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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 2, 2004

>> Inside <<

* Win a Hilton Weekend - and Luggage
* Question of the Week: Burning More Miles?
* Why Support Elliott's E-Mail?
* Should I Save or Splurge?
* Build Your Own Cruise Ship
* This Week in Travel
* Bite Your Tongue
* Hawaii is a Dangerous Place
* It Pays to be Persistent
* Flashback: Reliable Sources
* Compromised Concierges
* False Forecasts
* Can You Trust Your Travel Writer?
* Can You Trust Your Technology Columnist?

>> First Off <<

** Win a Hilton Weekend - and Luggage
It's our biannual fundraiser, and we're pulling out all the stops this time. In addition to great premiums like autographed travel books, newsletter subscriptions and really useful travel accessories, every new underwriter also qualifies for a weekly drawing of TravelPro luggage and our biggest "thank-you" ever, a chance to win a weekend at any Hilton property in the continental United States. Don't miss your chance to support this Web site and newsletter.> Get the details here.

>> Underwritten By <<

** Bonjour Paris
France has recently come under a lot of fire. Access Bonjour Paris if you're interested in the pros and cons about travel to France. Bonjour Paris is the best content site about France and is not afraid of controversy. With focus on hotel and apartment reviews, consumer reporting, plus tons of articles, Bonjour Paris is the best on-line resource about tout La Belle France. > Click here for more information.

>> By The Way <<

** Question of the Week: Burning More Miles?
You've saved up your hard-earned miles. But cashing them in isn't so easy - that elusive award ticket seems to be just out of reach. Have you had to spend more miles by using a higher-mileage program such as Continental's EasyPass or Delta's SkyChoice to get the ticket you wanted recently? If so, we want to hear from you. Tell us where you were flying and how many points you had to burn to get there. 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 Ed Kummel, our March winner.

Bonus Question: Is this the first time since the economic downturn and terrorism worries that you've ventured back to Europe or Asia for a summer getaway? One of our colleagues is working on a story about vacationers who shied away from overseas summer destinations after 9/11, but are now returning. If that describes you, don't be shy. Drop us a line.

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

** Why Support Elliott's E-Mail?
Because there are precious few publications that are on the side of you, the traveler. Most mainstream travel publications don't care if you're overbilled and underappreciated by an avaricious travel industry. They're concerned about only one thing - scoring more ads with the very companies that take advantage of you. Worse, these news outlets also tacitly agree to remain silent while their readers are exploited. Elliott's E-Mail refuses to play along, refuses to take the hush-money. But without your help, it can't continue operating. So please give travelers a voice by becoming a supporter of Elliott's E-Mail. > Here's more information.

>> Elliott's Commentary <<

** Should I Save or Splurge?
Before Stephen Paliska became a sales engineer for an aerospace company in Connecticut, a manager pulled him aside and explained that when it came to travel, cheaper wasn't necessarily better. The manager added that "where I stayed and ate was a reflection on the company," Paliska remembers. It's an attitude that served him well as an up-and-coming road warrior. Now that Paliska runs his own engineering consulting firm, he expects the same from his employees. "They must travel on major airlines, stay in major hotel chains, not rent subcompact cars, speak correct English, and otherwise conduct themselves as professional persons," he says. Interestingly enough, Paliska is vastly outnumbered these days. > Details in Power Trip.

** Build Your Own Cruise Ship
Most cruise ship passengers are content to spend the long stretches between ports of call lounging by the pool or getting their fill at the all-you-can eat buffet. But if a floating vacation has ever left you wondering what it would be like to own a cruise line, then stop by the annual Seatrade convention in Miami. That's where the cruise industry goes to buy everything from bilge pumps to the chocolates you find on your pillow. > On National Public Radio.

>> Also Underwritten By <<

** EasyTravelAir
The must-have travel accessory If you've fumbled with your ID while taking off your shoes and coat, emptying your pockets, and removing your computer, you'll find getting through airport security a lot simpler and less stressful with the Security Pouch. Purchase the travel-warrior-tested Security Pouch online special only $10 or call (800) 282-1469 to order at $14.99 each. Order now.

