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ELLIOTT'S E-MAIL
http://www.elliott.org

September 16, 2002

> Inside

* Will Road Warriors Return?
* That's Funny!
* E-Mail Meltdown
* Ta-Ta, Tightwad
* Aren Hits the Road
* Five Rules for Collecting Miles
* Traveling With a Conscience
* It's Your Call
* Res Agents Get Snippy
* The Truth About Security
* One Year Later
* Playing Chicken With Customers

> This Week in Travel

** Will Road Warriors Return?
Hurt by a soft economy, hammered by bankruptcies and hassled by their most loyal customers, the travel industry is making a quiet effort to come clean with us. The efforts range from telling the truth about rates to clarifying the meaning of words such as 'non-refundable" and "convenience." But the changes aren't meant to endear all of us to the industry; just the big-spending business travelers on which these companies are pinning their recovery hopes. >> In Opinion.

> By the Way

** That's Funny!
Did your flight attendant crack a joke on your last trip? Did the guy at the counter say something funny? Did your travel agent us a one-liner? This week, we're looking for recent examples of humor in the travel industry. 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.

** E-Mail Meltdown
If you tried to send a message about one of the columns in this newsletter last week, you may have gotten a "mailbox full" message. I apologize for that. I was on the road for a better part of last week and my computer operating system expired (a subject for a future story, no doubt). Another housekeeping note: some users also complained that MSN and Yahoo! instant messages weren't getting through. My msn e-mail is msn@elliott.org and my Yahoo! e-mail is elliottdotorg@yahoo.com (note: these aren't checked - they're just there so that you can find me through IM).

** Ta-Ta, Tightwad
Here's the first of the big changes I promised earlier this month. After a year of writing about the best travel deals, I've penned the last Travel Tightwad column. I made the decision to pull the plug on the Tightwad for two primary reasons, which I tried to touch on in my final column (see below). First, I consider a feature about travel-deals-at-any-cost, given the current travel industry's malaise, to be overly exploitative. And second, travel bargains aren't part of this newsletter's primary mission, and never have been.

** Aren Hits the Road
For those of you following Aren's baby blog, here's a little update. Baby A took his first big road trip last week, hitting Washington, Annapolis, New York and Mystic, Conn.

> Our Sponsor

** 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.

> Elliott's Commentary

** Five Rules for Collecting Miles
Lisa Karl did a double-take when she reviewed her car rental bill at Baltimore-Washington International Airport recently. Buried between the airport concession fee and fuel charge was a 6-cent per day frequent-flier "tax recovery" surcharge. "That's insane," says the Elgin, Ill., homemaker and freelance writer. "How can they charge me to collect my miles?" They can. Under the deceptively named Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, car rental companies must pay a 7.5% tax on miles they offer through an airline partnership - a charge that's passed along to you if you want to claim your miles. Karl had violated one of the five commandments of mileage-collecting: Know when to say when. >> In Power Trip.

** Traveling With a Conscience
We aren't the same travelers we were a year ago. How could we be? The September 11, terrorist attacks affected us like nothing else. The changes that have taken place, though subtle, are important. We've developed a deeper awareness of ourselves and our role in the world. We've refocused our priorities, abandoning short-term, save-a-buck attitudes to ones emphasizing long-term sustainability. Saving money still matters, but not as much as it used to. >> In The Travel Tightwad.

** It's Your Call
He used his cellular phone on a golf trip to Oregon. But when he got back from his trip, he discovered that his national plan wasn't entirely national. Damage: $90 in roaming charges. Now he wants his money back. Will his wireless carrier give him a refund? Find out. >> Details in The Travel Troubleshooter.

** Res Agents Get Snippy
It's bad enough that phone res agents toil thanklessly away in cube farms somewhere out in the Midwest. But lately, they've also become the forgotten victims of the passenger rights revolution. Yes, it's true. Travelers aren't the only ones who are suffering. "The American public has been more abusive towards airline employees as the days go on," complains Tim Calandrino, a reservations supervisor for a major U.S. carrier. "Just today, I had a customer wanting compensation for a five-minute delay on arrival - and it was due to weather." >> In The Travel Critic Archives.

> Ticked.com Talk

** The Truth About Security
It has been a year and a day now and the shock, if not the pain and the grief, is gone. The talking heads have talked. The politicians have postured. The so-called experts have babbled and blustered. The airlines and the airports have lied and backtracked. Now, we need to cut through the drivel and talk some sense about airline security. What you will read is the truth, but it is not pretty. It is not ready for prime time--or even the cable-television gab-a-thons. It also has the distinct disadvantage of being uncomfortable and disagreeable. But it is the truth and it needs to be said because, if nothing else, we need to talk truth amongst ourselves. >> Read Joe Brancatelli's column.

** One Year Later
One thing is certain; a trip to the airport is nothing like it was just over a year ago. But what has really changed other than check-in times and security lines? Are we safer? Are the airlines going to weather the new, harsh business environment? And what about the famously indefatigable American travelers - are they still hitting the pavement? If so, where are they going, and how are they getting there? One year after our own planes were turned into weapons against us, what has changed in travel? >> In Ed Hewitt's column.

** Playing Chicken With Customers
It seems the airlines are playing a giant game of chicken with the traveling public. This week, the memories still are fresh from the circumspect memorials marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. And while air travel may not be on the tip of everyone's tongue, it still is at the top of everyone's mind. >> Read more in Scott McMurren column.

> Other Sponsors

** Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Experience history when you travel. Seek out the major and not-so major museums and learn more than a book will ever teach you. We can hook you up with a historical tour that takes you off the beaten path.

** ThriftyTraveling.com
A newsletter filled with travel tips and resources as well as late-breaking destination-oriented news and bargains you can use. Each issue is packed with a wide variety of useful information that will help you save money and travel safely without stress. It also has special Over-50, Solo Travel, and Net News sections.

** GreatCruises.com
Learn insider cruise information. Be an informed cruiser. Subscribe to GreatCruises.com's free monthly e-mail cruise newsletter, "All Cruise E-News." Get breaking news on new ships, new itineraries, price trends, cruise lines, health and safety inspections, cruise line awards and cruise tips of the month.

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