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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
http://www.elliott.org

February 25, 2002

> Inside

* What's the Point?
* Not Turning it Off!
* A Few Firsts
* Save on Your Next Alaska Vacation
* My Bill's for the Birds
* When are Fares Coming Down?
* Desert Island Devices
* Airport to Town Savings
* Reality Check
* Out of Site Advice
* Where are the Bargains?

> This Week in Travel

** What's the Point?
Frequent flier miles are so easy to earn, they might as well give them away. Buying an airline ticket on the Internet? Here's a thousand miles. Charging something on your credit card? Every dollar's good for a mile. Switching long-distance phone carriers? There's 10,000 miles, thanks very much. But redeeming the points for a seat on a plane is becoming increasingly difficult. Read the whole story at http://www.elliott.org/vault/oped/2002/frequent.htm

> By the Way

** Not Turning it Off!
American Airlines recently announced that it's removing some of its in-flight phones. Do you plan to leave your cell phone on during your flight? If so, we'd like to hear from you. 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.

** A Few Firsts
This newsletter normally adds about 100 new subscribers between issues. Not last week. Between the previous transmission and the one you're reading now, we welcomed more than 300 new travelers. Maybe it was all of you who told your friends about the new Elliott's E-Mail/Ticked.com newsletter. Or it could have been the many media mentions, including the op-ed in The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26139-2002Feb17.html). Either way, thanks for signing up!

> Elliott's Cheap Travel Tip

** Save on Your Next Alaska Vacation
If you're thinking of taking a vacation up north, check out the "Great Alaskan TourSaver," a travel coupon book with more than 130 free two-for-one offers. Almost every operator is in the book, including Alaska Airlines, Alaska RR, Alaska Marine Highway, Holiday Inn, Era Aviation, Frontier Flying Service and Kenai Fjords Tours. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Alaska chapter of the Special Olympics. Click on http://www.toursaver.com for details.

> Got a moneysaving tip? Send it to tip@elliott.org <

> Our Sponsor

** Bonjour Paris
Bonjour Paris, is a virtual trip to France for lovers of all things Parisian and French. Visitors to http://www.bonjourparis.com will find travel information, food, wine and hotel tips, as well as lively cultural information.

> Elliott's Commentary

** My Bill's for the Birds
A Monty Pythonesque incident helped me develop what I call the "Parrot Rule" of credit card disputes: If a bank will fight for a refund on a dead parrot, there's not much it won't do. See a charge you don't agree with? Did your hotel overbill you? Maybe your car rental company added one too many surcharges? Relax. Remember the Parrot Rule, and keep these pointers in mind. In The Travel Tightwad http://www.elliott.org/tightwad/2002/bird.htm

** When are Fares Coming Down?
A reader is making plans to visit Rome in May, but she's holding off on buying a plane ticket. She's found a fare from New York on Delta Air Lines for about $900 and on Alitalia for $840. But she wants to know when the airfares are coming down so that she can make plans to book the tickets. The Travel Troubleshooter looks into it. Read the details in The Travel Troubleshooter at http://www.elliott.org/ask/2002/down.htm

** Desert Island Devices
If you were cast away on an island from which there was no escape, what travel technology would you want to have with you? In previous years I've reviewed these gadgets I can't live without. But technology changes quickly, and unfortunately other "best of" lists don't serve travelers like you very well because they ignore the needs of someone who is on the go. Check out The Travel Technologist at http://www.elliott.org/technology/2002/desert.htm

> There's much more news and commentary about travel. Click on http://www.elliott.org for details. <

> Ticked.com Talk

(Note: Some of these URLs are long and may break up in your e-mail program. If they do, just cut and paste them into your browser, or go directly to http://www.ticked.com and follow the hard links.)

** Airport to Town Savings
Why can't we, here in the United States, manage to build systems to transport passengers from the town to the airport - and vice versa? I hear lots of complaining from passengers and from environmentalists, but it seems that nothing is ever done. We like to whine. But when it comes right down to doing something concrete, we Americans seem incapable of action. We get lots of promises but little else. While the rest of the world makes life easier for travelers, we have precious little to show. Read more of Charlie Leocha's column at http://www.ticked.com/cheapcharlie/2002/chtrain.htm

** Reality Check
To ensure Americans never offend anyone - particularly fanatics intent on killing us - airport screeners will not be allowed to profile people. They will continue random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, Secret Service agents who are members of the President's security detail and 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips. Let's pause a moment and take the following test. Read the rest at http://www.ticked.com/cheapcharlie/2002/test.htm

** Out of Site Advice
In the past security expert Terry Riley noted that, of the Internet travel agencies that Gomez Advisors rated to be in the top ten, few provided any security information. And those that did, didn't offer much. That was two years ago. Time to take another look. Read more in Terry Riley's column at http://www.ticked.com/errtravel/2002/errsafe.htm

** Where are the Bargains?
While the media has been blaring on about all the travel deals offered by the depressed tourist and travel industry, real travelers who can't seem to find any of the deals were writing Ed Hewitt to ask exactly where the heck all these deals were? This week he takes another look at how to find bargains for the first few months of 2002 - it turns out they've moved the market and turned it into a shopping district. Read more in Ed Hewitt's story in The Independent Traveler at http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=384&category=13

> For links to other engaging travel opinions, visit http://www.ticked.com today. Don't forget to bookmark the site. <

> Other Sponsors

** Travel-Comments.com
How was your last trip? Go to Travel-Comments.com and talk about it. Travel-Comments.com is a new Web source for travelers and potential travelers to post and view comments about segments of their travel experience, whether it's air, car, hotel, cruise or restaurant. Visit http://www.travel-comments.com

** IndependentTraveler.com
IndependentTraveler.com includes a comprehensive travel resource center and travel planning guide featuring the best selection of travel bargains, practical travel tips, travel news, message boards and trip reports from other travelers. Sign up today for our free weekly newsletter for travel tips and bargains for you and your family. So log on to http://www.independenttraveler.com/?pid=16 and happy traveling!

** Breckenridge Ski Resort
Snow conditions are prime and there's no better time to explore our vibrant mountain town! Planning a visit? Pre-purchase lift tickets for savings of up to $12 per day or take three half-day ski or ride lessons for $99! Click on http://breckenridge.snow.com for details.

** Journeywoman
Tell your mother, daughter, sister, aunt and grandma. Featured in Time and People Magazine, Journeywoman.com (http://www.journeywoman.com) is the premier travel resource for women on the Internet. Filled with thousands of travel tips and articles from a female's point of view, this website created by Evelyn Hannon recently welcomed its millionth visitor. This award-winning site offers a terrific FREE travel tip newsletter as well. To register go to: http://www.journeywoman.com/form.html

> 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

* Journeywoman - The premier travel resource for women on the Internet at http://www.journeywoman.com

> Your Opinion Matters

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> Credits and Subscription Information

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