A look back at the year in travel

Over at MSNBC.com, Sean Moriva recaps a very busy year in the travel world.

The beginning of the year saw Southwest Airlines almost kill a passenger, while Jet Blue was merely stranding them on runways. As the year progressed, Richard Branson’s Virgin America airline made its debut, and the behemoth Airbus 380 took flight for the first time. Surprisingly absent from the year-end wrap-up was the mid-flight freakout that turned one man into a YouTube star. I think I speak for everyone when I say, I just hope being famous doesn’t change him.

As for the year’s biggest trends? Google Maps continued to revolutionize the way we look at the world, eco-tourism continued to grow in popularity, and WiFi continued to expand into every nook and cranny of our lives. I, for one, welcome our new wireless overlord.

Check out the full recap here, and Forbes Traveler’s slide show of the Top 10 Travel Stories here.