Priceline.com (PCLN) issued its third-quarter report yesterday after the bell. The market sent the stock of the online-travel concern higher by 6% in the extended-hours session, bringing it up to $412.

That was well past the 52-week high of $393.33. With a 52-week low set at $167.25, this company has one heck of a yearly range. Those who got in at the low and have still held on must be doing some kind of victory dance right about now.

More Monday merger fun, this time from the airline sector. Reportedly, Southwest Airlines (LUV) announced that it will purchase AirTran Airlines for roughly $1.42 billion.

This move will be funded mainly with debt, and it will help Southwest establish a larger presence in cities like Boston and New York. What's more (as the article points out), Southwest will now be in "head-to-head competition with Delta Air Lines in Delta's home base of Atlanta."

With the unemployment rate hovering near 10%, bad news on the TV and job prospects dwindling, it can be tempting to retreat to a nice beach somewhere until the economy turns around. Some people are actually doing it! Rather than sitting around and moping until the economy recovers, you can go see the world and have the trip of a lifetime.

Out of work and taking a vacation? You probably want some of what I am smoking? Well, listen up!

News is surfacing that Google (GOOG) will purchase ITA Software. ITA is a technology company that owns specialized software that enables customers to find "sophisticated flight information." The acquisition will allow Google users to comparison shop for airline tickets.

Before we get all excited about how much money this is going to add to Google's bottom line, remember that it will not be earning money on tickets sold as the company is not entering the travel business. That said, this acquisition and the airline search service could drive more traffic to Google (if that is even possible), which leads to more page views, which leads to more money.

Travelers using the U.S.'s air travel system, already groaning from more than a decade of inadequate maintenance, will have to bear with another hardship for four months as the longest runway at New York's JFK International Airport undergoes repairs, The Wall Street Journal reported (subscription required.)

One-third of JFK's traffic and half of its departures with be diverted to three smaller runways, resulting in longer lines at take-offs/landings, the AP reported.

How does work on JFK's Bay Runway affect travelers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, etc.? As veteran air travelers know, the U.S.'s air travel system is so efficient and interdependent that travel delays at one hub frequently ripple throughout the system.

Online travel entity Expedia, inc. (EXPE), whose big competitor in the space is Priceline.com (PCLN), posted fourth-quarter data (this link opens to a .pdf file) on Thursday. Judging by the growth presented in the release, I believe one can say the company is executing its strategies pretty well.

Revenues increased 12%. Unfortunately, the margin on that revenue dipped. On the other hand, let's not forget that adjusted earnings expanded by over 30% to 30 cents per share. According to Reuters, analysts wanted 29 cents per share. Yep, it's the proverbial beat-by-a-penny scenario.

No profit no bonus -- hell, make that no salary. The new CEO of Continental Airlines (CAL), Jeffery Smisek, says he won't take any salary or annual bonus until he brings the airline to profitability.

Smisek took the top job at Continental after the previous CEO, Lawrence Kellner, left the gig to go to a private equity firm. Last year, the firm lost $367 million in the first three quarters. A Thomson Reuters survey of analysts expects a fourth quarter loss of at least $38 million, though they're looking for a profit of at least $190 million for this year. So, Wall Street has already set Smisek's goal for him.