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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 23, 2004

>> Inside <<

* Free Plane Quiet Headsets
* Question of the Week: Hey, Now That's Different!
* Freedom Isn't Free - Your Help is Essential
* We're Moving
* This Week in Travel
* Extend Your Laptop Battery's Life
* Celebrity Payback
* No Budget for Fuel
* Flashback: Air Fare
* Bring Your Own T-Bone
* Adding Padding
* How's the Food Up There?
* Plane Food Worth Paying For

>> First Off <<

** Free Plane Quiet Headsets
The May fundraiser is entering its final week, when we give away five Travelpro rollaboards and a free weekend at any Hilton in the United States. But don't wait until then to become an underwriter. This week, the first ten supporters to sign up at any level will also receive a Plane Quiet headset from ProTravelGear.com. These award-winning ergonomic headsets offer exceptional performance, eliminating up to 17 decibels across the sound spectrum - so you can relax and enjoy your favorite movie, music or pristine silence on your next flight. It's our way of saying "thank you" for supporting this Web site and newsletter. > Get the details here.

>> Underwritten By <<

** 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.

>> By The Way <<

** Question of the Week: Hey, Now That's Different!
Is there only one way to board a plane? To check you into a room? To book a trip? Maybe, maybe not. This week, we want your tales of innovation from the road. Have you seen a travel company do something so different that you took notice - even something seemingly small - where that "a-ha" light bulb went on above your head? Tell us about it. 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 Barry Graham, our April winner.

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

** Freedom Isn't Free - Your Help is Essential
Freedom, as the saying goes, isn't free. That's not just true when it comes to defending our liberty; it's also the case when it comes to publications like Elliott's E-Mail. Freedom from pre-processed, advertiser-approved, truly useless travel information has a price-tag. It's the cost of signing up as a supporter at any of the three underwriter levels this week. Your donation helps keep this site and newsletter in business and helps ensure you don't have to get all of your travel news from questionable sources. > Here's how.

** We're Moving
As of next week, this newsletter has a new mailing address and phone number (the e-mail stays the same):

760 Sybilwood Circle
Winter Springs, FL 32708-3735
(407) 699-9529

Yes, it's true - we've relocated to the Orlando area. If you live close by, don't be a stranger … we love visitors. (OK, maybe not next week, when we're moving, but generally speaking, we do.) One other note: If your e-mails to us go unanswered, it's probably because we're in transit. Don't take it personally.

>> This Week in Travel <<

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

> Hotel Robbers Pose as Employees (5/21)

> Song: Free Tickets For Being Nice (5/20)

> AAA Predicts Record Memorial Day (5/19)

> Put the Brake on Car Rental Overruns (5/18)

> Jet Fuel Crisis Looms For Airlines (5/17)

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

>> Also 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.

>> On Elliott.org <<

** Extend Your Laptop Battery's Life
On a recent stopover at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, I flipped open my laptop PC, hoping to chip away at the 7,000-some e-mail messages that had accumulated since leaving Anchorage, Alaska, four hours earlier. "Don't even think about it," my laptop screen flashed back at me contemptuously (I'm paraphrasing the error message a little here). "I'm out of juice." And then, before I could find an electrical outlet - don't bother looking for one at Sea-Tac, by the way; I think they've been removed from the waiting areas to punish business travelers who are too cheap to buy an airline club membership - the laptop expired. The irony, of course, is that I had spent most of the previous week researching this column on how to extend your PC's battery life while you're on the road. > Details in Power Trip.

>> On Ticked.com <<

** Celebrity Payback
My recent column about the hardships of flying as a celebrity - and the quiz that followed - sure got your keyboards clicking. Amid the tales of ripped clothing, soap opera villains being spat on, personal items stolen, drunken advances, and even a mauling by a star-struck fan, I mentioned several specific celebrity encounters - and I asked if you could name them. Did you ever. > In A Frank Steward.

>> On Triprights.com <<

** No Budget for Fuel
Car rental companies are notorious for adding surprise surcharges to your bill. But what happens when a fee is the result of a misunderstanding? What if the "fee" doesn't even officially exist? That's the question posed by a renter from Budget in Kingston, Jamaica. After he complains about the surcharge, the company offers a partial settlement - but it's not good enough for him. Find out what's behind the mysterious fee, and what you can do if you ever encounter one on the road. > In Fix My Trip.

>> 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: Air Fare <<
Airline food. Rarely have I written about a more controversial topic. We complain about it if it's there, we complain about it if it's not. Here's a sampling of columns about in-flight cuisine:

** Bring Your Own T-Bone
Flight attendants did a double-take when Richard Check and his business partner boarded a recent US Airways flight from Philadelphia with a carry-on meal. For good reason. Check had ordered a 24-ounce cowboy steak from Kansas City Prime, a Manayunk, Pa., restaurant. He asked crew members to warm it up and serve it to him with a stuffed potato topped with sour cream, parsley and garlic, accompanied by a side dish of broccoli. "The other passengers thought they were going to get the same thing," recalls Check, the chief executive of a Wayne, Pa., anti-fraud technology company. "I think they were jealous when they had to settle for their little filets." > In The Travel Critic.

** Adding Padding
Hollywood television producer Ed Shaw recalls his days as a corporate traveler, when he jetted between Los Angeles and New York regularly, with an uneasy mix of nostalgia and dread. "One time," he remembers, "I flew in to New York to visit Anthony Quinn. And we were in his hotel room at four in the morning, and he says, 'Aren't you hungry?' And I say, 'Well, yeah, I guess.' And he orders four cheeseburgers from room service." Shaw's weight ballooned accordingly. > In The Travel Critic.

** How's the Food Up There?
My stomach still churns at the thought of the ham-and-cheese sandwich I ate on a recent flight between Atlanta and Baltimore. The meat was embalmed in a generous layer of mayonnaise. The too-salty potato crisps soaked in a puddle of oil. The soggy lettuce was limp and flavorless. A man named Willie served it with all the enthusiasm of a baggage handler loading a heavy trunk onto a conveyor belt. And that was before I boarded the flight. I ordered this second-rate dinner at Hartsfield International Airport a few minutes prior to takeoff. > In The Travel Critic.

** Plane Food Worth Paying For
Should you bring your own meal on your next airline trip - or buy it on the plane? Free food on shorter flights is gone. The major carriers eliminated their air fare in a recent cost-cutting effort, and not a moment too soon. Few people liked the in-flight meals to begin with. But travelers don't want to go hungry either, at least according to a survey by caterer LSG Sky Chefs. Nearly three out of four passengers want the option of buying meals during the flight if the airline isn't offering a freebie. "People ranked food as being very important," says Annette Rogers, a spokeswoman for LSG Sky Chefs, "even on shorter flights." All of which now leaves you with two options for your next airline trip - three, really, if you also want to count the Mile-High diet. Bring your own food. Buy it on-board. Or starve. > In Power Trip.

>> Even More Underwriters <<

** 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.

** 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.

** Outsidetheboxgroup.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
* 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

>> Talk To Us <<

Read something you disagree with? Got a story idea or a gripe? Here's how to reach Elliott.

760 Sybilwood Circle
Winter Springs, FL 32708-3735
(407) 699-9529 or e-mail

(Please note: Unless you specify otherwise, all e-mails, letters and phone conversations are considered "on the record." That means your name could be used in a future article.)

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