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

December 26, 2004

>> Inside <<

* Happy Holidays
* Death on the Road?
* Please Bear With Us
* This Week in Travel
* SkyMiles Defiled
* Keeping the Faith
* Air and Space
* Double Trouble on US Airways
* Flashback: Class Warfare at 36,000 Feet
* All Passengers Not Created Equal
* Summer Squeeze
* Seeking Comfort in Economy Class
* Extreme Reservations

** Happy Holidays
On behalf of all of our contributors and columnists, here's wishing you a very happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year. We have new columns from Charlie Leocha, James Wysong and Joel Widzer, plus a new troubleshooter and a full week of Travel Notes. We'll take a vacation when people stop traveling.

>> Underwritten By <<

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

** Death on the Road?
Do you know someone who went on a business trip and never returned? We're working on a story about what happens when business travelers pass away while they're away on business. E-mail us. As always, please include your full name, city, and what you do for a living.

** Please Bear With Us
This newsletter and all of its related Web sites and blogs are being merged into a single site that starts up in January. There will be some inevitable snafus - so please bear with us as we make the transition. 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.

> Whiteout Conditions For Christmas (12/24)

> Study Criticizes Airport Smoking Areas (12/23)

> Norwalk Virus Closes UK Hotel (12/22)

> Six Accused in Ohio Car Rental Scam (12/21)

> Alaskans Will Vote On Cruise Tax (12/20)

> 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 <<

** FirstClassFlyer.com
Want to 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.

>> On Travelcomment.com <<

** SkyMiles Defiled
Caving to the protests of its stingiest customers, Delta Air Lines is revamping its SkyMiles program to what it calls a more "customer-focused transformation meant to simplify the Medallion qualification process." I've checked out the changes and I have a different opinion: I think it's accelerating Delta's path toward bankruptcy. Delta is essentially downgrading its loyalty program to reward infrequent, disloyal, customers who make purchasing decisions based only on price. Basically, they're dissing their best customers. > In Joel Widzer's column.

** Keeping the Faith
One of the great privileges of flying is observing and respecting the various cultures that come your way. On the airplane you might notice a man with a black top hat, long curls extending from his sideburns, and a fairly long beard. Nine times out of ten, he is Jewish, or more specifically, a Hasidic Jew. I was scheduled to work on a flight to Munich one September evening when I got pulled off, and rescheduled for a Tel Aviv flight. A Jewish group had requested a male flight attendant, and on that particular flight there were none. > In James Wysong's column.

** Air and Space
About a year ago, the new annex of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum opened next to Dulles Airport in Virginia. This spacious museum allowed the Smithsonian Institution to display many of the aircraft that had been held in storage for the first time. Here you will find the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay," that dropped the atom bomb on Japan and the once super-secret SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. > In Charles Leocha's column.

>> On Triprights.com <<

** Double Trouble on US Airways
Kristine Lopez wanted to buy tickets from Philadelphia to Tampa, Fla. But when she clicked the "submit" button to book a seat on the US Airways Web site, nothing happened. No receipt, no confirmation e-mail. So she logged on a few hours later and bought more tickets. This time, her purchase went through. But her credit-card bill tells a different story. The airline actually charged her twice - once for the tickets she believed she hadn't bought, and another time for the ones she did. Now Lopez wants her money back for one set. US Airways won't do it, citing its "no refunds" policy. Is she out of luck? > In Fix My Trip.

>> 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.

>> Flashback: Class Warfare at 36,000 Feet <<
The gap between "haves" and "have-nots" is in plain view when you fly. A look back at the evidence.

** All Passengers Not Created Equal
The gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" is widening in the air, and the circumstances are enough to confuse even Karl Marx. Listen to what the carriers are saying, and you'd think the skies are becoming more egalitarian. American Airlines claims its new steerage seats have "more class." United Airlines insists it's won a "race for space" in the back of the plane. Startup JetBlue Airways says its larger leather seats will "bring humanity back to air travel." Yet flying remains a very uncomfortable ordeal for a majority of passengers. What's going on? > In The Travel Critic.

** Summer Squeeze
Just as the busy summer travel season took off earlier this month, American Airlines announced it would scrap its roomier economy-class seats on nearly a quarter of its flights serving leisure and vacation markets. Midwest Airlines also said it would rip out its spacious seats on its new "saver" service and replace them with narrower ones. Both airlines are playing catch-up with the competition, which seems intent on squeezing the most passengers into the least amount of space. > In Opinion.

** Seeking Comfort in Economy Class
Next time your travel agent asks if you prefer one aircraft type over another, consider your answer carefully. Especially if you have to fly coach. Not all planes are created equal-or equally comfortable-according to a new survey by San Diego, Calif.-based CIC Research Inc. A random Internet poll found that the 1,301 respondents favor the economy class seating options on the Boeing 767 over other commercial jets, including the MD11 and the Boeing 777. > In The Travel Critic.

** Extreme Reservations
A seat assignment in economy class is about as desirable as a protracted stopover in a smoke-filled airport terminal or consuming airline food that gives you heartburn, to hear travelers talk about it. In fact, experienced fliers will go to great lengths to avoid the back of the plane. They plead for upgrades to business class (yes, I've seen them get on their knees and beg). They hover around the gate and argue with the overworked airline employees. They even wait until the next flight if there's a chance they can score an upgrade. > In Power Trip.

>> Even More Underwriters <<

** Journeyware.com
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** 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

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