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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

May 5, 2003

>> Inside <<

* Please Don't Click Here
* What to Do About SARS?
* Premiums? We Got Premiums!
* 'Insanity' Tops Bestseller List
* Aren Does Orlando
* Four 'Secret' Travel Times
* Line Dancing
* Bitten By Lodging.com's Gremlins

>> First Off <<

** Please Don't Click Here
The travel industry doesn't want you to. If you do, you'll find out how to support this Web site during our May fundraising drive. That's another year the airlines, car rental agencies, hotels and cruise lines have to put up with The Travel Troubleshooter's consumer advocacy, or Charlie Leocha's edgy commentary, or Terry Riley's irreverent observations. It's another year you won't have to be in the dark as a travel consumer. Another year you won't get taken advantage every time you hit the road. > Find out how to support the travel site that's on your side.

>> Underwritten By <<

** AnitaVacation
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.

>> By The Way <<

** What to Do About SARS?
Have you considered canceling or postponing your trip because of SARS? Are you taking any additional precautions when you travel? Have you ever caught a communicable disease while you were on the road? Send us an e-mail at and include your full name, city, and what you do for a living.

** Premiums? We Got Premiums!
In our quixotic quest to raise $3.2 billion this month, we owe a debt of gratitude to the companies providing us with premiums. These aren't the gimmicks you'll find on other Web sites - these are real, honest-to-goodness tools that will help you in your travels. At the associate level ($20 to $39) you qualify for a Lewis N. Clark International Adapter Plug Kit from journeyware.com. Patrons ($40 to $49) can receive the new book "You Are Traveling With Johnnyjet.com," by Eric Leebow with John E. DiScala, the comprehensive guide to online travel, or the EasyTravelAir Security Pouch, the must-have travel accessory to get through the post-9/11 airport. At the underwriter level ($50 to $250), you'll get a Travelpro Urban Exclusives All-in-One Bag from journeyware.com.

** 'Insanity' Tops Bestseller List
The Ticked.com bestseller list has a new number-one: Elliott Hester's "Plane Insanity: A Flight Attendant's Tales of Sex, Rage, and Queasiness at 30,000 Feet." Find out who's up and who's down - and buy a book. The proceeds help to support this newsletter.

** Aren Does Orlando
The final month of Aren's baby blog is his busiest - and most exciting one - yet. Last weekend, baby Ace toured Disneyworld and Universal Studios, and this week he heads up to the Big Apple. Don't miss the thrilling conclusion to Aren's Baby Blog in May, which wraps up with the big first-birthday party on May 23rd. By the way, we've decided to start a new blog for Aren after his first birthday (well, we can't call it a baby blog anymore).

>> Elliott's Commentary <<

** Four 'Secret' Travel Times
When is the perfect time to travel - when prices are low, there are no crowds and everyone gives you the individual attention you deserve? I'm not talking about the traditional "low" season, like summertime in the tropics, when hotels are shuttered, stores are closed and temperatures soar. Of course, those are excellent times to travel - as long as you don't mind living with Category Four hurricanes and cigar-sized insects. No, what I mean are the times when, simply, fewer people are on the road. > Details in Power Trip at

> Secret to a Good Trip? It's in the Cards
> Psst! Three Secrets of the Laptop Traveler
> Check Out Secret Hotel Surcharges

>> Ticked.com Talk <<

** Line Dancing
You will probably…. No, let me start over. You will almost certainly wait in a line at some time on your next trip. That line might be for a shuttle, a taxi, a hotel room, a sandwich, or a beer. If you travel by air, you will also surely stand in line at the airport. Indeed, standing in line (standing on line, if you are in New Jersey) is so much a part of air travel today that it deserves just as much attention as flying. > In Err Travel.

> United Airlines' Gulag
> Tourist Gets Slammed in Line
> Is Delta Out of Line?

>> Triprights.com Ticker <<

** Bitten By Lodging.com's Gremlins
Just as he makes a booking on on Lodging.com, his browser freezes. He assumes the information hasn't made it to the travel site, so he repeats the process. He assumes wrong. Yet even after canceling his reservation, the site still socks him with a fee for the double-booking. Why? Lodging.com says his PC is to blame. Well, is it? And who should suck up the surcharge? Find out. > In Fix My Trip.

> Booking Online? You're On Your Own
> Mystery of Multiple Bookings
> Don't Pick SkyChoice

>> Also Underwritten By <<

** Alaska Travelgram
Alaska-bound? Check out Alaska travel expert Scott McMurren's free travel e-newsletter. Exclusive bargains, hot deals and inside info on what to see, where to go and how to get there in the Last Frontier.

** Journeyware.com
Exceptional luggage, business/tech cases and travel accessories from leading brands like Travelpro, Lewis N. Clark, RoadWired and more. Great prices, free shipping with low minimums, and a level of customer service that oft-abused frequent travelers will find especially refreshing. Enter coupon code ELLIOTT and click "update" at checkout for an additional 10% off your first order.

** JohnnyJet.com
Ever wish there were one site that listed every possible link to other travel-related Web sites? Johnny Jet.com does just that, and more. The site has links to practically everything you need to know that's travel-related. Sign up for Johnny Jet's free newsletter that has the week's travel news, tips, webcams, Web sites, and "where's Johnny Jet.

>> Who's Reading Elliott's E-Mail? <<

* Demographics
* Average newsletter circulation - 13,885
* Last month's total unique visitors
Elliott.org - 33,104
Ticked.com - 21,976
Triprights.com - 10,115
Total E3 Network visitors - 65,195
Change from last month - 4,311 visitors/+180 subscribers

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