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

December 19, 2004

>> Inside <<

* Laughing at Ourselves
* What's In - What's Out in '05?
* Four More Travelpro Rollaways to Give Away!
* New Site Starts Up Next Month!
* This Week in Travel
* A Guy's Gotta Travel
* Deplane Truth
* Stupid Travelers
* Grounded Without a Refund
* Doggone Sun Valley
* Flashback: Stupid Traveler Tricks
* Stupid Things Travelers Do
* The End of Common Sense
* We Can't All Be Road Scholars
* Traveling? Don't Forget Me

>> First Off <<

** Laughing at Ourselves
The darkest days of winter are upon us in the northern hemisphere, and I guess contributor John Frenaye figured we all needed a good laugh this week. How else do you explain his column about the stupid things travelers do? It's a timely topic, so I've included a retrospective on stupid traveler tricks (not all funny, but most are). We also have stories from James Wysong, Terry Riley and a brand new troubleshooter column.

>> Underwritten By <<

** FirstClassFlyer.com
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>> By The Way <<

** What's In - What's Out in '05?
You know those lists of "what's in" and "what's out"? What do you think is hot next year? And what's not? Give us your list, and don't hold back. (Please explain your selection, too.) E-mail us. As always, please include your full name, city, and what you do for a living.

** Four More Travelpro Rollaways to Give Away
We're nearing the end of Travelpro's 12 Days of Christmas giveaway. As you know, during the last year we've encouraged you to participate in our Travelpro luggage giveaway by responding to our weekly questions. Now it's payback time. We're giving away one Travelpro WalkAbout Lite Rollaboard a day through Christmas. Winners will be announced every morning on the Travel Notes newsletter. If you're not signed up for it, here's the link.

** New Site Starts Up Next Month!
Remember, Elliott's E-Mail is being merged into a new Web site and newsletter starting in January. Next week we'll be ready to show you the new site (can't you wait?). This is just a reminder because you're going to need to tell your e-mail program to accept messages from the new domain - otherwise you won't get your weekly missives from us. Details to follow.

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

>> This Week in Travel <<

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

> Indonesia on High Alert After Warnings (12/17)

> Record Christmas, New Year for Travel (12/16)

> Greek Tour Bus in Hijacking Drama (12/15)

> Passenger in Real-Life 'Terminal' (12/14)

> New York Airport Fees Take Off (12/13)

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

> NEW! Sign up for Travel Notes by e-mail. Find out more.

>> Also Underwritten By <<

** Cheapflights.com
Flights price comparison site. Compare sales, specials and cheap flights to New York, Las Vegas, Orlando, London, Cancun, San Jose and over 600 more destinations. Cheapflights.com provides a quick and independent picture of the market for cheap flights from airlines (including Southwest and JetBlue), travel agents and specialist discounters. > Find cheap flights now.

>> On Travelcomment.com <<

** A Guy's Gotta Travel
Several American tour companies have sprung up catering to women-only travel. Japan's railways operate trains with women-only cars and may add women-only trains. Skymark Airlines designates women-only seats on some of its flights. A hotel in Zurich accommodates only women. And the trend seems to be growing. Some people may see this as clear cases of discrimination - especially guys who see travel as an opportunity to hit on women. > In Terry Riley's column.

** Deplane Truth
Are you frustrated by the boarding and deplaning torture the airlines put you through? The airlines are trying to cut costs while trying to be your carrier of choice. I don't have a problem with that, but it's when the airlines spend a bundle of money only to piss off their passengers that I have to step in and say something. Many carriers have researched, tinkered with, and spent millions on the most effective way to board an aircraft. The turnaround times for flights are decreasing, so speed is of the essence. > In James Wysong's column.

** Stupid Travelers
Stupid people are everywhere. Just look around and you will see that oh, about 90 percent of the population is a solid 30 points below you on the Stanford-Binet. And nowhere is that more true than when you travel. It never ceases to amaze me how clueless people can be. It seems that each day brings another chuckle to our staff with the silly, insulting, inane and plain old stupid questions. > In John Frenaye's column.

