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

April 4, 2004

>> Inside <<

* Truth and Consequences
* Question of the Week: Booked Online Lately?
* Bonus Question: Hotel Discrimination?
* Not Too Late to Rate the TSA
* Take Air Rage to the Polls
* Song's Selvaggio: 'We'll Be Just Fine'
* This Week in Travel
* Terror Troubles Travelers
* You Can't Handle the Truth
* No, No, No
* Flashback: Really, Really Bad Trips
* When Travel Goes Really Wrong
* Bad Service? Here's a Way Around It
* Take Advantage of Travel Fatigue Deals

>> First Off <<

** Truth and Consequences
I've always maintained that the travel industry doesn't have a very firm grasp on the truth. But Frank Steward suggests this week that travelers might not really want the truth, at least when it comes from the cockpit. Terry Riley also has the truth about the terror threat (as always, he minces no words). In a special interview, I ask Song's president to tell me the truth about his airline's fate (read the story to find out if he does). Also, don't miss my commentary on why the sad, scandalous decline of air travel should be an election-year issue.

>> Underwritten By <<

** Toursaver.com
Free Alaska travel for companions! Everything in the "Great Alaskan TourSaver" is free or 2-for-1. Frommer's says: "An essential money-saving resource for Alaska travelers." Cruise boats, railroads, attractions, flightseeing, whale-watching, hotels, car rental companies and cultural trips all two-for-one. Just $99.95. Read Frommer's review, learn more.

>> By The Way <<

** Question of the Week: Booked Online Lately?
Noticed anything different? Is your favorite travel booking Web site easier (or harder) to navigate? Are the deals just not there anymore? Have you had to use new strategies to get the fares you were looking for? I'm researching a story about the changes in online travel sites, and welcome you input. Send us an e-mail and include your full name, city, and what you do for a living. Remember, your story could mean free luggage. It did for Sheldon Beck, our February winner.

** Bonus Question: Hotel Discrimination?
Ever felt as if you were being treated like a second-class citizen at a hotel? There were special lines for frequent stayers, extra perks - even better treatment. Meanwhile, you had to stand in a long line, and maybe even pay more for your stay, because you weren't an "elite." Has that ever happened to you?

> Trying to e-mail me? Please read this first.

** Not Too Late to Rate the TSA
If you didn't get around to taking the poll last week, it's not too late. Our friends at Innovation Analysis Group have teamed up with Travel Agent Magazine to query travelers about their airport security experiences. The survey collects certain demographics but does not gather any respondent-traceable data. Your help is much appreciated and will make a big difference. > Here's how to participate.

>> Elliott's Commentary <<

** Take Air Rage to the Polls
Here's an election-year issue that hasn't gotten anywhere near the attention it deserves: the sad, scandalous decline of air travel. The way we fly has changed more in the last four years than in the last four decades, and largely for the worse. Airlines have cut back on services and amenities, airports are guarded by a new federal agency, the humorless Transportation Security Administration, and passengers are rowdier and ruder than ever. Many once-robust mainline carriers are on the verge of bankruptcy or liquidation. The list of troubled airlines includes American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, which is already in bankruptcy. US Airways isn't expected to survive the year. Should we hold the current administration responsible? > Details in Opinion.

** Song's Selvaggio: 'We'll Be Just Fine'
Song Airways, the low-fare startup from Delta Air Lines, celebrates its first anniversary on April 15. Despite positive reviews from many air travelers, the carrier has been singing a different tune recently. Its operations are under review by its corporate parent, and it just lost its biggest supporter, Delta's president Frederick Reid, who left April 1 to help create a low-fare airline in the U.S. for the Virgin Group. Christopher Elliott recently spoke with John Selvaggio, Song's president, to find out what was going on. > In Interview.

>> Also Underwritten By <<

** Dream of Italy
Do you know where to get the best deals on designer duds in Italy? How to find a reasonably-priced, well-equipped villa rental? Which Roman restaurants have to best views of the Eternal City? The readers of Dream of Italy, the bi-monthly subscription newsletter do! The newsletter reveals the hidden secrets that can make your next Italian vacation unforgettable. > Find out more.

>> This Week in Travel <<

News, opinion and analysis from Elliott's Travel Notes.

>> This Week in Travel <<

News, opinion and analysis from Elliott's Travel Notes.

> Bill Seeks to Arm Pilots Faster (4/2)

> Going to Dominican Republic? Drive (4/1)

> Travel Agents: Down, Not Out (3/31)

> Old Cruise Laws Could Be Lifted (3/30)

> Airline Flights Are Getting Longer (3/29)

> See archived blog postings or catch up on today's news.

