The skies just got a whole lot friendlier

If you've been reading the back pages of the business section, you might have noticed a couple of little blurbs about the "Open Skies" agreement that the United States and the European Union recently passed. In a nutshell, the agreement states that European airlines may now operate nonstop flights from any European city to any American city. Previously, these airlines could only operate nonstop flights from their home countries, so this new agreement will open up a huge number of potential airline routes.

Analysts seem to agree that business travelers will be the primary beneficiaries of this new agreement. By allowing every European carrier to run nonstop flights from any American city to any European city, the agreement will greatly reduce the number of connections that many travelers will need to make. Moreover, this agreement will also make it possible for carriers to capitalize on popular routes, many of which have been closed to them in the past. The increased competition should, hopefully, bring down the prices of many flights.

The Open Skies agreement will take effect on March 30. I don't know about you, but I'll be checking out the prices on flights to Prague!

Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. He knows how to order a beer in several Eastern-European languages.