Archive-name: travel/air/handbook/part1 Last-Modified: Fri Jul 22 19:45:39 1994 by Mark Kantrowitz Version: 1.13 Size: 62128 bytes ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 1 ******************************************** ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; Written by Mark Kantrowitz This post is a summary of useful information for air travelers. The focus is on obtaining inexpensive air fares, although other topics are also covered. It was previously posted under the title "FAQ: How to Get Cheap Airtickets". The information in this FAQ applies primarily to US domestic flights, though some information may also apply to international flights. Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu. *** Copyright: Copyright (c) 1989-94 by Mark Kantrowitz. All rights reserved. This FAQ may be freely redistributed in its entirety without modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents (e.g., published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines, or other print form) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document to be made available for file transfer from installations offering unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet. This article is provided AS IS without any express or implied warranty. *** Topics Covered: Part 1: [1-0] Obtaining the FAQ [1-1a] Standard Tricks: Advance Booking Discounts [1-1b] Advance Purchase Fares [1-2] Nested/Overlapping Tickets Strategy [1-x] Stopovers and Circle Trips [1-3] Fare Classes [1-4] Classes of Service [1-5] Fare Types [1-6] Special Fare Categories [1-7] Children's Fares [1-8] Clergy Fares [1-9] Military Fares [1-10] Senior Citizen Fares [1-11] Student/Youth Fares [1-12] Family Fares [1-13] Conference Fares [1-14] Sympathy Fares, Emergency Fares [1-15] Refunds [1-16] Flying Standby [1-17] Getting Bumped [1-18] Special Travel Dates/Fare Sales [1-19] Moving Up the Return Flight [1-20] Hidden City Fares [1-21] Buying Someone Else's Nonrefundable Ticket Part 2 (Travel Agents, Connections, Airports, Baggage): Travel Agents: [2-1] Travel Agents [2-2] Unusual Travel Agents: Commission Rebaters [2-3] Consolidators [2-4] Couriers [2-5] Travel Agencies that Specialize in Students [2-6] Visit USA [2-7] Free Upgrades to First Class [2-8] Companion Tickets [2-9] Avoiding Travel Scams [2-10] Missed Connections [2-11] Getting There Faster [2-12] Airports Monopolized by One Carrier [2-13] Hub Cities Baggage: [2-14] Lost Baggage [2-15] Baggage Limits [2-16] Pets [2-17] Bicycles [2-18] Restrictions on Electronics [2-19] X-ray Machines/Metal Detectors [2-20] Packing Tips/Checklist Part 3 (Safety & Comfort, Frequent Flyers): Travel Safety, Comfort, and Convenience: [3-1] Travel Advisories/Health Information [3-2] Travel Safety [3-3] Air Quality [3-4] Smoke-Free Flights [3-5] Special Meals [3-6] Jetlag [3-7] Pregnant Passengers [3-8] Tips for Families Flying with Children [3-9] Tips for Business Travelers [3-10] Exchanging Currency Frequent Flyers: [3-11] Frequent Flyer Programs [3-12] Premier FF Membership [3-13] Hotel Frequent Flyer Plans [3-14] Credit Card Voucher Offers [3-15] Telephone Companies [3-16] Discount Coupon Offers Part 4 (Appendices, Miscellaneous): Appendices: [4-1] Airline Reservation Phone Numbers [4-2] Flight Information [4-3] On-line reservation services [4-4] Complaints and Compliments [4-5] Glossary [4-6] Other Sources of Information [4-7] Further Reading [4-8] Phone Numbers Included in this FAQ Miscellaneous: [4-9] IRS Rules Change [4-10] Airline Antitrust Litigation [4-11] Miscellaneous Notes Search for [#] to get to question number # quickly. *** Recent Changes: ;;; 1.13: ;;; 12-JUN-94 mk Updated non-smoking flights section. ;;; 16-JUL-94 mk Many small changes and updates. ;;; 16-JUL-94 mk Added "Moving Up the Return Flight" based on a very good ;;; suggestion by Brian Noble. ;;; 16-JUL-94 mk Added Air Quality section to part 2. ;;; 16-JUL-94 mk Added Tips for Business Travelers to part 2. ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; 21-JUL-94 mk Completely overhauled the Cheap Air Tickets FAQ: ;;; Reorganized, reformatted, new sections, new name, ;;; split into several parts, etc. Some changes will ;;; continue to occur over the next few months. ;;; **************************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-0] Obtaining the FAQ An updated version of this file is posted once a month on the 13th of the month to the newsgroups rec.travel.air and news.answers. The version date for the file is located in the header near the top of the file. In between postings, the latest version of this FAQ is available by anonymous FTP from ftp.cs.cmu.edu:/user/mkant/Travel/ [128.2.206.173] using username "anonymous" and password "name@host" (substitute your email address) or via AFS in the Andrew File System directory /afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/Travel/ as the files airfare1.faq, airfare2.faq, airfare3.faq, and airfare4.faq. Other files available from this directory include: bucket.faq Edward Hasbrouck's FAQ on Bucket Shops and Consolidators classes.txt List of fare classes discounts.txt Table of Airline Special Fare Discounts (29-JUL-92) em_intrfrnc.txt Summary of EM Interference by Laurie Bechtler ff.faq Joel Chan's Frequent Flyer FAQ flt_attdnt.txt Description of the Job of a Flight Attendant iata.txt List of worldwide airport IATA codes by Peter Loibl jetlag.txt The ANL jet lag diet. online.faq John Levine's FAQ on Online Computer Reservation Systems tourism.faq Where to get tourist/travel information The FAQ postings are also archived in the periodic posting archive on rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/travel/air/handbook/ [18.181.0.24] If you do not have anonymous ftp access, you can access the archive by mail server as well. Send an E-mail message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with "help" and "index" in the body on separate lines for more information. If you need to cite the FAQ for some reason, use the following format: Mark Kantrowitz, "Air Traveler's Handbook", rec.travel.air, , , ftp.cs.cmu.edu:/user/mkant/Travel/airfare?.faq, mkant+@cs.cmu.edu. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-1a] Standard Tricks: Advance Booking Discounts Airlines give better fares to people who advance book because they are trying to encourage people to book as early as possible. If the airline were to lower fares just before flight time there would be a flood of people (on random flights) at the last minute. Airlines need an accurate estimate of the number of people and amount of baggage on a flight so that they can load the proper amount of fuel. (Meals and beverages also have to be loaded.) Moreover, people who book at the last minute are usually flying on business, and therefore the business is paying for it. People flying for pleasure usually know weeks or months in advance, and can't afford the prices that a business would pay. Thus it is to an airline's advantage to set rates according to the major differences between business and leisure travelers: o Business travelers fly mostly between 9 and 5, whereas leisure travelers can fly offpeak hours. o Business travelers buy tickets on very short notice, whereas leisure travelers plan trips well in advance. o Business travelers do not stay over a weekend (= Saturday night), whereas leisure travelers do. So airlines typically give discounts for people who stay over a weekend, flying offpeak hours, and purchasing tickets 7 days, 14 days, 21 days or 30 days in advance. For example, "Supersaver" or "Maxsaver" fares require that you buy your roundtrip ticket 7 days, 14 days, or 30 days in advance, and that you stay over a weekend (Saturday night). The price is usually the average of the two one-way tickets. (E.g., a 2-week advance PGH/BOS advance ticket is around $200 this way.) Since a regular 1-way ticket is so much worse, it sometimes pays to buy a round-trip ticket and throw away the other half (if you're only going one way). If you buy a round trip ticket and throw away the other half, make the first leg of the trip the destination, since some airlines will cancel the return trip if you don't show up for the first leg. If you intend to skip ONE leg of a multi-leg flight, tell this to your reservation agent in advance, so that they can annotated your PNR to prevent subsequent legs from being cancelled. (Note: You can't use this technique to exploit a "hidden city" fare. You'll have to have a very good reason for skipping a leg for the travel agent to allow it, and you may have to pay a different fare to do so.) For example, a round-trip to San Francisco from Pittsburgh with a one-night stayover is $1,333. However, the cost of a Saturday night stayover is only $479 if you order the ticket a week or two in advance. Purchasing two round trip tickets, one originating from Pgh and one from SF, and then using one half of each round trip ticket saves you $375. Note that for many airlines the discount fares depend solely on the date of the first leg of the trip. The price does not vary no matter when the return flight is (so long as you stay over a Saturday night). You could buy a flight with one leg in March and the return in November, and it would cost the same as if the return was in March. For some of the lowest fares, however, there is now a 30-day maximum stay. Staying more than 30 days often increases the fare by about 25%. If you travel on offpeak hours and low volume days, the rates are cheaper. Thus to guarrantee a low cost flight, you have to be very flexible about where you are going, what time and day you are leaving, and how long you want to stay. Also important is when you make the reservation. If you make the reservation for an offpeak flight during the peak season (say, make a reservation for February just before Thanksgiving), you may be charged the peak rates. After the holidays some airlines lower their discount fares to attract customers. So you may be able to get a better fare by making your reservation right after the holidays. If you notice that the fare for your flight has been lowered after you bought the ticket, try calling the airline. Sometimes they will refund the difference between the price you paid and the lower fare. (You may have to go to the airport to get the ticket rewritten at the lower fare.) For example, USAir will refund the difference less a service charge, or give a travel voucher (credit) for the difference with no service charge. According to a Wall Street Journal article by James S. Hirsch, (July 30, 1993) many airlines now test fare increases by raising prices on the weekend (Friday night through Sunday night). If other airlines don't match the increases, the fares return to normal on Monday. So you should avoid purchasing tickets on the weekend. (This works around the Justice Department consent decree that prevents airlines from signalling planned fare increases in the computer reservation systems.) Hirsch also reported that many airlines have increased the $25 charge for changing advanced purchase tickets to $30 or $35. Note that this is often a minimum fee -- you'll probably have to pay the full difference in price if the new ticket price is much higher. Airlines are using these measures to discourage passengers from buying tickets during a fare war and later changing the time of flight or destination. If you go to one of the airline's ticket agents (not a travel agent), some airlines will reissue a ticket at the lower fare without fee if the difference is refunded in the form of a voucher for future travel. In addition to the Saturday night stay requirement, many airlines now give discounts for travel midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) when a Saturday night stay is involved. For example, Northwest discount coupons recently had this restriction. Most leisure travelers like to travel Sunday-Sunday, or at least not miss a large part of the week. Business travelers, of course, don't like to stay over the weekend. When making your reservation through an airline ticket agent or through a travel agent, always ask for the lowest possible fare. Don't just give them specific dates/times and ask them for a low fare -- tell them that your plans are flexible, and you'd like to know what the low fare is. If you're too specific on the flight details, and don't say that you're looking for the cheapest possible fare, you might not get the best price. