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

September 23, 2002

> Inside

* Please, Not Another Bailout
* Quid Pro Question
* Join Joe
* Bouncing E-mails Again
* Hey, What Happened to My Ticket?
* Cool Holiday Tech Toys
* Avoiding Fly Traps
* Stop! Underwear Thief!
* Compulsive Cruisers
* Standby Rules Toppled
* Bidet Mayday

> This Week in Travel

** Please, Not Another Bailout
Is anyone surprised that the troubled airline industry is asking for more government help? After weeks of behind-the-scenes lobbying, the airlines are now expected to formally request billions of dollars in additional tax breaks and subsidies at a Congressional hearing. But it's the quietness with which the airline chiefs and their handsomely-paid lobbyists are petitioning our elected representatives that is troubling. >> In Opinion.

> By the Way

** Quid Pro Question
So the airlines want another bailout from us taxpayers. But what should they give us in return? Should air travel be re-regulated? Or should their survival be enough repayment? What do you think? 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.

** Join Joe
If you're a frequent business traveler, then check out Joe Brancatelli's Web site this week. He's launched a new membership program that offers a compelling list of premiums, including a new weekly newsletter. Joe has also teamed up with legendary travel journalist Martin Deutsch to create a new travel-content venture. I'm a big fan of Joe and Martin's work, and I highly recommend their Web site.

** Bouncing E-mails Again
Over the weekend, our "in" box here at Elliott's E-Mail overfilled - again - causing many messages to get bounced back. We're working on fixing the problem, and in the meantime, please re-send anything you think we may have missed. Or you can just IM us - the AOL screen name is elliottdotorg. On MSN messenger, find here.

> Our Sponsor

** AnitaVacation.com
Do you need a vacation? Do you need fresh ideas, news, and information to be inspired? Look no further than AnitaVacation.com. Editor Anita Dunham-Potter gives you timely insider tips on consumer travel issues, in-depth vacation features, and the best deals to favorite destinations, air travel, cruises, and much more. Sign up today for our free weekly newsletter with even more advice, viewpoints, and deals that show you how to have better travel experiences ~ because everyone needs a vacation.

> Elliott's Commentary

** Hey, What Happened to My Ticket?
Take a good look at your airline ticket. Notice anything different? You should. Thanks to a crisis in the domestic airline industry, the "new" ticket comes with more restrictions than ever. The non-refundable variety really is non-refundable. You may not be able to collect the kind of frequent flier miles you want. It may not be offered - period - on special low-fare deals. Have your ticket-buying strategies kept up with the changes? >> In Power Trip.

** Cool Holiday Tech Toys
Peter Shankman is scaling down his holiday wish list. In years past, clients lavished expensive tech toys, such as the newest PalmPilot, on him. But, lately, gifts have been more modest: an optical mouse engraved with a company logo. "Business travelers and the people giving them gifts are more price-conscious this year," says the Manhattan marketing consultant. "They aren't expecting anything extravagant. They'll settle for something practical." >> In The Travel Technologist.

** Avoiding Fly Traps
Gayle Miller suspected she was in trouble when a ticket agent at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport dangled a measuring tape in front of her luggage. Sure enough, her big bag exceeded the new limit. "No one has ever looked at that bag twice when I've checked it in," complains the Ann Arbor, Mich., pharmacist. Expect more double takes during these downtimes for the airline industry. >> In US News & World Report.

** Stop! Underwear Thief!
A guest at the Royal National Hotel complains that her luggage was pilfered. Casualties include a Donna Karan nightshirt, five pair of Victoria's Secret underpants, two Victoria's Secret bras, and a T-shirt from the Montreal Jazz Festival. "The notion that someone was going through my personal clothing is more disturbing than the monetary loss," says the distraught guest. What to do? >> Details in The Travel Troubleshooter.

** Compulsive Cruisers
He knows every inch of every ship in the fleet. He has logged 1,110 days at sea on 114 tours, including a few dozen trips through the Panama Canal and a couple of global crossings. And Chuck Wideen is not in the Navy. "I like cruising," the Las Vegas retiree says. "I mean, I really like it. You board the ship, you unpack, and there's nothing left to do. Everything else is taken care of." Wideen, who began vacationing at sea in 1977 and has taken an average of five trips a year on Princess Cruises ships, has developed a bit of a cruising habit. And he's not alone. >> In The Travel Critic Archives.

> Ticked.com Talk

** Standby Rules Toppled
Over the past month, my airline world of standby travel on non-refundable tickets has crumbled. Make no mistake about it. By attacking standby travel and confiscating unused advance-purchase tickets, the airlines are attacking the growing habits and money-saving efforts of frequent flyers and business travelers. Most occasional leisure travelers never had any idea that their non-refundable tickets could be used at any other time than that written on their ticket or itinerary. >> Read Cheap Charlie's column.

** Bidet Mayday
In the past few weeks, e-mail has been flowing in on the issue of bidet use. Readers are flush with ideas, but many have no more of a clue on how to use a bidet than do I. Some samples (with a lot of editing on my part for purposes of propriety): "My mum always said that after the toilet you must use a bidet. I don't see the point. They are bloody uncomfortable. In Spain they are normally located so close to the toilet that there's no room to put a leg either side so you end up mounting it like an old woman on a motorbike." >> Read Terry Riley's column.

> 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.

** 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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