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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 10, 2001

> Inside

* Conspiracy of Ignorance
* We Need You!
* Car Rental Savings
* Catalina Steal
* Cell Phones Lose Their Charge
* One-Day Sale Warning
* Ads Can't Help Travel Fatigue
* Unvarnished Cruise Reviews
* What Happens to Your Stuff?
* Burn Down the House
* Factoring Miles
* Don't Cry for Carriers
* Their Pain, Your Gain

> This Week in Travel

** Conspiracy of Ignorance
How's the air up there? It's dangerous, according to a National Academy of Sciences study released this week. Inhaling carbon-monoxide laced cabin air can be hazardous to your health, the NAS suggested. The Association of Flight Attendants said the results proved there was a "conspiracy of ignorance" between airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration. Or did they mean to say it was an ignorant conspiracy? Either way, you better watch what you breathe on your next flight.

> By the Way

** We Need You!
It's that time again, folks. Our biannual fundraiser is your opportunity to support this newsletter. Need a good reason? Click on http://www.elliott.org/about/top10.htm for 10 of them. C'mon, you've been enjoying the weekly advice from Cheap Charlie, security guru Terry Riley, the irreverent Travel Troubleshooter, plus links to commentary from the biggest names in travel. Your gift of $5, $20 or $50 will help underwrite quality consumer advocacy journalism. Click on http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/pay/TPAI2PPMO7FZN

** Car Rental Savings
What's your favorite strategy for saving money on a rental car? Do you avoid buying extra rental insurance by using your own? Do you pre-pay for the gas? Do you haggle with the agent about surcharges? 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.

> Elliott's Cheap Travel Tip

** Catalina Steal
Catalina Island, just off the coast of Southern California, is a terrific Scuba diving destination. Now it's running a special "Island Escape Getaway" package for as little as $49 a night, which includes everything from round-trip boat transportation to breakfast or dinner. Click on Catalina's home page at http://www.catalina.com for details and enjoy the kelp forests. Got a moneysaving tip? Send it to tip@elliott.org

> Our Sponsors

** Net-roamer
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** Readers Like You
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> Elliott's Commentary

** Cell Phones Lose Their Charge
Will the cell phone of the future be free? Don't laugh. A recent study by Forrester Research on European cell phone use concluded that wireless companies on the continent were squeezed by competitive pressures and bled dry by the cost of third-generation (3G) licenses. Their only hope of generating much-needed extra income now is from mobile gaming. Check out The Travel Technologist at http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/technologist/Cell20011205.1.html

(Note: Long URLs can break up in your e-mail program. If they do, just cut and paste the address directly into your browser.)

** One-Day Sale Warning
If you thought one-day airfare sales were reserved for airlines trying to unload unused seats during the soft demand of late summer or dead of winter, you'd better think again. One-day sales are becoming as common as blue light specials at Kmart, and almost every carrier is holding them because people stopped flying this fall. But be warned: these deals come with strings attached. In The Travel Tightwad at http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/tightwad/Watch20011206.1.html

** Ads Can't Help Travel Fatigue
"Americans are asking: 'What is expected of us?'" President Bush says in a new TV ad sponsored by the Travel Industry Association of America. To which a chorus of hotel employees, airline crew members and cruise line staff answer: "We ask you to live your lives. Do your business around the country. Fly and enjoy America's great destinations." But the president and the travel industry may be asking too much of us. Read more in Opinion at http://www.elliott.org/vault/oped/tia.htm

** Unvarnished Cruise Reviews
Are there any Web sites out there that offer cruise ship reviews without the PR spin? A reader wants to know, so our troubleshooter sets sail to find the best sites that rate ships. Discover why the Web is a great resource (but not the only resource) if you're planning a vacation at sea. Read the details in The Travel Troubleshooter at http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/troubleshooter/Click20011204.1.html

> Ticked.com Talk

** What Happens to Your Stuff?
> Those scissors that security screeners confiscated from you at Miami International Airport now live in infamy, sterilized, in a Broward landfill. And the gun you tried to slip past the checkpoint at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood has found new life as a manhole cover. Check out the details in Ina Paiva Cordle's story in the Miami Herald at http://www.miami.com/herald/content/business/digdocs/074761.htm

** Burn Down the House
America's air-transportation system, as represented by the nation's supposedly full-service carriers, is broken. It cannot be fixed. There is no choice but to burn down the house, says Joe Brancatelli. Start at the top line. Having raided the nation's tax coffers for $5 billion in "grants" and as much as $10 billion more in loan guarantees, the airlines are now dysfunctional wards of the state. They are corporate welfare junkies. Read more in Joe's column at http://www.zyworld.com/brancatelli/branc.htm

** Factoring Miles
Several readers have sent Cheap Charlie e-mail complaining that his "lowest fares" aren't low enough based on percentages and frequent flier miles. This week His Cheapness takes a look at reality of when cheap really is cheap. And he answers the question of "What else matters?" when buying an airline ticket. Read more of Charlie Leocha's column at http://www.ticked.com/cheapcharlie/2001/chflier.htm

** Don't Cry for Carriers
In case you were still grieving for the plight of the airlines, you can put away the tissues, writes the Philadelphia Inquirer's Tom Belden. Some of the industry's leaders are already plotting how to tighten their grip on your wallet as their business recovers next year and beyond. Find out the details in Tom Belden's column at http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/12/02/travel/BIZ02.htm

** Their Pain, Your Gain
In the wake of September 11, the conventional wisdom on the subject of travel is simple: Don't! The fear factor remains highly evident, even two months after the destruction of the World Trade Center towers and the assault on the Pentagon. And where fear is not a factor, the weak economy is. What does that mean for you? Find out in Tim Winship's column at http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/ff/Travel20011119.1.html

> Other 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

** 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.

> 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.bonjourparis.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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