Happy April Fools’ Day! Rather than dream up some original scam to post on our blog, I am just going to take the easy/lazy way out and highlight some of the best (in my opinion) travel-specific April Fools' Day jokes on the web today.

Many of the largest companies on the Internet go the extra mile on this glorious day to launch elaborate plans of trickery. This year the grand prize undeniably goes to those creative Googlers out of Mountain View, California. Their trick focused on a particular type of travel that could really only be accomplished by a company of their size....space travel. But more specifically, they conjured a business that gives select users the chance to relocate to MARS with the launch of Virgle, the "Adventure of Many Lifetimes."  Google decided to pal up with Virgin Air to pull off this outlandish prank that proposed a permanent colony on Mars. In their official press release (yes, they thought of everything), Page explains, "We feel that ensuring the survival of the human race by helping it colonize a new planet is both a moral good in and of itself and also the most likely method of ensuring the survival of our best – okay, fine, only -- base of web search volume and advertising inventory. So, you know, it's, like, win-win."

Ha ha ha. Take a couple of minutes to walk through the spoof site and go through the questionnaire...it's well worth the trip.

WestJet is the runner-up for the best travel April Fools’ Day joke. They issued a press release today introducing a new spin on overhead storage bins. Their existing fleet of 73 Boeing 737 aircrafts will apparently now be outfitted with overhead sleeper cabins that can be booked on existing flights for the nominal fee of $12! Executive Vice-President Bob Cummings sums it up quite eloquently: "Our leather seats and live satellite television are a great part of WestJet's guest experience. However, by offering our existing overhead bins as sleeper cabins, guests will now have the opportunity to lie down for a period of time and arrive at their destination refreshed, rested and ready to go.”

Ryanair receives an honorable mention for their racy AFD joke introducing a new market  the airline is tapping into…pornography. The launch of Ryanbare.com guarantees the sexiest in-flight entertainment, including x-rated RyanAir calendars, pics, and screensavers.  “Ryanair gambling has already boosted our ancillary revenue by tapping into the internet’s second favourite activity, so our next natural step is to tap into the most popular internet activity of all. The launch of Ryanbare.com offers the ultimate in-flight service, with a range of products to satisfy even the most hardcore aerosexual," explains the fictional head of Ryanbare.com, Pussy Galore.

Way to go guys. And here I am still contemplating whether or not I should line the toilets with saran wrap. Boooooooring.

P.S. On a side note, I also must give kudos to my friend Kasia for weaving a remarkably believable personal April Fools' Day joke that involved her dog, boats, and a crazy new job. Very nice work.