

The first five Kayak blog readers to email Bill Karz with their request will score a pair of tickets to this event. Hit him up at wkarz (at) lainc (dot) com. Thanks to Bill and the LACVB for extending this freebie to our readers.

For more on what to see and do in Los Angeles, visit DiscoverLosAngeles.

We didn’t think it possible, but it seems Gridskipper may have tired of the city. For the last few years, the veteran travel blog from Gawker media has been known for its slick and often pleasingly snarky missives about the world’s most frequented urban destinations. But now that the blog has been acquired by Curbed and merged with The Beach blog, Gridskipper has announced its plans to switch gears and hole up in the Hamptons. At least, the announcement says, until fall, when it will reroute to Miami. There’s a theme here - and it’s sand and sun over sidewalks and subways. We really liked the old Gridskipper, but we’ll stick around long enough to give the new version a chance. One thing’s for certain, the Gridskipper folks are likely to end up with the best tans in the travel blogosphere.