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-1b] Advance Purchase Fares [Note: This section to be merged into preceding section.] Typically, tickets must be purchased 4, 7, 14, 21, or 30 days in advance of the departure date. All require confirmed reservations. Seats are always limited. Most do not permit changes/cancellations, and those that do will usually charge you. Some require a roundtrip ticket, though there are some that give lower rates for one-way tickets. Most do not permit open-jaw travel (most require circle-trip for excursion fares). Some permit stopovers, and may or may not charge you for the privilege (typically $15-30 per stopover). Fares are often seasonal. For those that have a minimum and maximum stay period (e.g., stay over the weekend, must return 150 days after departure), the day of departure is not included as part of the minimum and maximum stay period. Children's rates are usually discounted against the applicable fare. (Some airlines now apply children's discounts against the highest fare only.) As usual, children must carry proof of age. Note that fares are almost always not applicable to/from intermediate points. This means a ticket from Boston to Chicago passing through Pittsburgh could be cheaper than a ticket from Boston to Pittsburgh! But, of course, you can get off at Pittsburgh so long as you don't have checked bags nor have subsequent legs on the same ticket. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-2] Nested/Overlapping Tickets Strategy If you travel regularly to a particular destination, but don't stay over weekends, you can get the cheaper weekend rates by staggering your tickets. I.e., if you're flying from A to B and back Monday and Wednesday of Week 1, and the same Week 2, instead of buying roundtrip tickets for each week, buy a roundtrip ticket leaving A Monday of Week 1 and returning Wednesday of Week 2, and a second roundtrip ticket leaving B Wednesday of Week 1 and returning to B Monday of Week 2. This works out to be precisely the same flights, but since both tickets are over a weekend, you get the cheaper rate. The only problem is that you have to know your schedule in advance to make this work. Using the Pgh-SF example from above, this method would save you $1708 on a pair of midweek round trip flights. If this seems confusing, perhaps the following diagram will make things clearer. --- ------ | A ----1----->>---MON---- B | | --- | | A ----2-----<<---FRI---- B | | --- | | | A ----3----->>---MON---- B | | | --- | | A ----4-----<<---FRI---- B | --- ------ The two round trip flights consist of two outgoing flights (1, 3) and two returning flights (2, 4). Normally these are grouped as on the left, with flight #1 from A to B being paired with flight #2 from B to A, and similarly for flights #3 and #4. The result is two midweek flights, neither of which is over a Saturday night. But we could also pair flight #1 with flight #4, and flight #2 with flight #3, as shown on the right. Then the middle pair of flights (#2 and #3) becomes a round trip with its origin at your destination, and both sets of round trip tickets are over a Saturday night. The 30-day maximum stay on discount fares prevents you from using this overlapping round trip tickets trick if you travel to a destination infrequently (say, every six months). If your trips are more than 30 days apart, here's a new trick to use. Buy two round trip discount tickets (weekend stay) per trip, using one for the outgoing trip and one for the return, and then turn in the return portion of each ticket for credit towards your next trip. Even with the $25 or so processing charge per ticket for crediting and reissuing the ticket, it is still cheaper to do this than to buy a single round-trip ticket without a weekend stay. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-x] Stopovers and Circle Trips If you're flying to two destinations, ask your travel agent about the rates for stopovers and circle trips. A stopover is useful when you want to stay for one or two days at a connecting city, and costs only an extra $20-$50. A circle trip applies when your intermediate destination isn't a connecting city, and costs less than a pair of round trip tickets, even when your point of origin is a connecting city for the middle leg of the circle trip. This is especially true when one of the stays isn't over a Saturday night. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-3] Fare Classes When airlines set their fares, they divide their seating into "classes", which are based on an analysis of past passenger purchases. Suppose you have a 100 seat airliner going from DC to SF. The rates might break down on a particular day as follows: 30 seats at $315 round trip, 30 days in advance 20 seats at $350 RT, 21 days in advance 20 seats at $375 RT, 14 days in advance 20 seats at $400 RT, 7 days in advance 10 seats at $450 RT, full fare, available until the last minute. Now if the time has elapsed within a given price group, then the fare will go up to the rate of the next price group. If they sell the quota of tickets for a price group, even if the time has not elapsed, then they can only sell you tickets at the next rate group price (which is naturally higher). So it can pay to make your reservations way in advance. (The number of seats available at each fare varies from day to day, depending on the airline's yield management algorithm.) Actually, it would be more accurate to say that airlines distinguish between classes of service and types of fares. A discount ticket (fare) for first class travel (service) could, in theory, be cheaper than an advance purchase ticket (fare) for thrift travel in the first class compartment (service). The best way to describe it is as a series of overlapping tiers of fares. There are five regular classes of service: First, Business, Standard, Coach and Thrift. Standard is practically nonexistent these days. Fares usually drop with lower class service. For each class except Standard there are six main types of reduced-fare tickets: discounted, night, offpeak, weekend, advance purchase, and excursion fare. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-4] Classes of Service The following chart gives some of the letters used to designate each class of service. Note that Fn means Night/Offpeak Coach in the First Class compartment, and Yn means Night/Offpeak Coach in other than the First Class compartment. Regular Premium Discounted Night/Offpeak First Class F P A Fn Business Class C J D Cn Standard S W Bn Coach Economy Y B, H, M, Q, T Qn, Yn Thrift K L, V Vn, Kn Supersonic R No Reservation Service U (Seat guaranteed) No Reservation Service E (No reservation allowed) In reality there is no difference between classes F and P, nor between classes C and J. The Q class is usually used for discounted student fares. If you want the cheapest fares, look at the Thrift and Coach Economy classes. Airlines have started eliminating First Class, because many companies now have policies that won't let their employees claim a first class ticket on their travel expenses. Instead, the airlines have started upgrading their Business Class as a marketing ploy (and, of course, company policies are now requiring employees to travel coach). ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-5] Fare Types The following lists some of the letters used to designate different types of fares. This is distinct from class of service. A number (e.g., 7 or 14) usually means how many days in advance the ticket must be bought. Miscellaneous AP Advance Purchase EX Excursion Fare B Capacity-controlled Excursion Fares SW Offpeak; Saturday or Sunday W Weekend X Midweek US 48 contiguous states (not including alaska/hawaii) Economy KH Weekend KL Midweek/Offpeak MH Weekend (Discount Fare) ML Midweek/Offpeak (Discount Fare) L Capacity-controlled Inventory Standard SH Peak SL Offpeak V Offpeak Coach B Capacity-controlled Inventory BN Night Coach H Capacity-controlled Inventory, Coach/Night Coach V Offpeak YH Weekend YL Midweek/Offpeak Super Coach QH Weekend; applies Fri-Sun QL Midweek; applies Mon-Thur ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-6] Special Fare Categories All airlines have special rate categories, but you have to ask for them by name, since the agents are usually not familiar with them. You may even have to talk to the agent's supervisor. Below is a brief listing of different special fare categories, followed by a more in depth discussion of standby fares. Also, see preceding discussion of classes of service and fare types. For example, on TWA, class K, V, YC, and M fares are the cheapest. Note: Just because you qualify for a special fare category doesn't mean that it is the cheapest fare possible. Shop around. By being flexible with your travel plans, you may be able to save even more. When the special fares are discounted against full fare coach prices, you can often do better by purchasing a supersaver or other advance booking fare. Of course, if your special fare discount may be combined with other offers (e.g., 5% discount for using the official airline of a conference to travel to the conference), you win both ways. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-7] Children's Fares Children under 2 years of age travel free on US domestic flights. (That is, children who have not reached their second birthday at the date of commencement of travel.) To be more accurate, the child must not occupy a separate seat (sits on its parent's lap), and must be accompanied by a fare paying adult passenger 12 years of age and over (the lap in which it sits). Such children do not get a baggage allowance. Additional children under 2 are subject to regular children's fares. On international flights you need a "lap child" ticket which typically costs about $100 (10% of the regular fare). Fares for children (age 2-12) accompanied by a fare paying adult passenger and occupying a separate seat are cheaper than fares for unaccompanied children. Some carriers will not accept unaccompanied children under five years of age (some 8 years, some 12). Fares for accompanied children range from 50% to 100% of an adult fare (1/2 fare, 2/3 fare, 3/4 fare, 80%, 90%, full fare). Fares for unaccompanied children range from 50% of adult fare to 125% of an adult fare (1/2 fare, 2/3 fare, 3/4 fare, full fare, 1-1/4 fare). Nowaways, 2/3 fare seems to be the most common children's fare. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-8] Clergy Fares Clergy have been entitled to discounts by various airlines in the past, but as of May 1994, none were participating in such programs. Qualified parties would be advised to check with airlines at the time of their booking to see if these programs have been reinstated. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-9] Military Fares US military personnel traveling at their own expense on authorized leave or pass may get signicantly cheaper fares. Discharged military personnel must complete all travel within 7 days of discharge date. Valid active duty US green identification card or separation orders must be presented. USAir has a 50% military discount. Also, any military person who is on active duty and either on TDY (temporary duty), emergency leave or regular leave, or any retired military person may sign up for space available travel on pre-scheduled military flights to any air force base (e.g., Hawaii, Boston, Florida). Active duty personnel have priority over retired personnel, and space is allocated in order of signup. Few flights, however, are scheduled more than 24 hours in advance, and you may need to go to your destination by a very roundabout route, since not every base has a lot of space-available flights. The cost is free from most bases, but some tack on a $10 or $20 charge for admin purposes. For long flights, they will sell you a box-lunch for $2.40. The planes may not be as comfortable as commercial flights. There are numerous books on space-available flights that military people can pick up at their PX/BX. They should also contact the PAX representative at their nearest base for more specific information. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-10] Senior Citizen Fares Certain airlines provide reduced fares for passengers 65 (sometimes 62) years of age and older. Passengers must carry proof of age (passport, birth certificate, driver's license or medicare card). The typical discount is 10 percent. Some programs provided a booklet of discount couposn, or sell several tickets at a sharply discounted rate. Seats are usually limited. In some cases, membership in the AARP will qualify you for the reduced fares. (The AARP's 10 percent discount deal with American Airlines ended in 1992 when the fare war broke out.) Airlines with special fares include: American, America West, Continental, Delta, Northwest, Southwest Airlines, TWA, United, and USAir. Be sure to ask if there are any special fares for senior citizens, if you qualify. Many travel agents are reluctant to ask a customer if they are a senior citizen, because they are afraid the customer might be offended. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-11] Student/Youth Fares Some airlines give discounted fares to full-time students of an accredited school, college or university who are at least 12 years of age. Student ID card must be carried and displayed at the request of the carrier. Some restrict the age of the student to under some age (e.g., 22, 24, 26 years of age). Stopovers are not permitted, and some require reservations at least 7 days before departure. The status of such discounts varies considerably. For example, the USAir student discount was cancelled on May 30, 1992, as a consequence of the American fare restructuring. As of June 1993, the program was reinstated on a limited scale, primarily on short-haul east-coast flights, with an age limit of 24. On June 1, 1994, they cancelled the program, and replaced it with a more restrictive youth fare. The details of this program are as follows: + Maximum age 22. + Reservations must be made 7 days in advance. + Saturday night stay required. + Round trips only, must be a non-stop flight. + Not offered in all markets, and the amount of the discount varies. The best discount seems to be 30% off. + The discount seems to not be combinable with supersaver fares. + You must show proof of age when making a reservation. + The discount is limited to domestic travel. Students may purchase discount books of 10 tickets on the Trump (now USAir) shuttle for $499. Delta has a similar program for their shuttle. Age restrictions can be as low as 18-22 on these tickets (Continental 18-22, USAir 18-24 some routes, 18-22 others, Delta is 18-24). Times are restricted from 10am to 2:30 pm and after 7 pm. A variety of discounts are available if you have an International Student Identity Card. Besides offering proof of student status, the ID provides discounts on museums and events, air fare, 24-hour traveler's assistance, and health insurance. Ask your travel agent for details on how to get such a card and what discounts are available. All Council Travel travel agencies sell the International Student ID Cards. They are rather cheap -- $17 for students aged 12 to 25 -- and well worth the price. However, some people have found that their regular university ID works just as well for most of the discounts. For an application and a free magazine, call the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) at 800-438-2643. Youth fares: Passenger must be between 12 and 22 (25 for international travel) years of age. Seats may be limited. Tickets must be purchased from the point of origin. Some require picture identification such as Youth Fare identification Card, birth certificate, government ID card or drivers license. Southwest gives the offpeak rate for *all* flights for youth (21 & under), although this is still more expensive than their supersaver fares. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-12] Family Fares Some carriers offer discounts on family travel. For the purposes of the discounts, a family is defined as a husband and wife with or without accompanying children age 2-17, or one parent with one or more accompanying children age 2-17. Age restrictions on children differ from airline to airline (some set the maximum age at 20 or 21 years; and some break children into two classes, 12 & under and 12-21). Some include legal guardian and grandparents within the definition of parent. It is usually not necessary for the family to travel under a common surname. Proof of family relationship must be established to the satisfaction of the carrier and all family members must travel together for the entire trip. Fares are typically 100% for first family member, 50% each additional. Some have further discounts. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-13] Conference Fares If you're flying to a meeting or conference, airlines will often offer a conference discount. This must be arranged ahead of time by the conference organizers and only holds for one particular airline. This airline is designated as the "official" airline of the conference, and is advertised in the registration brochure. Discounts are generally 40% off of full coach or 5% off of the best supersaver fare, with travel within 3 days of the meeting. The conference organizers receive one free round trip ticket for every 20 conference attendees who use the airline. See also "Moving Up the Return Flight" [1-19]. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-14] Sympathy Fares, Emergency Fares If you have to go to a funeral, most airlines will give you 50% off of the discounted rate, at very short notice. They call this the sympathy fare. Similarly for a medical emergency. For example, Continental will waive advance purchase requirements for cheap fares for an emergency. This is their bereavement rate for people who have to attend funerals. Other airlines that do this are United and USAir ("compassionate fare"). American gives 50% off of the non-discounted rate, and will ask you for the name, address and phone number of the funeral home. This is a tradition carried over from the "funeral fare" of the railroad days. Airlines do this because it is simply good PR, and doesn't cost them all that much. Some airlines will only allow immediate relatives to get a sympathy fare. [As of 4/30/93, American and United offered 17% discount on unrestricted coach, USAir 50%.] In any case you have to ask and sometimes be persistent as these are nonstandard and not widely publicized policies. Many low level airline workers are not aware of them or do not have the authority to allow them. United "Rule 120" describes the rules governing sympathy fares. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-15] Refunds In the same vein, many airlines will refund a ticket, even a nonrefundable one, for good cause. Medical emergencies, jury duty, and a death in the family generally qualify as a good cause for not using a ticket. Some sort of proof must be provided (death certiicate, note from doctor), and it is completely up to the airline as to whether or not the particular instance warrants a refund. Some airlines may issue a new ticket or provide a flight credit voucher instead of offering a refund. A useful trick for normal circumstances: When they ask for your name for printing on the ticket, use your first initial instead of your full first name. (Many airlines now require your full first name, even if you purchase the ticket through a travel agent.) Thus if you can't use your "non-transferrable non-refundable" ticket, your spouse or some other member of your family might be able to. Another trick is to have your travel agent talk to the airline, assuming you used him to purchase the ticket. Sometimes they will be able to swing a deal. Nontransferable tickets may still be useable by other people in your organization, if the address listed on the ticket was your business address. Unused nonrefundable tickets can often be applied as a credit toward another nonrefundable ticket of equal or higher value on the same airline, less a small reticketing fee of $25 to $35. You'll also have to pay any difference in the fares, and you can do this for up to one year after the date of purchase. So if you bought a non-refundable ticket and decided to not use it, don't throw it away. If you only used part of the ticket (e.g., the originating flight but not the return), you probably can't do this; these policies are for completely unused tickets. Normally a reservation will cancel out automatically if you don't purchase a ticket within 24 hours. However, if you ask the airline to invoice you, usually this timeout is extended to 10 days to allow enough time for the invoice to reach you. You can still pay the invoice using a credit card. If you don't pay the invoice, the reservation cancels out at the end of the 10 day period. I was once able to get the 10 day period extended, but that was because the airline had transposed digits in my zip code, causing the invoice to arrive after the 10 day period had expired. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-16] Flying Standby Flying standby used to be one of the cheapest ways to travel. The idea was that an empty seat doesn't earn the airline any money. So some airlines would sell special fare "standby tickets". Using such a ticket you were NOT guarranteed a seat on a particular flight, but on the next flight with empty seats. You'd be enplaned on a flight subject to the availability of space at departure time. This was only after all passengers with reservations for the flight have been boarded. Passengers from a previous flight who were bumped also had priority. No stopovers were permitted on standby fares. Since advance reservations were not accepted, you had to get to the gate early to put yourself down on the standby list. If it was a busy day and the flights are full, you would have to wait several hours to get a seat, or maybe not get a seat at all. A standby ticket didn't guarrantee you a seat, but if you did not absolutely, positively have to be there tomorrow, you could get some good deals. But the days when students could hang out at the airport and fly standby for dirt cheap prices are long gone. The term "standby" is still used, but doesn't mean what it used to: 1. Most airlines no longer sell standby tickets at a special fare, but will sell you a standby ticket at regular fare. In other words, if they have space on the flight, the gate agent or ticket agent will sell you a ticket for the flight on the spot. All this means is you can buy a full fare ticket on the spur of the moment. 