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Copyright Elliott Publishing. All rights reserved. For more information, call (305) 453-4781 or send e-mail to us.

ELLIOTT'S E-MAIL
The Last Honest Travel Newsletter
http://www.elliott.org

December 3, 2001

> Inside

* Who's Next?
* Tired of Travel?
* Yes, That Was Me
* Vail Ski Bargain
* Lost Tickets
* Moneysaving Tech Tips
* Charge Card Caveat
* Leg Up on DVT
* Low-Fare Strategy
* Airlines Steal from Us
* Europe on My Mind
* Travel - But Stay Connected
* Nonrefundable Trouble

> This Week in Travel

** Who's Next?
It happened again last week. Rakesh Gangwal, US Airways' chief executive, left the airline unexpectedly. His departure follows the resignation of United's CEO James E. Goodwin last month. The question now isn't whether any other airline CEO heads will roll - they undoubtedly will - but what it means to travelers. Unless the new leadership can learn from the mistakes of their ousted predecessors, the unfortunate answer is: remarkably little.

> By the Way

** Tired of Travel?
Are you tired of traveling? Does the prospect of spending a weekend at a resort make you homesick? Does the thought of taking a business trip make you want to quit your job? You might be suffering from 'travel fatigue'. We'd like to hear about it. Send us an e-mail and please don't forget to include your full name, city, and what you do for a living. Your answer may appear in a future column.

** Yes, That Was Me
Many of you e-mailed last week after Parade Magazine published a profile of a consumer travel advocate with the same last name as yours truly. "Was that you?" they wondered. As a matter of fact, it was. Here's the whole story http://www.elliott.org/about/press/parade.htm

> Elliott's Cheap Travel Tip

** Vail Ski Bargain
If you like to ski, here's a deal for you: Kids ages 12 and under fly free on United Airlines from designated markets and stay and ski free at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone resorts when accompanied by a paying adult. I'm not making this up. Details are at http://www.unitedvacations.com/spec/ski.htm Got a moneysaving tip? Send it to tip@elliott.org

> Our Sponsors

** PS Inform by PositiveSpace
A travel agent needs to do more than book a flight to gain a client's loyalty these days - he or she needs to know enough to be an expert travel advisor. PS Inform can help. Short, daily email messages alert you to breaking travel stories, advisories and tips that make you a hero to your clients. And it's FREE! Subscribe today at http://www.positivespace.com/v2/redirect?loc_id=26

** Readers Like You
If you care about quality travel industry coverage and want to support the leading consumer advocacy Web site, you can become an underwriter, too. It's easy, it's painless and it's totally anonymous. Just click on http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P34Z3D2F0Z734N for details.

> Elliott's Commentary

** Lost Tickets
Four days before flying home from Hawaii, a reader discovers her airline tickets are missing. She tears through her hotel room, but to no avail. Now Northwest Airlines wants $748 per person to repurchase the tickets. How could she have avoided being double-billed for her vacation? Get the answer in The Travel Troubleshooter at http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/troubleshooter/Lost20011127.1.html

(Note: Some URLs are long and may break up in your e-mail program. If they do, just cut and paste them directly into your browser.)

** Moneysaving Tech Tips
Technology is expensive; using it when you travel shouldn't be. But it is. Hotels add surcharges to your bill that penalize you for plugging your laptop into a phone line. Airlines take you for a ride, both figuratively and literally, when you want to check e-mail from your seat. Even conveniences like a fax machine, VCR, or television can add to the price of your trip. Check out The Travel Technologist at http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/technologist/Moneysaving20011128.1.html

** Charge Card Caveat
The offer from American Express looked too good to be true. For just $135, the cost of signing up for the Platinum Card, Mitch Sackson was being offered a free airline ticket for a companion. The Bluffton, SC, retiree applied without a second thought, hoping to earn his reward for an upcoming trip to San Francisco. Then he read the fine print and discovered he was right: the offer was too good to be true. In The Travel Tightwad at http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/tightwad/Charge20011119.1.html

> Ticked.com Talk

** Leg Up on DVT
Deep vein thrombosis. You've probably heard of it. If not, you've probably heard of the media term for it: economy class syndrome. Prior to September 11, it was gaining front-page and primetime, newspaper and television attention. It is a popular, bite-size, travel topic. But what happened to it? It's still here, says Terry Riley. Read more in Terry Riley's column at http://www.ticked.com/errtravel/2001/errdvt.htm

