The decline in customer service among airlines is so widespread that a genuine show of interest and concern is a rare luxury. We just got a reminder of what a luxury it can be.

Say Tahiti and a glorious paradise comes to mind, a landscape of steep mountains from which waterfalls plunge hundreds of feet through a blossom-studded tangle of tropical vines into clear pools --- or of white beaches with palms curving toward a turquoise sea.

No matter what hour of the night they arrive in Papeete’s airport, passengers are welcomed by smiling girls in colorful sarongs who drape necklaces of fresh flowers around visitors’ necks in welcome.

“Swedish Christmas Traditions” by Ernst Kirchsteiger, is a celebrity cookbook in Sweden, but to be honest, I had never heard of its author. But I liked him from the first words of his introduction: “Christmas isn’t a competition.”

Decorated with stylish rustication and filled with luxurious details, Sugar Hill Inn’s spacious Dream Cottage is indeed a New Hampshire dream.

Who doesn’t love a little luxury in her life? We all love pampering once in a while, and especially when we’re traveling, and the Luxury Travel Newsletter will bring it to your mailbox.

Deliciously comfortable beds and a wrap-around balcony with an eye-to-eye view of the rising moon and the Chrysler Building – how can New York get any better than this?

Ski Resorts don't get any better: Slope-side condos with whirlpool tubs, beautifully groomed trails for all levels of skiers, attentive child care, plenty of off-slope recreation, a special teen center and ski lessons for the whole family.

Spending the night nestled in a bed of straw might not be everyone’s glass of cider, but there is no more restful luxury after a day outdoors than a hayloft overlooking a green meadow high above a Swiss village.

Mount Sutton, one of Quebec’s largest ski areas, is my kind of mountain, with plenty of ski trails for all abilities, cozy lodges, views all the way to Montreal and a warm, friendly Canadian welcome for American skiers.