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

January 7, 2002

> Inside

* Go Ahead, Take the Money
* Disputed Charge
* Cash & Miles
* Living For Dead Week
* Can They Do That?
* That's Not Long-Distance
* Did Somebody Say 'Shark'?
* What Buyer's Market?
* E-Mail Hucksterism
* Should We Stay Put?
* I'll Take the IRS Any Day

> This Week in Travel

** Go Ahead, Take the Money
The U.S. airline industry seems to be having second thoughts about helping itself to $15 billion in federal aid. But there's little agreement on why. Is it afraid that the corrupt Air Transportation Stabilization Board will reject its requests? That's what Kevin Mitchell, whose Business Travel Coalition represents big companies and business travelers, believes. America West won provisional approval for a loan guarantee late last year, but only after revising its application three times. Read more at http://www.elliott.org/vault/oped/2002/money.htm

> By the Way

** Disputed Charge
Have you ever asked your credit card company to void a travel-related charge that you thought was unjust? Maybe your hotel added a service charge, or your car rental company included a surprise fee on your final bill. Let us know. 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

** Cash & Miles
Northwest Airlines is offering a "Cash & Miles" program that lets you combine miles and money to fly anywhere in the United States. Pay as little as 5,000 WorldPerks miles and $149, or spend as little as $89 combined with 10,000 miles, for a ticket. (Travel to Europe or Asia starts with as few as 5,000 miles and $359, or $209 combined with 20,000 miles.) The offer is valid through March one. Details at http://www.nwa.com

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

> Our Sponsor

** Alaska Travelgram
Scott McMurren's Alaska Travelgram e-mail newsletter. Punchy, timely information on travel in, out and around Alaska! For a free subscription, click on http://www.alaskatravelgram.com

> Elliott's Commentary

** Living For Dead Week
Karen Patterson lives for dead week. The San Diego, CA, computer analyst waits until the holidays are over to find the best bargains. Her patience pays: The week immediately after New Year's Day, also known as "dead week," offers some of the most irresistible deals. Patterson snagged a $39 one-way fare on Southwest Airlines from San Diego to San Antonio, Texas during dead week. Room rates at the Westin Riverwalk in San Antonio are $99 a night, which is $60 less than they were for the last week in December. In The Travel Tightwad at http://www.elliott.org/tightwad/2001/dead.htm

** Can They Do That?
A surprise charge appears on a reader's credit card bill after a hotel stay. Can the property do that? And what are your recourses if you think the bill isn't fair? Travel troubleshooter Chris Elliott looks into the mystery bill and finds out if the hotel is out of line. >> Read the details in The Travel Troubleshooter at http://www.elliott.org/ask/2002/crcharge.htm

** That's Not Long-Distance
John Steinsky thought the $70 phone charge he'd racked up while staying at the Courtyard by Marriott in Parsippany, NJ, was a simple mistake. "I use my calling card religiously for long-distance calls," says the Halifax, Nova Scotia, product manager for a software company. But it turns out Steinsky had put his faith in the hotel's claim that local calls were free. Check out The Travel Technologist at http://www.elliott.org/technology/2002/charge.htm

** Did Somebody Say 'Shark'?
After reeling in one fish after another - redfish, sea trout and catfish - Richard Stanczyk quietly announces that it's time to go after "something bigger." We're a one-hour boat ride from Islamorada, Fla., drifting somewhere in the Florida Bay, and it's difficult to imagine that our 16-foot vessel can accommodate anything much larger than the gamefish we're catching and releasing. Stanczyk, a veteran fishing guide, slices a live ladyfish in half, hooks it, and casts the line in a wide arc alongside a sandbar. He chops the rest of the baitfish into smaller pieces and tosses the bloody remains overboard. "Time to catch a shark," he says. In Destinations at http://www.elliott.org/vault/destinations/shark.htm

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

> Ticked.com Talk

** What Buyer's Market?
When all the media was clamoring over the new buyer's market for travel, Ed Hewitt was getting mails and hearing stories of a very different stripe. "I can't find any good deals at all - Help!" Airlines will offer enough low fares to get regular folks and bargain hunters back to the airport, but charge enough to get by on popular routes or once flights start to fill up. It's called yield management, and the airlines do a pretty sophisticated job of it, with prices changing thousands of times daily, even in the blink of an eye (or a computer screen). Read more of Ed's story at http://www.independenttraveler.com/resources/article.cfm?AID=380&category=13

** E-Mail Hucksterism
"Download your Free 50 percent hotel discount card," says an e-mail ad for Travel Values Plus, while a message about rival Preferred Traveller touts "4 Free Airline Tickets." What's going on here, asks SmarterLiving.com's Ed Perkins? Simply traditional travel industry hucksterism being transferred to the latest medium of communication - e-mail. While the actual offers can be good deals, I find the promotions distinctly offensive. Read more of Ed's story at http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/ed/Mail20011227.1.html

** Should We Stay Put?
Last December, airline passengers were growling about everything from canceled flights to skimpy meals, their complaints justified by federal scrutiny and an industry-wide pledge to straighten up and fly right. This year, reports USA Today's Laura Bly, holiday travelers are lucky to get peanuts. Read more of Laura's story at http://www.usatoday.com/life/travel/leisure/2001/2001-12-28-normtravel.htm

** I'll Take the IRS Any Day
Given a choice, Americans would rather file taxes than fly on commercial airlines, reports Anita Dunham-Potter. Ouch! From a consumer satisfaction standpoint, it doesn't get much worse than being topped by the IRS. What's even more interesting is that this survey was done before the September 11th attacks. Read more of Anita's column at http://smart.smarterliving.com/columns/real/Taxman20011227.1.html

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

> Other Sponsors

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** Family Travel Forum
Want your family vacations to be cheaper, safer and more fun? Turn to the web's most comprehensive, independent resource for travel with kids. Join FTF's global network to access first-hand, honest research, tips, and the editors' pick of the top family travel deals, free festivals, learning vacations, and seasonal travel events. Click on http://www.familytravelforum.com/e-news.html for your FREE sample now.

** Radoff's Travel Letter
If you've got a travel-related dispute that you haven't been able to resolve, why not try a lawyer's letter - a customized message from an attorney showing that you mean business? Franklin Radoff, a lawyer with more than three decades of experience in litigation and transactional matters, has offered his lawyer's letter service to readers of Elliott's E-Mail at a special discount. Pay $39.95 (the normal fee is $49.95) for a lawyer's letter through Jan. 1. (You must mention discount code ELL10K for the discount.) For details, click on http://www.legaladvicehotline.com/lawyersletter.htm or call (800) 595-2948.

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> Charter Underwriters

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* 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

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