** Low-Fare Strategy
After Cheap Charlie's last column about no longer being a Priceline virgin, and confessing that he enjoyed the experience, he received a collection of emails offering more suggestions about saving money using Priceline and matching its bid-generated prices against other Web sites. Find out how you can develop a site strategy that leaves you with the lowest fare. Read more of Charlie Leocha's column at http://www.ticked.com/cheapcharlie/2001/chlowfare.htm

** Airlines Steal from Us
If the airlines had hired the most expensive consultants in the world to try to figure out a way to make the flying experience even more unpleasant than it was before Sept. 11, the consultants would have given up in despair. But chalk one up to American ingenuity: The airlines have done it on their own! Getting a head start on the holiday season, airport security guards have already begun their Christmas shopping by stealing air travelers' belongings. Read more in Ann Coulter's column at http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ucac/20011126/cm/the_new_roman_arena_airports_1.html

** Europe on My Mind
With airfares to Europe dirt-cheap this fall and things grim on the home front, Kathy McCabe has been daydreaming about running off to the continent for a short break. Too dangerous to travel abroad you say? Working not far from the Pentagon and living just a few blocks from a Washington, D.C. post office that tested positive for anthrax, this USA Today columnist hardly has the excuse that staying home would be safer. Read more in the Informed Traveler at http://www.usatoday.com/life/travel/informed/2001-11-19-column.htm

** Travel - But Stay Connected
> The days of carrying seven-pound laptops are over, reports the Chicago Tribune's Michael Shapiro. Today savvy mobile professionals are toting notebook computers that weigh under four pounds, and some executives are shunning laptops entirely, managing with handheld devices and Internet-enabled cell phones. Communications options for 21st Century travelers are almost endless, and can be dizzying. But there are some recent innovations and general parameters worthy of consideration. Read more in Michael Shapiro's article at http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-0111240037nov25.story?coll=chi-travel-hed

** Nonrefundable Trouble
Do tickets bought on the Web come with hidden restrictions? One reader says the answer is "yes" - and he begs columnist Christopher Elliott to warn readers about it. Our troubleshooter investigates the claim and comes back with a surprising answer. Read more in ChrisCrossings at http://www.ticked.com/chriscrossings/2001/crnonrefundable.htm

> Other Sponsors

** FrugalFun.com
Home of Shel Horowitz's free Monthly Frugal Fun Tips (4-1/2 years of archives covering bargain travel, entertainment, dining, and much more). By the author of "The Penny-Pinching Hedonist: How to Live Like Royalty with a Peasant's Pocketbook," the book that will save you $500 to $2000 every year on fun every year. Also on the site: Global Travel Review: destinations, elucidations (how-to articles), meditations (adventure narratives), and alimentations (food) from around the world) - and lots of info for entrepreneurs and marketers. Click on http://www.frugalfun.com

** Affordabledisney.com
"Secrets To An Affordable Walt Disney World(r) Vacation" will show you how to save up to 40 percent on your Walt Disney World Vacation. Discover the money saving tips and strategies - virtually unknown by the general public - that will help you save big on Disney hotels, dining, tickets, cruises, honeymoons, and souvenirs. Visit http://www.affordabledisney.com to learn the secrets.

** Travellady.com
Would you like to know the professional secrets of travel writers? They tell all in the Travellady.com Web site. Sign up for the travellady.com newsletter at http://www.travellady.com and learn what is really happening at hotels, which tours are best, what restaurants are hot. These are the stories your Sunday newspaper might not run. Stories their advertisers might not want them to print. Let over 120 writers from five continents make sure your next trip is the best possible. Check out the site right now for almost 1,500 articles at http://www.travellady.com

> Charter Underwriters

* AirJet Airline News - News updated hourly at http://www.airlinebiz.com
* Applied Psychology - Security tips online at http://www.appliedpsychology.com
* Bonjour Paris - This site's French connection at http://www.bparis.com

> Your Opinion Matters

Read something you disagree with? Got a story idea or a gripe? Your opinion can make a difference. E-mail editor@elliott.org or call (305) 453-4781 with any comments, feedback or suggestions about anything in this newsletter. Your participation won't just make it a better service, but it could also improve travel.

> Be an Underwriter

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> Credits and Subscription Information

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