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

July 11, 2004

>> Inside <<

* Bathroom Break
* Question of the Week: Barely Legal Moneysaving Tricks
* NEW: Get Travel Notes By Email
* This Week in Travel
* Serving Itself
* TSA Slow to Pay for Laptop Damage
* Look Out For Hidden Card Fees
* Taking It One Bidet At a Time
* Facing My Critics
* To Air is Human
* Don't Leave Home Without One
* Help is on the Way
* Flashback: Potty Time
* Lavs: Measure of a Good Airline
* Germs Fly Free
* Potty Break Denied

>> First Off <<

** Bathroom Break
I called Terry Riley on Friday afternoon to tell him I was planning to repost his most popular column of all time. And what story might that be? A hard-hitting piece about the failings of airport security? An expose on hotel safety? No, it's a story on the ins and outs of … bidets. (Terry says he is bracing for the e-mail). Looks as if we have something of a bathroom theme this week - and no, we're not trying to cater to the lowest common denominator. It's a coincidence. Kind of. James Wysong's story ("To Air is Human") examines the digestive process at altitude. And the "Flashback" feature reviews a few other bathroom-related issues we've covered in past years. There are also lots of new, non-bathroom related columns by Joel Widzer, John Frenaye and yours truly. Plus, don't forget to sign up for our new, daily Travel Notes e-mail newsletter. It's free (details below).

>> Underwritten By <<

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

** Question of the Week: Barely Legal Moneysaving Tricks
Travel is getting pricier. What are you doing to pinch pennies? Are there any strategies - especially unorthodox or "interesting" tactics - that you've begun using in order to save money while you're on the road? Maybe they're not illegal, but they aren't quite legal either (like asking for a senior citizen's discount when you're not quite AARP material). 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 Robert Johnson, our May winner.

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

** NEW: Get Travel Notes By Email
Looking for the latest travel news delivered to you every morning by e-mail? Now you can get Elliott's Travel Notes, the blog Frommers.com called "Independent, honest ... a great distillation of the latest air travel news," delivered to your "in" box every morning. Travel Notes won't waste your time; it offers quick links to the top stories every weekday morning. No ads, no hidden agenda, and no cost to you. That's right, it's completely free. > Sign up now.

>> This Week in Travel <<

News, opinion and analysis from Elliott's Travel Notes is underwritten by Travel Hunters - the bargain travel community.

> False Alarms Rattle Several Airports (7/9)

> Car Rental President is Indicted (7/8)

> Delta, American On The Brink (7/7)

> Airport Screeners Making a Comeback (7/6)

> Another SUV Crash Roils Airport (7/5)

> 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 <<

** 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.

>> On Elliott.org <<

** Serving Itself
Travel is still thought of as a service industry. But someone must have forgotten to tell Craig Kobayashi, the Hawaiian Airlines pilot who recently refused to fly his plane from Honolulu to San Francisco with Joshua Gotbaum on board. Kobayashi said he was "uncomfortable" having Gotbaum on his plane, even though he posed no security risk to the flight. It turns out the passenger, a court-appointed trustee overseeing the carrier's bankruptcy reorganization, had tried to make changes to the pilots' pension plan. Gotbaum ended up taking another flight. The Hawaiian case is just the latest example of the travel industry forgetting why it's here. > In Opinion.

** TSA Slow to Pay for Laptop Damage
One minute, a security screener was pulling Jason Cumberland aside at Denver International Airport to "wand" him with a portable metal detector. The next, his laptop computer lay in pieces on the x-ray machine. "I opened my laptop and three or four keys fell onto the ground," remembers the Denver telecommunications consultant. "The plastic joining the screen to the base of the unit was cracked, and the wires connecting the screen were all exposed." > Details in an archived Travel Technologist.

>> On Ticked.com <<

** Look Out For Hidden Card Fees
Using your credit card while traveling overseas may get you the best exchange rate. But travelers must watch which credit card they use while traveling. Some credit cards end up charging unaware travelers up to 7% for transactions overseas. The difference between cards is dramatic. While a credit union associated Visa or MasterCard card might only charge the minimum 1% bank card fee, other major credit card issuers add a 2% foreign transaction fee for normal purchases. If the card is used to get cash while traveling, fees up to 4% might be added. I have often told friends that the best exchange rates while traveling overseas are those obtained when using a credit card. But the credit card world has changed dramatically over the past few years. > Read more in Charles Leocha's archived column.

