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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

January 21, 2002

> Inside

* New Travel 'Rights'
* Site Overhaul
* Battery Stories
* Microsoft Settlement
* JetBlue Valentine's Day Sale
* Save Money on a Car Rental
* Ungrateful Airline?
* Beware Dot-Com Con
* Palm Beach Dreams
* American-BA Payoff?
* A Goofy Security Idea?
* Nice People

> This Week in Travel

** New Travel 'Rights'
Is the war on terrorism depriving us of our rights? Hardly. Look no further than the airline industry to discover a new set of rights we've received after Sept. 11. I'm astounded that no one's reported this because they've been here all along, in plain view for any air traveler to notice. Read the whole story at http://www.elliott.org/vault/oped/2002/rights.htm

> By the Way

** Site Overhaul
Elliott's E-Mail and its companion Web site are sporting a new look. We've improved navigation, simplified the layout and revved up download times so that you don't have to wait a second longer for the week's travel news. Comments? Please e-mail them to editor@elliott.org

** Battery Stories
This week, we're looking for your stories about using batteries on the road. Ever run out of juice at an inopportune moment? How did your power shortage affect you? (And which device would you least like to run out of power on?) 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.

** Microsoft Settlement
From time to time, we urge readers of this newsletter to let their voices be heard on important issues of the day. This week, we'd like to encourage you to weigh in with your thoughts on the proposed Microsoft settlement. E-mail your thoughts - positive, negative or otherwise - to microsoft.atr@usdoj.gov. And please bcc microsoftsettlement@alexbrubaker.com so that we can track the response. The court-imposed deadline for public comments is Jan. 28.

> Elliott's Cheap Travel Tip

** JetBlue Valentine's Day Sale
JetBlue Airways is offering fares as low as $34 (one way) for flights between flights between New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, NY, and Burlington, VT. Click on http://www.jetblue.com for details.

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

> Our Sponsor

** 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

> Elliott's Commentary

** Save Money on a Car Rental
The cost of a rental car usually represents less than a quarter of your overall trip expense, which may be why few ever talk about how to save money when you book a car. And when they do, it's a footnote to a story or a TV broadcast. A mention about using coupons, here, a tip about bargaining your way into an upgrade, there. The folks running the rental companies are delighted that most travelers think of car expenses as marginal, if not non-negotiable. It makes separating them from their money a whole lot easier. This must end. In The Travel Tightwad at http://www.elliott.org/tightwad/2002/car.htm

** Ungrateful Airline?
Is deeply troubled America West taking its passengers for granted? One traveler thinks so after a Las Vegas vacation in which the carrier treated her like a number. Now she says she'll never return - unless the airline coughs up a few first-class tickets. Troubleshooter Chris Elliott looks at her complaint and finds out if it's got any merit. Read the details in The Travel Troubleshooter at http://www.elliott.org/ask/2002/grateful.htm

** Beware Dot-Com Con
They say the camera never lies. But the camera salesman, that's another story - especially if you buy online. I made this disturbing discovery while researching a series of columns about videography for mobile travelers. As the spring travel season approaches and you consider purchasing a new camcorder for the road, this information can make a huge difference in the amount of money you pay for your new unit. And what you end up getting for it. Check out The Travel Technologist at http://www.elliott.org/technology/2002/camcorder.htm

** Palm Beach Dreams
The mansions along Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach, Fla., pass me like a dream, as if these ornate castles overlooking a restless Atlantic are not really there. Yet they are. Here's El Salano, the former home of Jon Lennon and Yoko Ono. It's impeccably restored, perfectly landscaped. Ready for the cover of Architectural Digest. And there's the "Ham and Cheese" house, named after its layers of coquina stone alternating with red brick. And what's this? A bright yellow Lamborghini Murciélago fills my rearview mirror. Am I driving too slowly in my Honda Civic, with my out-of-state license plates? The Italian sports car edges closer to us, as if to say, "quit gawking at the houses." In Destinations at http://www.elliott.org/vault/destinations/2002/palm.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.)

** American-BA Payoff?
American Airlines' proposed alliance with British Airways has an impressive list of supporters who say it would be a boon for consumers. American CEO Don Carty bragged about three of them at a Senate hearing last fall when he told senators "there can be little doubt" that the alliance is in the public interest. Both airlines showcase their endorsements on a Web site they set up to promote the deal. What's not publicized: Nearly all the endorsements were solicited from people who were working for the airlines. Read Jayne O'Donnell's story in USA Today at http://www.usatoday.com/money/covers/2002-01-18-bcovfri.htm

** A Goofy Security Idea?
Uncle Sam has a new recruit in the war on terrorism: Mickey Mouse. The new Transportation Security Administration, the federal agency which will oversee airport security, is borrowing executives from Disney, Intel and several other companies. The goal is to inject business sense into the government's massive task of keeping airline travelers safe today while building the biggest new government agency since World War II. Read Kelly St. John's story in the San Francisco Chronicle at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/01/18/MN63953.DTL

** Nice People
By now, the third week of the new year, many of us are ditching our plans to improve our eating habits, get more exercise, or (in Terry Riley's case) avoid making unflattering comments about others. However, before he abandons his noble resolution he wants to at least take a shot at writing about the nice people he's met while traveling. An opportunity to test his resolve comes from a review of a recent trip to Hawaii with his wife. It will take a good dose of journalistic fortitude to overlook travel delays, overpriced meals, out-of-control kids, and tourist rip-offs. But here goes. Read more in Terry Riley's column at http://www.ticked.com/errtravel/2002/errnice.htm

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

> Other Sponsors

** MilesLink Voices
If you rely on Randy Petersen's WebFlyer site for timely news and information about mileage programs, you'll want to sign up for MilesLink Voices, a new electronic newsletter published in conjunction with Ticked.com. It features the sharpest opinions about travel delivered twice a month to MilesLink subscribers. Click on http://webflyer.com/newsletters/newsletter.htm

** 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

** Resortspace.com
Want to take a ski vacation? Click on Resortspace.com, the authoritative online guide to skiing in North America and Europe. Recently named "Best of the Web" by Forbes as a ski and snowboard resource, it's got everything you need to plan your winter vacation. Click on http://www.resortspace.com for more information.

** 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.

> 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

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.

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> Credits and Subscription Information

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