** Terror Troubles Travelers
"Is it safe for Americans to travel overseas?" That's perhaps the most common question I'm asked by my stateside clients and the occasional reporter. And following events such as the railway bombings in Spain this past month, the question is usually and anxiously prefaced with, "In light of the recent terrorist attacks...." To this question, my answer is always the same: No, it is not safe for Americans to travel overseas. Never has been. Never will be. > Read more in Err Travel.

** You Can't Handle the Truth
Passengers demand to know the reasons for a flight delay, especially a mechanical delay. And maybe you can handle the truth, but I know from experience I can't always stand to listen. I mean, if politicians had to tell the truth, would you really want to hear it? Of course not. When it comes to mechanical delays, ignorance is bliss. Most of the time, the cockpit doesn't know what's wrong, only that they can or can't go. If all pilots told you the exact truth and held nothing back, it would sound something like this. > In A Frank Steward.

>> Triprights.com Ticker <<

** No, No, No
There's no industry that knows how to say "no" quite like the airlines. Two recent unsolved cases make that abundantly clear. In one, a Northwest Airlines passenger asks the airline to extend the date on her gift certificate. In another, a US Airways passenger is charged $400 in change fees, even though her flight delay is another airline's fault. Have the airlines been taking lessons from my two-year-old, whose favorite words are "no, no, no"? > In Fix My Trip.

>> Flashback: Really, Really Bad Trips <<

This week, Elliott's E-Mail takes a look at columns about trips that went unbelievably bad. Traveling is hardly fun these days, but you'll probably feel a lot better about your last vacation when you're done with this flashback.

** When Travel Goes Really Wrong
Jeanne Moore is the kind of person who almost makes me regret the columns I've written about bland airline food, silly car rental surcharges or inadequate hotel amenities. The Bakersfield, California, teacher was the lone American on the Indian Airlines jet hijacked to Kandahar, Afghanistan, last Christmas Eve. The ordeal included being left in a freezing cabin overnight and the stabbing of a hostage who reportedly refused to wear a blindfold. "I've spent eight days in a plane, on a tarmac, with terrorists," she says. And what did she get for the inconvenience? Nothing. Absolutely zip. > In The Travel Critic.

** Bad Service? Here's a Way Around It
If you're looking for textbook examples of terrible customer service, just talk to a few travelers. Mary Day checked into room 315 at a Days Inn recently and requested a wake-up call at 6 a.m. The next morning, her phone rang. She got out of bed and checked out. Then she noticed that it was still dark outside. It turns out she'd received a call at 3:15 a.m. Klaus Stoll, flying from Frankfurt, Germany, to Quito, Ecuador, discovered that KLM had seated him 10 rows away from his wife. The ticket agent insisted that there were no available seats together, and when he politely handed her his elite-level frequent-flier card and asked her to check again, she became indignant. "I don't understand these cards," she snapped, turning him away. Isolated cases? If only. > In Power Trip.

** Take Advantage of Travel Fatigue Deals
It's only a few minutes into the 10-hour flight from Vienna to Washington and already I'm thinking, "Please just send me to the cargo hold." At least the freight doesn't have to put up with a middle seat, with surly flight attendants, with screaming infants (one on each side), or a headset and video screen that are short-circuiting. At least the payload on Air Murphy has 10 hours of peace and quiet, and probably more legroom than my bulkhead seat offers. My nightmare flight from hell isn't so much the exception as it is the rule these days, particularly in the U.S. and Canada. It's gotten so bad that people refuse to travel. (Please note: this is an archived column.) > In The Travel Tightwad.

>> Also Underwritten By <<

** Travelhunters.com
If you like to find great travel bargains, you've got to check out TravelHunters.com - the bargain travel community. The site was created by two brothers from Minnesota who love to help people find the best travel bargains. You'll find numerous hot deals for vacations and cruises, bargain travel articles, travel resources, and a comprehensive travel message board. Be sure to sign up for the free monthly newsletter - the Travel Hunters News - dedicated to helping people find amazing deals. > Here's the site.

** FirstClassFlyer.com
Fly first class for less than what others pay for coach? Looking for free and purchased upgrades, 2-for-1s, advanced ticketing techniques, and a fast-track to elite status strategies? Look no further ... these hot deals and more are available at First Class Flyer's Web site.

** Journeyware.com
The new destination for exceptional luggage, business/tech cases and travel accessories from leading brands like Travelpro, Lewis N. Clark, RoadWired and more. Great prices, fast, free UPS ground shipping on orders of just $50 or more! All with a level of uncompromising, personal service that you might not be used to getting these days (especially if you are a frequent traveler). Enter coupon code ELLIOTT and click "update" at checkout for an additional 10% off any order.

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

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