** Taking It One Bidet At a Time
I get out of town a fair amount and consider myself to be in the top quartile of sophistication when it comes to knowing what's what when traveling. But I am an unquestionable ignoramus when it comes to bidets. I was reminded again of this gap in my education on a recent trip to Spain. As a born and bred American, bidets never made an appearance in my world until I traveled overseas after high school. I was quick to narrow down their probable function. They looked like toilets with seats that had gone missing and with peculiar bubblers in the middle. > Read more in an archived Err Travel.

>> On Travelcomment.com <<

** Facing My Critics
Joel's got mail - and his readers aren't all too pleased with the way he's sticking up for the mainline carriers. One traveler calls him a "sad excuse for a columnist." Another says he's "full of caca." So what does Joel have to say? Find out as he faces his critics - and sets the record straight about everything from legacy airlines to loyalty programs. > In Joel Widzer's column.

** To Air is Human
Since it is peak travel season, I believe it is high time to talk about the body's true whoopee cushion. As a flight attendant, I've been warned to avoid this personal subject as something that should be recognized but not spoken of (unless in jest). Although I feel that if they can come out with products such as the Flatulence Filter, then I believe it's a topic worthy of some discussion. > In James Wysong's column.

** Don't Leave Home Without One
In previous columns, I've told you when you don't need a travel agent. I've also told you when you can't trust a travel agent. But when do you absolutely have to call a professional? Well, here are two scenarios when you must - repeat, must - call an agent. > In John Frenaye's column.

>> On Triprights.com <<

** Help is on the Way
There's probably no such thing as a perfect vacation. That's because travel rarely goes as you planned it. Your hotel bill is slipped under your door with a surprise surcharge. Your luggage is lost. Or your cruise is ruined when you're infected by a painful gastrointestinal virus. Believe me, I know. Not only have I experienced these problems firsthand (yes, I caught the Norwalk virus on a recent cruise). But as this column's author, I've also helped travelers like you solve these snafus when they crop up - reversing the fees, getting compensation for your misplaced luggage, and at the very least, securing an apology for catching a pesky food-borne illness. > In Fix My Trip.

>> 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. > Need more information? Here it is.

>> Flashback: Potty Time <<
Yes, it's come to this. Since we're publishing all of these bathroom-related columns, here's a look back at previous stories that deal with the WC. Flashback is sponsored by Dream of Italy, the award-winning newsletter about Italy.

** Lavs: Measure of a Good Airline
What's the secret to a good flight? It's not, as you might suspect, gourmet food or free drinks, or impeccable service. It's the bathrooms. Yep, toilets are the key to a pleasant trip. Remember the German passenger who was kicked off a flight a few years ago for making a bomb threat? Turns out he urgently needed to use the lavatory-but wasn't allowed to because the plane hadn't yet reached its cruising altitude. When he warned the flight attendant that he was about to burst, something got lost in the translation. Authorities jailed the man after the plane returned to Miami. > In The Travel Critic.

** Germs Fly Free
On a trip from Brussels to New York, my younger brother contracted an exotic and potentially fatal virus. I don't remember the exact nature of his illness, but I recall the reaction from doctors when they diagnosed him: they were flabbergasted. Jeff had caught a rare intestinal ailment of African origin - something not found in Europe, where we lived, or the United States. We narrowed his point of contact with the disease down to the flight. My brother evidently used the bathroom on the Boeing 747, somehow touched the toilet seat or the sink, and, as 7-year-olds tend to do, later put his fingers in his mouth. > In The Travel Critic.

** Potty Break Denied
All Deana Pollard wanted was to go to the bathroom. All the Southwest Airlines crew members wanted was for her to return to her seat as their flight from Seattle to Los Angeles taxied down the runway. Now the two sides are locked in a nasty legal brawl over the disputed potty break, airline rules and a bad sense of humor. The carrier alleges Pollard disobeyed the instructions of its flight crew, prompting the crew to turn the plane around to have her arrested. Pollard says her medical condition made a bathroom visit necessary and that the attendants subjected her to ridicule when they learned of her predicament. > In The Travel Critic.

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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.

** Net-roamer.com
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** edate.com
Where online dating meets travel. With the explosive popularity of online dating including a state of the art dating site, edate.com has teamed up with some of the world's largest travel partners to give away fantastic monthly trips and offer its members great travel deals, tips and more. Thousands of members can hook up in their own town or in some exotic locale. Check it out.

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

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