2. Nonrefundable, nonchangeable tickets can often be used for standby travel on the same or similar route (sometimes with a slight surcharge). This most often comes up if you missed your flight, but you may be able to use unused flight coupons in this manner. For example, if you bought a ticket but didn't go for some reason (a reason that didn't entitle you to a refund), the ticket may still be usable for standby travel on the same airline. (Your best bet with such a ticket, however, is to have your travel agent or airline credit it towards your next ticket. You'll probably have to pay a fee, but it's better than throwing away the ticket.) All this is often at the whim of the gate agent, and is based on the notion that a ticket is often designated as being good for travel on the airline for one year from the date of issue. Your luck will vary by airline and gate agent. 3. If you're on a later flight but get to the airport early, check with the attendant at the gate. You may be able to get on the earlier flight is there's space available (but this may result in your getting no "snack" or losing your special meal). This works even for "non-changeable" tickets. Airlines stopped the practice of selling standby tickets for a variety of reasons: 1. Even if a seat isn't taken, putting somebody in the seat still costs the airline some money (e.g., fuel). 2. Standby travel played havok with airline load management programs. Airlines were sometimes faced with having to unload fuel to change the weight distribution of the aircraft because of a sudden appearance of several standby passengers. 3. Some people would "ensure" the availability of standby seats by making a large number of regular reservations, and then an hour before the flight release the block of seats, virtually ensuring that standby passengers will get aboard at cheap standby fares. This caused airlines to overbook flights, and eliminated their ability to schedule their flights accurately. Since the elimination of standby tickets, overbooking errors have dropped significantly. (Another result of this practice is the automatic cancellation of unpaid reservations after 24 hours.) 4. Airlines felt that they were losing regular business to standby travel. Flying standby, however, may be making a comeback. In 1993, some airlines had special one-day fares for folks traveling on Christmas and New Years. These holidays are the nadir of the travel season, so by offering these fares, the airlines were able to increase their business on flights they had to fly anyway. (Yes, airlines still have to fly the routes, even with empty planes, because scheduling is so complex. For example, the plane in Atlanta might need to fly to Boston so that it can be used on the Boston-Washington route later in the next day.) Now these holiday fares weren't true standby fares, but the concept was similar. Since most flights these days fly at 85-95% of capacity, one of these days an airline is going to get the bright idea of reinstating standby fares in one variation or another. For example, some airlines now sell discount flight coupon booklets to senior citizens; the coupons may be used for standby travel. And of course, US air force personnel can fly standby on some US air force planes on a space available basis for dirt cheap prices, but with no amenities (and maybe no real seat either, but strapped to webbing on the wall). If you are flying standby one way or another, here's some advice: - Make sure you get to the gate EARLY. If several people are flying standby, you want to make sure that your name is first on the list. Note that connecting passengers, bumped passengers, etc., get priority over local boarding standbys. - Days which are bad for getting bumped are usually good days for standby seats. Don't fly standby on the day before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after, you won't get a seat. On Thanksgiving day itself, you're likely to find a seat. - On really busy days it might pay to show up early for the *first* flight of the day, since standbys who don't make it can "roll over" to the next flight. Some airlines will only allow "same day" standby travel (i.e., you overslept and missed your flight, and will take a flight on the same route later that day). Others will not allow you to fly standby on a flight if all the seats in your fare class have sold out, even if there are empty seats available. If the agent at the check-in counter gives you trouble, go directly to the gate and see what happens. [Agents at the check-in counter are under more pressure to enforce the rules than gate agents, who have some discretionary power. If you can avoid dealing with the agents at the check-in counter, (e.g., no checked baggage), so much the better.] If you want to try flying standby on one airline using another airline's ticket, bypass the check-in agent and go directly to the gate. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-17] Getting Bumped [Note: The comments in this section apply to domestic flights only. US Department of Transportation rules apply only to flights between points in the US. Airlines do not need to give any compensation for international flights, so what, if anything, you get for an involuntary bump is entirely up to the airline.] Airlines tend to overbook their flights in case of no-shows. Occasionally this will mean that more people show up with confirmed reservations than there are seats on the plane. (Or if the flight is a particularly full one, it may exceed the weight limit even with empty seats.) The airline will ask if there's anyone willing to be bumped from the flight in exchange for compensation (e.g., USAir will give you a free round-trip ticket anywhere in North America). The airline will then put you on the next available flight to your destination, along with your free ticket. Vouchers are typically valid for only a year from date of issue. But if you ask *before you get the ticket*, you can sometimes get it extended for a month or two beyond the year limitation. So another way to reduce the cost of flying is to volunteer to be bumped. You can maximize your chances of being bumped by purchasing a confirmed reservation on flights that are most likely to be full. A good time is 7-10 am or 4-7 pm on a weekday. These are the times most businessmen fly (trying to make early morning meetings or to get home for dinner in the evening), and hence when the airline is most likely to be overbooked. Airlines are also likely to be overbooked on Sunday nights and the beginning and end of holidays, since that is when non-businessmen typically fly. For example, right before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are prime bumping times. Receiving a free roundtrip ticket effectively cuts your air travel costs in half. And if you get bumped while using a previous free bump ticket, it gets even cheaper. If you want to be bumped and notice that the flight looks full, get to the gate as early as possible and ask the gate agent whether they are overbooked. If they are, they will need volunteers. Ask them to put your name on the bump list (aka "bump queue"). Bump tickets are offered on a first come/first served basis, so you want to get your name near the top of the list. This will give you priority if there are only a few bumps. Note, however, that by pre-volunteering, you're only likely to get a free ticket in addition to rebooking on a flight later that day. If nobody volunteers and you wait until they ask for volunteers, you can sometimes up the ante, depending on how desperate they get. (Some airlines give all volunteers the same thing, no matter when they volunteered. Others will process you as soon as you volunteer, so the later you volunteer, the better the incentive.) In general, you should put your name on the bump list, and don't wait until the airline calls for volunteers. Enough people volunteer ahead of time these days that if you don't put your name on the list, you won't have the opportunity to be bumped (except on very rare occasions, when not enough people volunteer). When you get your bump ticket and are being rebooked on a later flight, if the delay is a few hours, ask the gate agent if they can give you a meal voucher. This voucher, which is worth $5-$10, can be used at airport restaurants to get something to eat. Not every airline and not every gate agent will give you one, and they certainly won't give you one if you don't ask for it, but sometimes they will. If you have any other special requirements (e.g., you want extra frequent flyer credits, you want the free ticket to be good for an extra month, etc.) it doesn't hurt to ask. If you have a confirmed reservation, and you notice the flight is overbooked but first class is underbooked and you don't necessarily want to be bumped, try being the last person on line. If you are lucky the coach and business class will be full, and they will have to upgrade you to first class at no charge. (Also, having a pre-issued boarding pass will decrease your chances of an involuntary bump.) This is risky, though, because you might wind up being bumped anyway, so only do it if you don't care whether you'll be bumped. It always pays to volunteer to be bumped, even if the flight isn't overbooked. If the airline needs adjacent seating for a family, they will sometimes bump you into first class if you are in a row by yourself. Good days to get bumped include: Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Sunday after; couple days before and after Christmas; ditto with New Years. Friday afternoons, evenings, and Sunday afternoons and evenings also bump a lot. If the airline still has plenty of coach seats a day or so before the flight, it is unlikely that they will bump. Here's what some airlines usually give volunteers: Delta, USAir: Open roundtrip (Delta requires reservations three days before flight time on bump tickets.) United: Travel voucher in increments of $100 based on how long you have to wait for your next flight (e.g., 2 hour wait is $200), up to a maximum of $300. You can also ask for a food voucher. Continental: domestic roundtrip ticket. Sometimes offers a dollar amount in credit to be used towards any Continental flight (e.g., $300). American, America West, Southwest, Northwest: $$ off another ticket (usually $150 to $300; Northwest generally around $300; American has been known to go as high as $1000.) Dollar-denominated vouchers are not subject to tax, so they stretch further. Amounts depend on the degree of overbooking of the flight. United sometimes will also issue a dollar-denominated voucher. United bumps more than average, Delta less. Air Canada offers $150 cash or $300 in travel vouchers. If you are bumped and the next flight out is the next day, the airline may offer you overnight accomodation in addition, especially if you are bumped while away from home. Most bump tickets (vouchers) are non-transferable, so you must use them yourself. If you