>> This Week in Travel <<

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

Snoozing Airline Pilot Suspended (4/30)

Viral Illnesses Keep Plaguing Cruises (4/29)

Beware of Hidden Car Rental Charges (4/28)

Royal Caribbean Torpedoes Vacation (4/27)

High-Cost Airlines Are History (4/26)

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

>> Ticked.com Talk <<

** Bite Your Tongue
Many poorly-chosen words are uttered by air travelers to flight attendants. And while we've become accustomed to hearing them, it's never easy to be on the receiving end. Like what? How about when passengers come up to you and whisper, "I have a bad feeling about this flight," as we're boarding. They haven't seen anything or heard specific threats, but they have a "bad feeling." If you have a bad feeling about a flight, don't spread your doubts to me. I can't go to the captain with, "I think we better cancel because the lady in 21A has a bad feeling about the flight." > In A Frank Steward.

** Hawaii is a Dangerous Place
When we arrived at the airport in Kauai, there was a nice greeting from the flight attendant welcoming us to the island. That marked the end of our relaxing vacation. For the week that was to follow we were not only on vacation, we were on edge. After retrieving our luggage at the Lihue Airport, we hopped a shuttle to the rental car agency. With a nice smile and pleasant disposition the agent instructed us about how we were responsible for any damage to the vehicle and were liable for all kinds of bad stuff that might happen to us or to others. I signed the contract in two places and initialed it in a half-dozen more, promising, I suppose (who ever reads those things?) that I'll return their car in good shape and won't mow down anybody in the meantime. > Read more in Err Travel.

>> Triprights.com Ticker <<

** It Pays to be Persistent
Travel insurance is supposed to give you the peace of mind that if something goes wrong, you won't lose your vacation. But for one reader whose brother and mother tragically die within a few months of each other and is forced to cancel his cruise, trip insurance proves to be of little use. His carrier, Trip Assured, only reimburses him for half the cruise and tells him to take it or leave it. He decides to mail the check back and fight. Find out what happened next - and how you can prevent the same thing from happening to you. > In Fix My Trip.

>> Flashback: Reliable Sources <<
Can you trust the information you get from the travel media? Here's a flashback of columns in which we take our peers to task for bending the facts:

** Compromised Concierges
Careful who you consult for dining and entertainment recommendations on your next trip. You just might get a paid advertisement in response. Many concierges who sit attentively at their desks in hotel lobbies by day are wined and dined nightly by restaurants eager for their approval. Others are offered - and accept - cash kickbacks in exchange for sending hotel guests their way. The alternative, travel guide books, are usually no more credible. In The Travel Critic.

** False Forecasts
What's the summer travel season going to be like? Will airfares rise or fall? How about hotel rates? Will the roads be busy? In newsrooms across the country, reporters are gearing up to answer those questions, just as they do every year. And the same pundits are stepping forward to make their travel forecasts. But unlike other industries where predictions are closely tracked - stock-picking and sports come to mind - these travel gurus are rarely held accountable for what they say. If they were, the editors and producers who rely on their knowledge would realize that they're wrong almost as often as they're right. Maybe it's time to start keeping score. > In Opinion.

** Can You Trust Your Travel Writer?
Travelers like a sure thing. Whether it's the certainty that their plane will fly or knowing their rental car is properly maintained, people want to deal with someone they trust. So why do we settle for "iffy" when it comes to information? Why do we take advice on where to go and how to get there from writers who are being subsidized by the travel industry? Airlines, hotels, cruise lines, restaurants and tourist authorities routinely offer journalists free tickets, rooms or meals in exchange for a favorable mention. Many staff reporters justify taking the freebies because their publications don't have the budget to cover travel. Lots of freelance writers accept the perks, too, because they couldn't afford to travel otherwise. > In The Travel Critic.

** Can You Trust Your Technology Columnist?
The call from Julie Olsen, the public relations manager for the Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada, Fla., was anything but friendly. "My general manager saw a story you wrote about fishing in Florida," she began. "He wants to know why we're not mentioned in it." I had stayed at the Cheeca Lodge about a month earlier, while researching a book about Florida. I ended up writing an article on fishing in the Gulf of Mexico that appeared on ABCNews.com. "Well," I said, "There just wasn't an opportunity to mention your hotel." Olsen cut me off. "That's not good enough," she snapped. "You can't expect me to go back to my general manager and tell him that." > In The Travel Technologist.

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** Journeyware.com
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>> Who's Reading Elliott's E-Mail? <<

* Demographics
* Average newsletter circulation - 22,837
* Last month's total unique visitors
Elliott.org - 47,607
Ticked.com - 28,414
Triprights.com - 7,629
Not2far.com - 2,912
Total E3 Network visitors - 86,562

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