• What's elliott?
• About elliott
• Contact us

t o p i c s

• Business
• Commentary
• Destinations
• Help
• Leisure
• Technology
• Vault

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

January 8, 2001

> Inside

* This Week in Travel
* Hearing Other Voices
* Holiday Schedule
* Luxury Adventure Lures Travelers
* A Tech Checklist For Every Traveler
* Flying Fido
* Kirby: Travel Trivia
* Brancatelli: Making Terms for a United-US Airways Merger
* Greenberg: Dead Week


> This Week in Travel

In its nauseatingly persistent effort to lure more advertising dollars to its pages, the always-happy travel media frequently ignores the industry's obituaries. Travel Guard International, a travel insurance company, surveyed 200 travel editors about the top stories of 2000, and the responses sounded a lot like last year's. Leading the list were this summer's "extraordinary travel difficulties" followed by United Airline's ongoing troubles and "the Internet's increasing impact" on travel planning. Conspicuously missing was any mention of the body count among travel dotcoms - the BuyTravel.com's, Wal-Mart travels and Savvios of the world. This week on Gomez.com I'll reveal yet another travel dotbomb that's gone unnoticed. Obituaries aren't sexy, but they shouldn't be ignored. - CE

> By The Way

** Hearing Other Voices
Since this newsletter's redesign, several readers have wanted to know about the new 'Other Voices' section. In travel, there's so much of what I call "fluff" - which is to say, bought-and-paid-for destination features, industry-friendly news coverage, and otherwise unhelpful journalism - that I thought it might be useful to showcase some of the commentators with the backbone to say what's really happening. While I may not always agree with them, I can promise that what they write will be interesting.

** Holiday Schedule
In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Elliott's E-Mail will not be published next Monday. The next issue will be sent on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Have a happy holiday, everyone!

> Our Sponsor

This issue of Elliott's E-Mail is underwritten 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

** Luxury Adventure Lures Travelers
Can adventure travel be luxurious? Can you rough it and be pampered at the same time? Are activities like deep-sea fishing and tennis compatible? Can hiking through the jungle be followed by a five- course meal or a massage? Is it possible to conclude a hard day of Scuba diving with a cocktail reception? For years, luxury adventure travel has been a favored pastime of trust fund kids and eccentric overachievers and the almost exclusive domain of high-end tour operators like Abercrombie & Kent - in other words, a niche within a niche. Read the syndicated column The Online Adventurist for the details at http://www.elliott.org/adventure/2000/luxury.htm

** A Tech Checklist For Every Traveler
Think you know everything there is to know about traveling with technology? Think again. Just when you've encountered every computer, telephone, and power-related challenge on the road - and solved it, thank you very much - fate throws you for a loop. Or a short-circuit. An exasperated reader reminded me of that just last week. In this week's The Travel Technologist at http://www.elliott.org/technology/2001/checklist.htm

** Flying Fido
Animals don't like to travel, answer guy Chris Elliott has argued both in his Ticked.com columns and elsewhere. His advice to leave Fido, Fifi, and friends at home is always among the most controversial suggestions he makes. See if you want to throw him a bone or squash him like a bug, as he defends his reasons for thinking pets and travel plans don't mix. Click on a "best of" edition of ChrisCrossings at http://www.elliott.org/ask/1999/crpets.htm

> Other Voices

** Kirby: Travel Trivia
Let's leave the trenches for just this week. Put aside fights with agents and airlines, cruise lines and car rentals. Instead, take a look on the lighter side. Ticked.com travel expert David Kirby found a just-published book filled with facts sure to please any lover of trivia. He adds his own special twist to "just the facts," from a fruit he swears hasn't been hanging around since New Years Eve. Check it out at http://ticked.com/kirbyskorner/2000/kkjohn.htm

** Brancatelli: Making Terms for a United-US Airways Merger
United and US Airways tried to buffalo the government into a quick approval of their merger. But now it's clear that it's up to the Bush Justice Department to make the call. Biztravel.com's Joe Brancatelli is against the merger, but he's willing to make terms if we must have a combined carrier. Read all about his terms at http://misc.biztravel.com/content/news_and_views/branc/010401branc.htm

** Greenberg: Dead Week
It happens every year. The travel industry calls it "the dead week," and in MSNBC commentator Peter Greenberg's book, it's the best week to travel. Why? No one is traveling, and during the 10 days following New Year's Day, virtually every segment of the travel business is substantially discounted. Hotel, airline and cruise ship prices drop drastically. For about a week, the law of supply and demand is firmly on your side. Click on http://www.msnbc.com/news/508559.asp

> 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@e... 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.

ELLIOTT'S E-MAIL is published weekly by http://www.elliott.org. To unsubscribe, please go to http://www.egroups.com/group/elliottslist and follow the directions.