are bumped (voluntarily or involuntarily) and have checked baggage, the airline will not remove your bags from the plane. The bags will continue on to your destination and wait there until you arrive. If you get bumped or your flight is canceled and need to stay at a hotel overnight, hotels near the airport will often give you a substantial discount if you ask for it (50% discount is not unheard of). Ask for the "Distressed Passenger Rate". Airlines also have overnight kits they can give you. A flight being cancelled is *not* the same as being bumped. Bumping occurs only when the carrier has more passengers with confirmed tickets on the flight than seats. You can get compensation if you are bumped, but not if the flight is cancelled. If airline delays cause you extra expense, the airlines may be willing to help you out. For example, if the airline delay caused you to miss the cheap bus shuttle service to downtown, the airline may be willing to pay the difference between cab fare and shuttle fare. But in general, there aren't any policies for compensation (e.g., meals, hotel, etc.) that must be given to bumped and delayed passengers. Some airlines are very nice and will give you food coupons if you ask, some won't. Under Department of Transportation rules, an involuntarily bumped traveler who is delayed more than one hour but less than two on a domestic flight is entitled to $200 or 100 percent of the one-way fare, whichever is less (the airline must also honor the original ticket). For delays longer than two hours, the compensation doubles. Airlines can offer you a travel voucher (for a free domestic round-trip ticket) in lieu of cash, but must give you the cash if that's what you want. Airlines like bumped volunteers because free travel costs them less than the cash compensation they're required to offer involuntarily bumped passengers. (If the involuntarily bumped passengers are put on a flight which brings them to their destination within an hour of the original flight time, the airline has met its requirement.) Anything more is strictly the policy of the airline, which is stated in its Conditions of Carriage statement. (To obtain this statement, get it either from your travel agent or by writing to the customer affairs office of your airline. Be sure to ask for the full copy of the conditions; otherwise they'll give you just a three page summary of the limitations of liability sections.) Note that these rules do NOT apply to delayed passengers in general, just to bumped passengers. Note that if you don't show up at the gate 15 minutes before departure, the airline can involuntarily bump you and not owe you anything. There are no rules governing compensation for volunteers -- airlines can offer as little or as much as it takes to bid you off the flight. Delta restricts reservations using volunteer bumped vouchers to two days in advance. Re-booking: Most volunteers are routinely booked on another flight within a few hours, but re-routing isn't a legal requirement. Before giving up your seat, ask when the next flight leaves, whether you'll have a confirmed or standby reservation and (if the flight is with another carrier) whether you'll have to pay additional fare. Negotiating: Most airline managers can escalate compensation offers in an attempt to get enough volunteers. So you might get a better deal by simply asking for one. American Airlines, which has the lowest rate of involuntary bumpees in the industry, tends to be the most generous with compensation for volunteers. Sometimes, when all of the airline's flights are full, they will reroute you on another airline. However, if you are flying on a free ticket (e.g., frequent flyer ticket, previous bump ticket), they can't endorse your ticket over to the other airline. So they'll have to send you out on another flight later that day. If this happens and "inconveniences" you (i.e., you have to wait another hour or so), you may be able to weasel something else out of the airline -- a roll of quarters for the pinball machine, use of their club facilities, first class accomodations on the later flight, meal voucher, or something. If you volunteer and they don't need to bump you, you don't lose your seat. If you volunteer, they need you, and you change your mind, you may lose your seat, and wind up in a random seat. That is, of course, if the airline decides to accommodate you. Once you've volunteered and they've accepted your offer, you can't really reneg on it. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-18] Special Travel Dates/Fare Sales There are several days of the year when air travel hits rock bottom, like December 25 and the 4th of July. Airlines can't simply reduce their operations on these days, because of scheduling difficulties. A flight from San Jose to Boston must still fly on schedule, even if there are no passengers on board, because that plane must be in Boston the next day when the normal load resumes. An empty seat doesn't earn the airline any money. So several airlines have started special one-day fare sales on peak-minimum days. For example, a round trip ticket from Pittsburgh to Boston on the Sunday before the 4th of July cost only $100. The catch was that you had to fly out after noon on Saturday and return by midnight Sunday. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-19] Moving Up the Return Flight Departure dates on non-changeable tickers are inviolable -- you can't change them without running into major obstacles. Return flights, however, are sometimes a bit more flexible. You probably can't change them before the departure, but sometimes you can change them afterwards. For example, suppose you're flying to a conference that takes place mid-week, but have to buy tickets that include a Saturday night stay. Paying for an extra one or two day stay in a hotel (or student housing) is cheaper than paying a full-price midweek fare. So you need to pick a Saturday night, either the one before the conference or the one after. To take advantage of the flexibility on return flights, book the flight to include the Saturday night *after* the conference. On the night before you want to leave, call the airline and tell them you'd like to return early. If they have space available, they'll let you return early (possibly with a $35 change fee). For example, if you want to fly out on Friday, call them Thursday night. This isn't flying standby, because they'll actually give you a reservation for the earlier return. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-20] Hidden City Fares A hidden city fare occurs when a flight from point A to point B happens to make a connection in point C and is cheaper than a direct flight from point A to point C. This is a quirk of the way in which airlines price their routes, which has little to do with the distance flown. The prices are driven by market conditions. Prices drop when there is a lot of competition on a route. The flight from A to B might be a very busy route, with several airlines serving that market, while the A-C and C-B routes might be not as busy. Usually such hidden city fares occur when A and C aren't hubs for the carrier in question, but B is, and B is dominated by the airline. So the airline routes you through B, but charges you less than if you were to purchase two round-trip tickets.. Theoretically, you could buy a ticket from A to B, get off at point C, and throw away the B to C portion, saving some money, if point C was your ultimate destination. Airlines frown on this practice, and taking advantage of a hidden city fare is explicitly forbidden by their rules. If you happen to skip a leg of your flight (e.g., logged as a no-show on the airline's computer), the airline has the right to cancel all subsequent legs, and will do so to discourage folks from using hidden-city fares. So the only case in which you can "safely" take advantage of a hidden-city fare is when you're taking a one-way flight. If you buy a round-trip ticket from A to B through C, skip the C to B leg, and try to board the return flight at B or C, you'll find that your reservation has been cancelled and you'll be required to buy a new ticket at the full-price one-way fare. You can't take advantage of a hidden city fare if you've checked any baggage, as your baggage will be sent through to your ultimate destination. Airlines have started to really crack down on the use of hidden city fares. They can not only cancel subsequent flights on their own lines, but also recommend cancellation of subsequent flights on other carriers. They've programmed their airline reservation systems to watch out for hidden-city reservations, flagging potential violations in the passenger's record, and in some cases will automatically cancel all subsequent legs if one leg is skipped. Even if the reservation system doesn't automatically cancel the subsequent legs, the agent at check-in will see the warning flag and will be very suspicious of any skipped legs. Some airlines (e.g., Delta) have a practice of checking you in for all outbound flights at the point of origin. But this doesn't make them any more susceptible to folks who use hidden city fares, because if you don't show up for the return flight at B, they'll still cancel all your remaining legs. Also, sometimes the boarding passes are marked "check-in required". Hidden city fares happen most often when the connecting point is dominated by one airline (the carrier of your flight) and the ultimate destination is a competitive market. If you happen to catch an earlier flight than your scheduled one, be sure to reconfirm your subsequent flight segments. Any departure from your ticketed reservation can potentially cause your itinerary to be flagged as a hidden-city violation (e.g., "NOSH" for no-show), if the gate agent didn't record the earlier flight properly. If you're the dishonest type and are going to lie about actually having taken the skipped segments, at least have the intelligence to remove the ticket and boarding pass (keeping the stub of the boarding pass) from the ticket packet. [I once saw a couple try this stunt in New York, and the gate agent caught them at it. The wife had removed her ticket and boarding pass; the husband hadn't. The husband claimed that the gate agent at the hidden city had forgotten to remove the ticket. The gate agent didn't let them on the flight because the computer showed that they had missed TWO segments of their flight -- from the hidden city to their ultimate destination and back. In addition, the gate agent had been on duty the last time they passed through, and didn't remember seeing them board. The agent's supervisor concurred.] If you know in advance that you want to skip a segment of your flight (e.g., you're flying from A to C via B, but want to get off in C, visit with some friends, then drive up to B to visit some more friends and return home), tell this to the travel agent when you buy the ticket. They can make a note about it in the record so that your return flight won't be automatically cancelled when you miss the B to C leg. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [1-21] Buying Someone Else's Nonrefundable Ticket Many people, when they can't use their nonrefundable ticket (or the return leg of a round trip ticket), try to sell their tickets through classified advertisements. This can be a source of cheap air tickets. However, you'll be traveling under someone else's name, and the airlines frown on this practice. If they catch you doing this, you'll be forced to pay full fare for the return flight, and the airline will cancel all your frequent traveler miles and all the frequent flyer miles of the person who originally bought the ticket. They may also terminate your membership in their frequent flyer program. (Most airlines only check IDs on full flights or on fares that require a special ID, such as a student ID. But more are checking IDs on randomly selected tickets in an effort to discourage this practice. And of course, one should never purchase such a ticket for international travel, since they always check your travel documents when you check in for the flight.) If the airplane should crash and you die, the airline won't have your real name (which can affect life insurance policies), and this is just plain unethical. But given that the airline pricing strategies try to game the consumer market, some consumers feel they are entitled to game the system right back. I neither advise nor condone using this practice as a means of obtaining cheap air travel. Northwest prints the following warning on the inside flap of the ticket jacket: "Photo identification is required for all passengers. Boarding may be denied and ticket confiscated if passenger's identification does not match the name on the ticket." ---------------------------------------------------------------- ;;; *EOF* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: 08-13-94 Msg # 22763 To: ALL Conf: (2120) news.answers From: mkant@cs.cmu.edu Stat: Public Subj: FAQ: Air Traveler's Handb Read: No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ÿ@SUBJECT:FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 2/4 [Monthly posting] ÿ@PACKOUT:08-13-9440.13081994.0920@channel1.com Message-ID: Newsgroups: rec.travel.air,news.answers,rec.answers Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University Archive-name: travel/air/handbook/part2 Last-Modified: Thu Jul 21 23:55:17 1994 by Mark Kantrowitz Version: 1.13 Size: 51483 bytes ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 2 ******************************************** ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; Written by Mark Kantrowitz This post is a summary of useful information for air travelers. The focus is on obtaining inexpensive air fares, although other topics are also covered. It was previously posted under the title "FAQ: How to Get Cheap Airtickets". Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu. *** Copyright: Copyright (c) 1989-94 by Mark Kantrowitz. All rights reserved. This FAQ may be freely redistributed in its entirety without modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents (e.g., published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines, or other print form) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document to be made available for file transfer from installations offering unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet. This article is provided AS IS without any express or implied warranty. *** Topics Covered: Part 2 (Travel Agents, Connections, Airports, Baggage): Travel Agents: [2-1] Travel Agents [2-2] Unusual Travel Agents: Commission Rebaters [2-3] Consolidators [2-4] Couriers [2-5] Travel Agencies that Specialize in Students [2-6] Visit USA [2-7] Free Upgrades to First Class [2-8] Companion Tickets [2-9] Avoiding Travel Scams [2-10] Missed Connections [2-11] Getting There Faster [2-12] Airports Monopolized by One Carrier [2-13] Hub Cities Baggage: [2-14] Lost Baggage [2-15] Baggage Limits [2-16] Pets [2-17] Bicycles [2-18] Restrictions on Electronics [2-19] X-ray Machines/Metal Detectors [2-20] Packing Tips/Checklist Search for [#] to get to question number # quickly. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-1] Travel Agents It pays to use a travel agent only if you know a *good* one. A good travel agent will know when a small change in your schedule can save you a lot of money. If you buy direct from the airline, you may not find out such information, since they will only quote you the rates for the times you ask. So if you're going to use a travel agent, make sure that you find one who is willing (and able) to search through the morass of fares and restrictions to find a good deal for you. A travel agent who just punches your data into the computer and tells you the prices is no better than the airline's 800 number. A good travel agent can probably save you about 10-15%. [Actually, if the airline goes bankrupt between ticket purchase and flight time, and you bought your ticket from a travel agent, you may be able to get a refund, especially from some of the larger agencies. If the airlines goes bankrupt within 10 days of the purchase of the ticket, the agency may not have paid the airline yet (they are allowed 10 days to do so), so you can ask them for a refund. Better yet, buy your airtickets with a credit card, and the federal credit protection act will allow you to get a refund from your credit card company.] There are several major differences between using a travel agency and using the airport (airline) ticket agents: 1. A travel agent can look at all the airline fares, not just those of a single carrier. A good travel agent will check fares on at least three carriers. Airlines can only give you their own best fares. Then again, you can always call up three (or more) airlines yourself to discover the best fares on each. 2. A travel agent can check for special deals with consolidators. Airline ticket agents can't. Airlines sell heavily discounted tickets only through consolidators, not direct to the passenger. Given the frequency of fare changes these days, a good travel agent can often find you some real bargains. A bad travel agent, on the other hand, may miss getting you the lowest possible fare. So it is best to find yourself a good travel agent. If you don't care for consolidator tickets, the travel agents get the same pricing information as is available from most of the online reservation services and the airlines themselves. So you can do your own legwork if you wish by calling the airlines themselves. But why do it when a good travel agent can do it for you? After all, when you buy a ticket direct from the airline the airline still keeps the commission, so why not give the commission to a travel agent, who'll do a little work to make sure you get the cheapest fare? Note that some travel agencies try to funnel all their business to a specific airline, because the more tickets they sell to a single airline, the more money they get. Airlines have incentive programs to encourage this practice. The travel agent may also know how to look up fares on only one airline. This means that your travel agent may be checking the fares on a single airline, instead of hunting around for the best fare from several airlines. This is especially true for travel agencies near airports that are dominated by one carrier. Your best bet may be to call several airlines before you go to your travel agent, doing the research on your own, or to tell the travel agent to check fares on two or three specific airlines. (Don't tell them to check on all airlines -- nobody is going to do that much work just for a $20 commission.) Also, airlines sometimes sell bulk tickets to large travel agencies at bargain basement prices if they think they cannot fill the seats. So depending on the travel agency, you might be able to get a really good deal. Travel agents sometimes get complimentary tickets (e.g., one free ticket for every 25 sold), which they can sell as they wish. (These are called "Promotional Tickets" and are for standby travel.) But then again, travel agents get a commission on air tickets and hotels. The commission is a fixed percentage of the fare (if you order direct from the airline, the airline pockets the difference). So the agent can earn more money by selling you a more expensive ticket. So be cautious when using a travel agent. Look over the agent's shoulder and see if they're overlooking a really cheap flight. Since discount flights have restrictions on day of week and flight times, make sure that you let the travel agent know that you are flexible and will change a day either way if that will save you money. Airport ticket agents tend to be better informed than the people at the toll-free reservation number, since they often have to deal with special situations (missed connections, bumped people, etc.) that require really knowing the reservation system's ins and outs. But beware. Airport ticket agents are not beyond lying or making mistakes. A frequent complaint of air travelers is being quoted one price over the phone, and finding that their credit card has been charged another. Sometimes this happens because the computer system has trouble completing the transaction and delays it until the following morning (whence the fare change). But other times it is due to human error (as if computer problems aren't due to human error either). When you get your tickets, be sure to verify that the price charged matches the price you were quoted. If they're different, be prepared for a fight -- airlines seem very reluctant to own up to this kind of error. Give as much detailed information as possible, such as the time you called, the name of the ticket agent, the price quoted, any unusual occurrences. Get the problem fixed *before* you use the ticket. They probably won't refund you the difference, as the price on the ticket is almost always the correct price, but they are required to (by law) allow you to cancel the ticket and get a full refund without penalty. If they give you any trouble, pursue it with your credit card company. It is worth repeating, however, that you can get the refund only if you don't use the ticket, and initiate any complaint promptly. [Note that this circumstance is different from when the airline prints an incorrect price in the newspaper. Not only is the error clearly documented, but the error occurs before the transaction is completed, not after.] Even though most airlines are now matching their lowest discount fares, it still pays to have your travel agent check several airlines. For example, USAir has a virtual monopoly out of Pittsburgh, some sometimes they don't feel the need to reduce the fares. If you don't mind making a connection, you can sometimes save some money by taking another airline. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-2] Unusual Travel Agents: Commission Rebaters Travel agencies earn their money by receiving a commission on the base fare of the ticket (i.e., before taxes). Usually the commissions are as follows: US Domestic: 10% Canadian Domestic: 8.25% International: 9% Canada-to-US: 10% (sold in Canada) Rent-a-car companies: 10% The following travel agencies will give you a small discount on your ticket price by rebating to you a portion of their commission, or by charging a flat fee (which is less than the usual commssion amount). Travel Avenue is a Chicago-based travel agency that charges a fixed flat fee for each ticket ($15 domestic, $25 international). They will rebate to you a portion of the difference between their commission and their fee. For instance, if you were booking a ticket from Houston to Aspen round trip for $370, TA's cost is $336.36. TA refunds the user 7% of $370 ($25.90) and then takes their $15 from that. So, traveler pays $354.10 for the ticket. You must, however, work out your travel plans in advance, and they only provide rebates on tickets costing more than $300. They charge a $5 delivery fee for these tickets. If several passengers are traveling on the same itinerary, the per-passenger flat fee is reduced. Travel Avenue also provides the consumer with a similar rebate for car rentals and hotel bookings. Call 1-800-333-3335 for recorded information. For non-consolidator tickets, Price Club Travel is an excellent place to pick up your tickets, even if you do all the research on fares with the airline on your own. They refund half the commission to you (around 5% of the ticket price). A certificate good for cash or Price Club merchandise is given to you when you pick up your ticket. Tax is excluded when calculating the rebate as are airport fees. This service is only for Price Club Members, and tickets must be picked up at a Price Club. Discover (extra 1% rebate), Visa, and Mastercard are accepted. Their number is 800-800-8505 (Price Club members only). It pays to be a member of the American Automobile Association (AAA). Besides complimentary maps, the AAA travel agencies often have special discounts beyond the usual airline tariffs, such as extra discounts on some international flights, and discount airfares for visiting friends and relatives on certain flights with specific airlines. AAA also has included dollars off coupons for airlines like USAir and United in their membership newsletter. ISE Flights has a special deal with Citibank through June 30, 1995. They will give you a $20 rebate on any ticket priced over $150, provided the ticket is purchased through ISE and issued in cardholders name. (If you are traveling with friends and family, ISE will be pleased to issue tickets for all of you.) To get your rebate, 1. Call a major airline and make a reservation directly. Reservations made through a travel agent are not eligible. 2. Record the flight information, the price quoted, and the reservation number (if available). 3. Ask the airline to put the flight on courtesy hold. 4. Call ISE at 1-800-255-7000, and charge the ticket to your Citibank card. [The tickets do not necessarily need to be charged to your Citibank card. They will ask for your Citibank cardnumber to verify that you are a Citibank cardholder, but you can charge the tickets to another card, such as Discover card, America Express, MC/VISA.] The rebate and ticket will be mailed out the same day. Costa Online Travel offers a 5% rebate on any CRUISE or TOUR booked through their service. For more information, see http://mmink.cts.com/costapackage.html ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-3] Consolidators Ticket consolidators (wholesalers, ``bucket shops'') are often 30-40% cheaper than buying direct from the airline. They buy blocks of unsold seats from the airlines and resell them at a slim margin. Such tickets are usually heavily restricted and are for a standard profile (e.g., no special meals, no changes, no transfers, no refunds). It used to be the case that you couldn't get frequent flyer miles for travel on consolidator tickets, but that seems to be changing. Cancellation penalties are often much more severe than on regular tickets. The greater the distance traveled, the greater the chances of saving money through a consolidator ticket. The Sunday NY Times travel section has a list of such wholesalers, as do many other major newspapers. You can also find some in your local yellow pages, under the same listing as regular travel agents. Although "consolidator" and "bucket shop" are often used interchangeably, they refer to different kinds of wholesalers. Consolidators buy large blocks of tickets at discounted rates direct from the airlines. When an airline can't sell their tickets at regular prices, they sell them to consolidators at lower prices. The restrictions on these tickets are governed by the consolidator's contract with the airline, and not by the rules for published fares. Such contracts usually preclude consolidators from naming airlines in advertisements, but do allow them to specify prices. Usually they sell only through retail agencies and not directly to the public. Some consolidators sell tickets only to travel agencies. Others sell both wholesale and retail. Bucket shops are retail agencies that specialize in getting discounted prices on tickets. They are familiar with the full range of consolidators for all the carriers (every airline sells to many consolidators) and in other techniques of fare construction, importing tickets, etc. Many bucket shops don't have any direct contact with the airline, in contrast with consolidators. International airfares are set by international agreement and regulated by the airline cartel, IATA. Most interantional airlines are closely related to, if not directly owned by, their national governments. Thus most governments have an interest in protecting the profits of their national airline, with the result that the IATA fares are artificially high. IATA rules prohibit discounting, and in some countries these rules are actually enforced. Bucket shops work around the rules by buying discounted tickets direct from the airlines or through consolidators. These tickets are discounted with restrictions that attempt to ensure that the airlines fill otherwise empty seats instead of diverting full-fare passengers to cheaper tickets. Some restrictions include limitations on the advertising of such tickets, forbidding mention of the name of the airline, or restricting the promotion of such tickets to a particular geographic or ethnic market. Another method of discounting tickets is through rebating a portion of the consolidator commission to the public. AirHitch (212-864-2000; 2790 Broadway, Suite 100, New York, NY 10025) is a consolidator which buys unsold seats very close to the wire. Their customers provide a window of times (or destinations), and AirHitch lets them know about available flights on extremely short notice. Not for the faint of heart. A similar outfit is AirTech (800-575-TECH) . There have been reports of complaints by consumers about both outfits. When buying tickets from a consolidator, it is best to use a reputable one that has been around for a while. Many are small companies and tend to go out of business frequently. The best advice we can offer is to purchase tickets through a travel agent who regularly deals with consolidators. Some tips: + Shop around. Unlike regular tickets, different consolidators may offer different prices for the same destination. + Buy your tickets with a credit card, so you can get a refund from your credit card company if you never get the tickets. Many consolidators, however, do not accept credit cards, or add a surcharge for non-cash purchases (possibly phrasing the difference in price between credit card and non credit card purchases as a cash discount). + If possible, pick up the tickets in person. If you don't get the tickets within a day or two by mail, something is wrong. + When you get the tickets, call the airline immediately to verify that the tickets are legitimate. Example Consolidators: + Airbrokers 800-883-3273 + Best Travel Service 800-800-4788 (713-777-4888) + Cheap Tickets 800-377-1000 + Global Access 800-283-5333 + IntraTours 800-334-8069 (713-952-0662) + Nippon Travel 800-662-6236 + Overseas Tours 800-878-8718 + Sunline Express Holidays 800-786-5463 + STA Travel 800-777-0112 Specializes in student/youth travel. + Travac 800-872-8800 + UniTravel, St. Louis 800-325-2222 AUSTRAVEL is a consolidator for travel to Australia. They have offices at 360 Post Street, Suite 606, in San Francisco, phone 800-633-3404 (415-781-4329), fax 415-781-4358. They have other offices in New York, Chicago, Houston, Sydney, and the UK. PASSENGER'S CHOICE 1-800-666-1026 advertises business class for up to 40% off in the San Francisco paper. They aren't really a consolidator. They get the low fares by buying excess frequent flyer miles from high volume frequent flyers, and then redeeming the certificates for a ticket in your name. The selling of frequent flyer miles in this manner is a violation of airline rules (the original certificate holder can issue a ticket in your name, but isn't supposed to accept compensation for doing it). This is a gray area. Other bargain travel agencies: + Travel Bargains 800-872-8385 + Airfares for Less 800-AIR-FARE ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-4] Couriers One way of getting cheap international flights is to fly as a freelance courier. There are a few companies which will pay you for the right to use your baggage allowance, yielding a heavily-discounted fare (typically a little more than half the regular discounted fare). For them, this is much cheaper than paying cargo rates for shipping. The "courier company" matches you with the companies, and gets some money from you, and a percentage of the savings from the company. If the courier company is really desperate, sometimes (rarely) you can get them to pay for all or most of your ticket. Non-refundable, and usually very short notice -- 1-2 weeks. You do not deal with the baggage, other than to hand-carry a set of paperwork. You are allowed a carry-on. There may be other restrictions, such as limits to the length of the stay. There are risks involved, so be sure to use a reputable courier company and get references. Horror stories include stranded passengers, couriered luggage that contained contraband, and so on. Also beware of fly-by-night outfits that advertise cheap fares and then disappear with your money. If you haven't traveled by courier before, be very careful. Some books about flying as a courier include: o The Air Courier's Handbook, $9.95 Big City Books, PO Box 19667, Sacramento, CA 95819 o The Courier Air Travel Handbook, 1993, $7.95. Mark I. Field, Thunderbird Press, 5930-10 W. Greenway Road, Suite 112B Glendale, Arizona 85306 USA o A Simple Guide to Courier Travel, $15.95 1-800-344-9375 Guide Books, PO Box 2394, Lake Oswego, OR 97035 o Travel Unlimited, $25/year Attn: Steve Lantos, PO Box 1058, Allston, MA 02134-1058 o The Insiders Guide To Air Courier Bargains Kelly Monaghan. 1-800-356-9315 $14.95. Newsletters: o International Association of Air Travel Couriers $35 registration fee, gets you a free newsletter Run by Bill Bates. International Association of Air Travel Couriers International Features PO Box 1349 Lake Worth, FL 33460 (Street address is 8 South "J" Street, Suite 3, Lake Worth.) Courier Agencies in New York: Courier Travel Service 516-763-6898,800-922-2359,718-244-0101 Worldwide, but mainly to Europe. No fee. Hours 09:00-17:00 Now Voyager, Inc. 212-431-1616 Europe. Call between 11:30-18:00. Charges $50 registration fee. Major cities in US, routed through NY. Payment via certified check, money order, or credit cards (3% processing fee). Tickets are on standby. FedEx's the tickets to your address. Halbart 718-656-8189/8279 New York to Europe only. or 718-995-7019 10am-3pm only IBC 718-262-8058. East-West Express 516-561-2360 To Singapore, Asia, and Australia. World Courier 718-978-9400 9am-noon only. Requires personal interview in New York. Does not fly to Paris. Jupiter Air 718-341-2095, 718-656-6050 New York to Hong Kong and Singapore. Courier Agencies in Miami: A-1 International 305-594-1184 To Venezuela Air Facilities 305-477-8300 Line Haul Services 305-477-0651 To Latin America Courier Agencies in Chicago: TNT Chicago 312-453-7300 [doesn't seem to exist anymore?] Courier Agencies in LA: IBC Pacific 310-607-0125 9am-4pm T-F City Link 213-410-9063 [doesn't seem to exist anymore?] Jupiter Air 310-670-5123 Flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea. Crossroads International 213-643-8600 3pm-5:30 pm [doesn't seem to exist anymore?] Midnight Express 310-673-1100 Flies only to London. Courier Agencies in San Francisco: TNT San Fransisco 415-692-9600 Afternoons only. Gateway Express 415-344-7833 111 Anza Blvd. #418 Burlingame, CA 94010 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-5] Travel Agencies that Specialize in Students Council Charter (run by the CIEE) 800-800-8222. International Student Exchange Flights 602-951-1177. