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

January 29, 2001

> Inside

* This Week in Travel
* Question: Travel Award Credibility?
* I Hear You
* Detroit Travel Tips
* Archives: Online Travel 1997
* Stop the Presses
* Content Strategy Could Backfire
* United Squeeze
* Can You Trust Your Travel Site?
* My Favorite Gadgets
* Hobica: Using Rule 240
* Brancatelli: So Much News, So Little Sanity
* Hannon: If Women Ran an Airline...

> This Week in Travel

Good Continental! Bad Continental! News that the Houston carrier is prepared to spend up to $400 million for some of TWA's assets but would allow it to continue flying as an independent airline left passengers hopeful that this deregulated airline industry could remain somewhat competitive. News that Continental would raise its fee for voluntary changes to a nonrefundable ticket from $75 to $100 clued us in on how Continental intends to pay for the acquisition. This may seem like an obvious suggestion, but shouldn't Continental consider funding that kind of transaction with money it legitimately earned instead of stealing another $25 from its customers? - CE

> By the Way

** Question: Travel Award Credibility?
Have you ever seen an advertisement that featured a travel award - and booked a trip based on it? If you have, and you've got an experience to share (either positive or negative) here's your chance to sound off. Do you think the travel industry's awards are credible? Which awards do you trust more, the reader polls conducted by the likes of Conde Nast and Travel + Leisure or the product ratings, such as those published by Mobil or AAA. And what about the awards for travel agents? E-mail your thoughts to feedback@elliott.org, and don't forget your full name and a daytime contact number.

** I Hear You
In announcing last week's Web site redesign, I neglected to mention two new audio features that were added to elliott.org at the beginning of the year. One, which is tentatively called Outtakes from the Travel Technologist, is a one-minute companion feature to The Travel Technologist; the other, The Travel Critic, is the successor to The Crabby Traveler. I wanted to thank Robert, Harley and Dick at CNN Radio for inspiring me to include these programs in the lineup.

** Detroit Travel Tips
There's a new site for Detroit-based frequent travelers that is ruffling some feathers in the airline industry and proving to be a good read for any traveler: Internet Travel Tips is non-commercial and includes sections covering site comparisons, travel tips, editorials, links, travel humor, a newsletter, travel classes and a new section called "that's ridiculous." Check it out at http://www.internettraveltips.com

** Archives: Online Travel 1997
History buffs, here's your chance to read about online travel when it was still in its infancy. Inside Interactive Travel columns from 1997 are now available on elliott.org. Be sure to check out a few perennial favorites, including:

* The account of Reed Travel Group's missteps at http://www.elliott.org/interactive/1997/reed.htm

* The very first feature about Genesis at http://www.elliott.org/interactive/1997/genesis.htm

* A call for new travel-industry domains at http://www.elliott.org/interactive/1997/domains.htm

* Lessons learned from the early days of Biztravel.com at http://www.elliott.org/interactive/1997/biztravel.htm

* The highly entertaining one-year anniversary column at http://www.elliott.org/interactive/1997/one.htm

The entire site index is at http://www.elliott.org/interactive/1997/index.html

> Our Sponsors

This issue of Elliott's E-Mail is underwritten by Tell Only The Women, a free email newsletter for women who travel. Sign up for the newsletter at http://www.women-traveling.com/WTT/newsletter_sign_up.htm or check out past topics at http://www.women-traveling.com/WTT/archiveTOC.htm

And by igougo. Before your next trip, find out what real people are saying about the places you want to go. At igougo, you'll get connected with like-minded travelers and explore the world through their journals and photos. Share your own experiences and earn GO Points redeemable for frequent flier miles, travel merchandise, even free trips. Register now at http://www.igougo.com.

> Elliott's Commentary

** Stop the Presses
We interrupt this week's regularly scheduled column for your comments. Seems quite a few of you were ticked-off at last week's story suggesting that airlines had turned their clocks ahead in order to rush passengers to the gate and achieve an on-time departure. "Weak, weak, weak!" fumed reader Dave Lutz. "I guess it just shows that ground crews aren't the only ones that race a clock and sometimes produce less than their best work." Dave is far from alone in his opinion, and at the end of this story I'll include more of your e-mails and then try to settle the timepiece controversy once and for all. Read this week's Travel Technologist at http://www.elliott.org/technology/2001/stop.htm

** Content Strategy Could Backfire
Two prominent travel sites are quietly adopting new content strategies that put profits ahead of principles and set a dangerous precedent for the industry. No longer satisfied to serve a mix of objectively reported destination features, consumer advocacy stories and travel tips alongside their "buy" buttons, these leading industry dot.coms have jettisoned all pretense of serious journalism in favor of a more commercial mantra: Don't post anything unless it sells tickets. Click on Inside Interactive Travel at http://www.elliott.org/interactive/2001/negative.htm

** United Squeeze
A passenger writes United Airlines to complain about its narrow coach class seats - and the unfairness of giving frequent fliers preferred "Economy Plus" seating. When he gets a form letter back from the carrier, he writes to answer guy Chris Elliott. Find out how the squeezed passenger can get relief, and learn about Delta Air Lines' surprise announcement that could change economy class seating for the better. In ChrisCrossings at http://www.elliott.org/ask/2001/crunited.htm

> Audio Commentaries

** Can You Trust Your Travel Site?
Now that two prominent travel sites have decided to put profits ahead of principles, what does this mean for you, the traveler? Find out how some travel dot.coms are turning into giant ads that are bought and paid for, and learn how to become a more discerning user. In The Travel Critic at http://www.elliott.org/audio/critic/2001/travelsite.mp3

** My Favorite Gadgets
Here are a few of this road warrior's favorite gadgets, from a retractable RJ-45 cord to super-search software from Copernic.com. Find out what this travel technologist takes on his travels. In Outtakes from the Travel Technologist http://www.elliott.org/audio/outtakes/2001/Gadgets.mp3

(Please note: these MP3 sound files may take up to five minutes to download from a conventional modem.)

> Other Voices

** Hobica: Using Rule 240
Fortune's George Hobica has a confession: until December, he hadn't flown in the U.S. all year. Sure, he flew all over the globe, but never on an American airline. He heard one too many horror stories about cancelled and delayed flights to take a chance with a U.S. carrier. When he finally found the nerve to fly a domestic carrier to St. Thomas, he made sure he wasn't going to be stranded on the island: He read up on his rights as a passenger in a little-known, but invaluable, publication called the "contract of carriage." Get the details at http://www.fsb.com/fortunesb/articles/0,2227,1306,00.html

** Brancatelli: So Much News, So Little Sanity
Biztravel.com's Joe Brancatelli says Bill Clinton wants us to feel his pain now that he has to fly commercial. American and United play monopoly - the game and the business. Gordon Bethune thinks Continental will prosper because the merger fandango will make travelers unhappy. Oh, wait, Gordo apparently wants to play, too. And then there's Norm Mineta. He's confirmed as Secretary of Transportation at literally the same moment he's telling his confirmation hearing there's nothing he can do to fix the system. Worst of all, only some of this is made up. Read all about it at http://misc.biztravel.com/content/news_and_views/branc/01/012501branc.htm

** Hannon: If Women Ran an Airline...
What if women owned and operated an airline solely for women? With tongue in cheek, SmarterLiving.com's Evelyn Hannon ponders the perks, privileges, and services she would offer passengers on JWoman Air, the airline of choice for female travelers worldwide. At http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/journeywoman/If20010125.1.html

> Your Opinion Matters

Read something you disagree with? Got a story idea or a gripe? Your opinion can make a difference. E-mail us at editor@elliott.org or call (410) 626-9618 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.

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