>> On Triprights.com <<

** Grounded Without a Refund
Colleen Wiles is looking forward to meeting her newborn grandson for Christmas. But because of a medical condition, the infant can't fly without oxygen. His airline won't let the family travel without a doctor's note, and the pediatrician won't write a note without oxygen. Now Hotwire won't offer Wiles' son his money back, citing its strict no-refunds rule. Is the family out of luck? And how could they have prevented this Catch-22 from happening? > In Fix My Trip.

>> On Not2far.com <<

** Doggone Sun Valley
The spring water is served in plastic bowls - on the floor - at Sun Valley's finest restaurants. The biscuits are cold and hard, and they taste doggone funny, come to think of it. But patrons pant for more. Sometimes they bark, too. Welcome to the most dog-friendly resort in America. > In Not2far.com.

>> Also Underwritten By <

** 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.

>> Flashback: Stupid Traveler Tricks <<
Alright, let's face it: We're not always the sharpest candles in the shed when it comes to traveling. A look back on some memorable columns.

** Stupid Things Travelers Do
When traveling, we often leave our common sense behind. That's fine if we're on a vacation - a missed connection here or a surcharge there isn't a big deal when we're off the clock. But for folks who travel for a living, doing something stupid can cost a company a lot of money. I'm here to help. Or, more to the point, you're here to help. > In Power Trip.

** The End of Common Sense
This column frequently zeroes in on the lack of common sense among software developers, wireless carriers and computer manufacturers, to name just a few of its most recent targets. And deservedly so. There's a deficit of good judgment among many of our leading technology corporations, and business travelers are often the victims of it. But consider, also, the flip side - road warriors who leave their brains at home. > In The Travel Technologist.

** We Can't All Be Road Scholars
The road can be a cruel, unforgiving teacher. Especially when it comes to technology. Take it from me. I'm writing this column from a public library as a direct result of one of the road's more painful lessons. My laptop computer, which I depended on for this trip, is history-the victim of dreaded OS decay. Yesterday evening when I tried to boot the Gateway Solo up it screamed at me-"Beep! Beep! Beep!"-revealing only a dark screen and a clicking hard drive. > In The Travel Technologist.

** Traveling? Don't Forget Me
On a recent trip to Quebec City, Canada, I opened my suitcase to find that a mission-critical item hadn't made it with me. It was something so essential to the success of my trip, in fact, that immediate action needed to be taken. I'd forgotten to bring any underwear. > In Power Trip.

>> Even More Underwriters <<

** Dream of Italy
Looking for the perfect gift for the Italophile on your list? Look no further than a gift subscription to Dream of Italy, The Insider's Guide to Undiscovered Italy, recommended by National Geographic Traveler and American Way (American Airlines). Each holiday gift subscription (for that matter - each subscription - even one for yourself!) comes with a 2-DVD set of the Italian cinema classic La Dolce Vita (a $35 value). Published 10 times a year, Dream of Italy covers everything Italian (art, cooking schools, cultural events, destinations, hotels, museums, restaurants, shopping, villa rentals) for luxury travelers. All subscribers receive online access to over two years of back issues! A subscription by mail is $79 per year and a subscription via the Internet costs $69 a year. > Visit Dream of Italy online or call 877-OF-ITALY

** ProTravelGear.com
The new SearchAlert re-settable combination padlock from Outside The Box offers unique innovations in luggage security. SearchAlert may be opened with an override device controlled by Transportation Security Administration agents. No SearchAlert lock should be cut off by TSA agents. In fact, we offer a free replacement if it's ever cut off. SearchAlert features a Security Window which changes color from Green to Red when any override device is used. $9.99 each or two for $17.98 Available exclusively online. Enter coupon code: ELLIOTT for a discount. Click here to order.

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

* Demographics
* Elliott's E-Mail newsletter circulation - 33,657
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* Last month's total unique visitors
Elliott.org - 57,826
Ticked.com - 25,290
Triprights.com - 8,823
Not2far.com - 4,115
Travelcomment.com - 16,107
Total network visitors - 112,161

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