Most frequent flier programs offer only free airline trips, hanging out in posh airport lounges and a few other goodies. Now, Virgin Airlines offers one its lucky frequent fliers a free trip into outer space.

Richard Branson and his Virgin Galactic planners have been working on putting commercial flights into space for the past decade. The future seems to be getting closer, and they hope within the next few years to schedule space tours through Earth's atmosphere and beyond.

Until August 7, 2013, Virgin offers its top frequent flier the chance to upgrade to Galactic status. Whoever accumulates the most points by that date will win a free passage aboard the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo space vehicle, a $200,000 value. Some 500 eager passengers, including celebrities, have already bought tickets.

The second-place winner of the contest will get a free zero-gravity floating fun flight in a passenger jet. For more information, go to virgingalactic.com

Other than what Congress does with our tax dollars, is the Washington DC area ready for gambling? It’s still very early in the approval stage, but MGM has proposed a casino resort development in the Maryland town of National Harbor. It’s just eight miles and across the Potomac River from the White House.

The Beltway location is very popular, and a year or so ago, Disney seriously proposed a theme park there. Although it never happened, the urge to develop the riverside area is still alive, and this MGM project is just as ambitious.

We thought and thought about it, and now suggest some not-too-sane ideas for appropriate features for that proposed gambling mecca facing Washington DC:

Capitol City One-Armed-Bandits: You bet U.S. Treasury money with Congress and never see it again.

Plush Pentagon Resort: Here you get to play with drones. Not the flying kind. You’ll frolic with real drones, the Pentagon’s armchair generals and admirals.

Smithsonian Casino: Visitors will see now extinct objects, such as an honest politician, vintage gas pump showing the price of $1.50 a gallon and an ancient airline ticket without the 50% add ons. The exhibit would include Barack Obama’s actual birth certificate, and Mitt Romney’s Book of Mormon. The one he carried door-to-door to convert heathens and independent voters.

Hillary’s Pillory: If you gamble against the Secretary of State running for President in 2016, you could end up in stocks. Not the wooden torture kind. Much worse, you’re forced to buy Wall Street stocks from Bernie Madoff.

Finally, visit the Clinton Oval Office and Bingo Palace on Halloween night. Write your own disturbing description for Bill’s trick or treat surprise.

The popular resort city of Dubai, with its oil rich income and getting richer as gas prices soar, is planning an ambitious construction. Scheduled to open in 2014 is The Taj.

The plan is to make the resort complex a replica of the Taj Mahal, the world-famous monument in Agra, India. That palace was built in the 17th Century by a mourning emperor in memory of his late young wife. Plans are to make the new Taj at least four times the size of the original, with its flagship structure a five-star resort.

According to recent reports, the Taj will be part of a thousand-yard complex, called the Falconcity of Wonders Project. In addition to the resort hotel, there are to be upscale shops, athletic facilities, restaurants and condos.

The planners also say the site will include replicas of the Eiffel Tower, Great Pyramid, Tower of Pisa, a segment of the Great Wall of China and Italy’s Venice Harbor. They haven’t yet mentioned the Colossus of Rhodes, Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Battle of Waterloo. Just kidding.

For more information, go to falconcity.com

Hey, confused traveler! We respect the simple fact that resorts, airlines, cruise ships and other travel- related businesses have to make money to stay in business. However, sometimes they advertise basically deceptive deals that are just too good to be true.

Typical is an airline ad for a $99 flight, when your actual out-of-pocket cost will be at least $125. Of course, some of the add-ons are fees and taxes the airline must pay Uncle Sam, but that doesn’t make the promo any less deceptive.

The same applies to deals offering $599 cruises that will take at least $1,000 from your wallet. The cruise line has to pay some of that for such stuff as government taxes and fuel price spikes. However, the ad deliberately doesn’t mention you’ll also have to shell out for compulsory tips, boozes, elite dining charges, excursions and other added costs that hike the price quote considerably.

As a savvy traveler, it’s your responsibility to try for the best deals at the lowest possible prices. All the information is online and at your travel agent’s office, if you’re willing to make comparisons before you commit to a specific trip. Get savvy about ways to economize with deals including off-season discounts, group trips, last-minute sailings and all other potential money-saving offers.

We certainly don’t begrudge airlines, cruise ships and hotels for making fair profits. We travelers just want to get our money’s worth, too.