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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

November 18, 2002

>> Inside <<

* Family Destinations?
* New and Improved
* A Midwinter Night's Dream
* How to Fly for Free
* Out of Site, Out of Mind
* An Apple a Day Keeps United Away
* Mile-High Madness
* Bait and Switch
* A Tale of Two $10 Phone Calls
* Criminals Among Us

>> First Off <<

I don't like change. When I'm comfortable with something, I want it to stay that way. Call me a fuddy-duddy, but I was fond of the black-and-white New York Times, and the old look of the Wall Street Journal worked just fine for me. But sometimes change is necessary. This week's newsletter looks a little different and it links to a new elliott.org. It's different because you asked for these changes - and after all, when it comes down to it, this is as much your newsletter and Web site as it is mine. I like the new look, and hope you do too. Got any comments? E-mail them to me directly or call me at (305) 453-4781.

>> By The Way <<

** Family Destinations?
Last week, we asked you if you took your family on business trips. This week we want to know where you take them. What are the top family destinations for business travelers? Is it a convention city like Orlando? Los Angeles? Las Vegas? 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.

** New and Improved
Elliott's E-Mail and its companion site, elliott.org, have gotten a little facelift. The ads are gone (more on that below) and the site now sports a clean look for a quicker download. I've added quick headlines to the top of the front page, which point to the travel stories I find most interesting. I'll be updating those links daily, so don't forget to check back to find out what's going on in the world of travel. There's also a new section, Adventures, which highlights destination stories about the Florida Keys and South Florida (details in next week's newsletter).

>> Underwritten By <<

** The Readers of elliott.org
You're the reason that elliott.org is now completely ad-free. Thanks to your generous support during our last pledge drive, all the content on this site is free of banner ads, skyscrapers, pop-ups, and other annoying commercials. Who are you? Here's a list of underwriters by category.

By the way, we've just completed a yearlong survey to find out who reads elliott.org, and here are the results.

>> This Week <<

** A Midwinter Night's Dream
Rolling dunes and towering cliffs with nary a soul in sight. Waves crashing on the shore. A posh room for two in a historic hotel, a spicy omelet of smoked turkey, chipotle, and cheddar cheese for breakfast, and complimentary Christmas candies-for only $149 a night. That's what Peter Flynn, a Saugus, Mass., attorney, will enjoy on his winter getaway. So what's the catch? Let's just say he won't be sitting in a rocking chair on the Harbor View Hotel veranda, drinking in the water view. Not with an average December temperature of 44 degrees on Martha's Vineyard. > In U.S. News & World Report.

** How to Fly for Free
This column regularly dispenses advice about how to cut costs when you travel by air - an important public service during these cash-strapped times. But wouldn't you really rather travel for free? Of course you would. Here's how. > In bCentral's Power Trip.

** Out of Site, Out of Mind
It's hard being a travel dotcom. You have to deal with angry investors or shareholders, an impatient public - and now, the holiday shopping season. This year, there's more to worry about than the Web servers overloading with orders. Many e-businesses are wrestling with other issues, from compatibility and customer service problems to the threat of government regulation. Here's how the holidays are shaping up for the travel sites - and what it all means. > In Opinion.

** An Apple a Day Keeps United Away
She spent 30 minutes trying to book a ticket on United Airlines' Web site - only to have the site freeze repeatedly at the "pay for ticket" stage. Then she got the runaround from a series of unhelpful phone agents. Is the airline to blame for the meltdown or is she using the wrong software to access the Web site? > Details in The Travel Troubleshooter.

** Mile-High Madness
It took two off-duty pilots, a military policeman and a 5-foot-4, 98-pound flight attendant to subdue and hog-tie a menacing passenger on US Airways Flight 38. The passenger had dropped acid and then tried to force his way into the cockpit to "bless the pilot." During the struggle, he tossed the flight attendant, Renee Sheffer, across three rows of seats into the overhead luggage compartment like a ragdoll. Now, less than a month before he goes to trial in a Baltimore federal court, most of Sheffer's physical wounds have healed, but not her psychological ones. She says she suffers post-traumatic stress syndrome and is on indefinite leave from work. > In The Travel Critic archives.

>> Ticked.com Talk <<

** Bait and Switch
My cheap senses have been overwhelmed with "great deals" from the airlines. So, like the cheapster that I am, I dove into the fray searching out the best deals. Honestly, I spent hours calling reservations agents and tapping on my keyboard working my way through the Internet. Deals! Bargains! Specials! But … With the major airlines there is always a "but." Most of these so-called deals are what amount to bait-and-switch. They sound great, but seats are virtually non-existent or have so many restrictions that few can use them. > In an archived Cheap Charlie.

** A Tale of Two $10 Phone Calls
This is a tale of two cities, two $10 phone calls and why mobile phones are now the single most important cost-control device in a business traveler's arsenal. Rushing to check out of a Phoenix hotel recently, I realized that I needed to call my voice mail. I absent-mindedly picked up the guest-room phone, dialed New York, grabbed my messages, hung up and ran to the front desk. The last line item on my bill was the three-minute phone call. Cost? $10.17. > In Joe Brancatelli's column.

** Criminals Among Us
I'm just back from Las Vegas after participating in the annual conference of the American Society for Industrial Security. The membership of ASIS is divided between corporate security directors whose responsibility it is to protect their companies' "assets" and vendors that supply the services and products to fulfill that responsibility. In future columns, I'll have more to say about the tone of the conference and about the exhibited products and services that are available to corporate security departments. But for now, I want to share with you my observations of the behavior of the people attending the conference. > In an archived Terry Riley column.

>> Also Underwritten By <<

** Ticked.com Top Ten
What are travelers reading? Find out at Ticked.com's Top Ten list of bestselling travel titles. Compiled monthly, the list features the most-purchased travel books on the Internet, thanks to the Web site's affiliate relationship with Barnes & Noble. Whether you're looking for something to read on your next trip or wondering what to buy for the traveler in your life, the Ticked.com Top Ten can help.

** 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.

** The Magic For Less
A full-service travel agency specializing in family vacations, romantic getaways, and cruises. The hallmark of our travel consulting is personal attention mixed with a bit of "magic" for the very best prices. A graduate of the Disney College of Knowledge is available on staff to offer advice, share recommendations and help you plan a magical Disney theme park vacation. For a limited time, The Magic For Less Travel is offering discounts of up to $200 on all qualifying travel. The Magic for Less Travel will help you get where you want go - for less.

>> Talk To Us <<

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Phone: (305) 453-4781
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