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-6] Visit USA Several airlines have a program called "Visit USA" which allows foreign nationals or US citizens who reside abroad to purchase tickets that have unlimited standby travel within the US during their stay. The tickets must be purchased abroad and Canadians are ineligible. Other airlines with this program include United Airlines, Northwest, and Delta. Delta's program is called "Delta Pass". The pass is actually a set of coupons, with each coupon being good for a sector. You must purchase at least N coupons, where N depends on the airline. For United, the minimum is three coupons. There may also be a maximum number of coupons. On United the price is about $90/sector if you purchase the minimum number of coupons, and falls to $60/sector if you purchase 10 coupons. There is also a two-tier pricing scheme depending on whether the Visit USA pass is issued by the same airline you used to travel to the US. The difference is about $15/sector. No rerouting or refunds are allowed. You must make confirmed reservations for the first sector. There is a charge for changing the date on the first sector flight. Travel must start within 30 days and must be completed withing 120 days of entry into the US (for travel on United; other airlines may have different policies). Open jaw travel is permitted. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-7] Free Upgrades to First Class The main method of getting first class seating without paying the exorbitant fares is to belong to a frequent flyer program like TWA's program, where gold and silver members get unlimited free upgrades to first class on a space available basis. Some airlines, like USAir, sell booklets of upgrade certificates, at an average cost of $15 per certificate. Of course, with both programs, you won't always be able to get first class seating. The other method is to fly on an overbooked flight where first class is underbooked. If you have a confirmed reservation, the airline will usually prefer to upgrade your ticket over bumping you. Even though American gold upgrade stickers have an expiration date, American ticket agents rarely turn someone down because they tried to use expired upgrade stickers. The same goes for similar programs at other airlines. (It doesn't hurt to try.) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-8] Companion Tickets Many airlines are now offering free or cheap companion tickets. Northwest currently has certificates which will allow a companion to fly at a reduced price ($199 round trip between the east and west coast, cheaper between shorter hauls). Travel must be completed by 1/15/94, Saturday night stay is required, and there are a lot of holiday period blackout dates. Companion earns frequent flier miles. Citibank is currently offering a special if you sign up for their AAdvantage card, they will give a coupon valid till 12/15/94 for a free companion ticket on American airlines in the 48 US states. Continental offers a deal to their One pass members where for $50 you can get a package which includes 5000 miles and a $99 RT companion ticket certificate. There may be some blackout dates on the certificate, but I was able to use this around Christmas time. Companion earns frquent flier miles. TWA is currently offering promotions by which it is possible to fly with them and get a free companion ticket certificate valid some months in 1994. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-9] Avoiding Travel Scams When planning a trip, here are some tips for avoiding travel scams. + Beware of unsolicited travel opportunities. + There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. If a travel opportunity sounds like a "great deal", it probably isn't. Either they'll take your money and run, or there are hidden charges. For example, many so-called "free vacations" or "vacation giveaways" require you to stay at a specific hotel -- at exhorbitant rates. + Beware of extremely low-priced offers, unsolicited offers involving Florida or Hawaii, and opportunities that try to pressure you into buying on the spot. + Ask detailed questions (e.g., what is covered by the price and what isn't, whether there are any additional charges, the names of the hotels, airlines, airports, and restaurants, exact dates and times, cancellation policies, and refund policies), and get it all in writing before you buy anything. + Never give personal information, including credit card numbers, social security numbers, bank account numbers, or similar information to an unsolicited telephone salesperson. If you must, ask for a telephone number and call them back the next day, after you've had time to check them out. Call the Better Business Bureau and use the telephone number to verify if they're a legitimate business, and if so, whether there have been any complaints. You can also check out the company with the state attorney general's office and the local consumer protection agency. + Pay for purchases with a credit card, never with a check or money order. When you pay for purchases with a credit card, you're protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act against fraudulent charges. + If you've encountered a problem, or are suspicious of an offer, call the National Fraud Information Center, a hotline operated by the National Consumers League. The number is 800-876-7060 and can be reached from 9 to 5 EDT during the week. A good booklet to read is "Telemarketing Travel Fraud", a free publication of the Federal Trade Commission. Call 202-326-2222 for a copy, or write to Federal Trade Commission, Public Reference Branch, Room 130, Sixth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-10] Missed Connections If you ever miss a connection because your plane was late and the lines at the service desk are very long (e.g., everybody else on that flight needs rebooking), call the airline's 800 number. Sometimes they'll let you rebook because of a missed connection over the phone. You may still have to pick up the flight coupon at the service desk (though sometimes you'll be able to get it at the gate), but at least you'll make the next flight. If you wait on the line, you may not make the next flight if everybody in front of you is also waiting for the next flight, or the next flight leaves in a few minutes. Depending on the airline and the airport, you may be able to be rebooked on a flight by going directly to the gate. Some airlines will force you to go to the service desk. (For example, TWA in JFK requires that all changes go through the service desk.) If the flight you want to be rebooked on is "full", it may pay to ask the agents whether upgrading to first class will make a difference. It'll cost you, but it may save you from being stuck in the airport for a few hours. When buying a ticket with a connection, allow enough time to get from one gate to the next at the connecting airport. The airline computers have an estimate of the minimum time required to make a connection, but this isn't always accurate, especially if the gates are at opposite ends of the airport, or you're seated at the tail of the plane. With the new on-time rules, airlines are reluctant to hold flights for passengers coming from connecting flights that are late. If you're carrying your own baggage, have kids, walk slowly, or want to take a pit stop at the bathroom, allow yourself extra time. Ask your travel agent what other flights are available that leave the connecting city a little later. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-11] Getting There Faster On the flip side of the coin, airline reservation systems use a minimum connection time of 45 minutes. They won't let you make a reservation for a shorter connection time. You can get around this by buying two separate pairs of round-trip tickets to/from the connection, or by booking different legs on different airlines, but if you happen to miss the connection, the airline is under no obligation to rebook you on a later flight. However, if you travel light enough that you can carry on all your luggage, and you know the connecting airport, trimming the connection time can get you to your destination faster. If you get to the connecting airport on time or early, you might try going to the gate of the earlier flight to your destination, and ask to be put on. If the flight isn't full, they'll probably let you board. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-12] Airports Monopolized by One Carrier If you live in a hub city, where the airport is monopolized by a single carrier, you can usually get nonstop service to most destinations. Unfortunately, you'll probably also be paying exhorbitant prices for that service. Airlines only provide good prices for competitive markets -- those serviced by multiple carriers. If they are the main carrier in a given market, they keep the prices high, and will even (arrogantly) refuse to match prices with other carriers. The other national carriers might have one or two gates at this airport. If so, you may find them offering cheaper fares than the monopoly carrier. There is, however, one drawback to this. Since your airport isn't one of their hubs, the flights they offer will almost always involve first flying you to their closest hub, and getting a connection there -- even if their hub is in the opposite direction from your destination. On the other hand, if their hub is your ultimate destination, then you're in luck. There is another workaround to dealing with a hub carrier. If there's another major airport within an hour or two drive from your home, you could fly out from there. (The same thing is true of using frequent flyer certificates for free travel. If there's no seats available on the days you're interested in from your local airport, try another airport nearby. Also, sometimes regular air fares may be cheaper out of an airport in a different city. If driving 100 miles saves you $300, isn't it worth the bother?) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-13] Hub Cities Try to avoid hub cities. For example, since USAir's hub is Pittsburgh, they have a virtual monopoly on flights to PGH, so if you're so unlucky as to be flying to Pittsburgh, the rates are not cheap. Occasionally you may be able to take a flight which makes a stop or connection at Pittsburgh, and walk off the plane in Pittsburgh (i.e., a ticket from Boston to Cleveland on a plane which makes a stop in Pittsburgh might be cheaper than a ticket from Boston to Pittsburgh on the same plane). This only works when you can carry on all of your baggage. (Or if your connecting flight is more than two hours after your flight arrives or on a different plane, you can usually arrange to claim your baggage at the hub and recheck it yourself. 8*) Several airlines are currently being investigated by the justice department for anti-trust violations based on their dominating the airports at their hubs. Here's a list of airline hub cities. I've asterisked those that I'm sure are monopolized by that airline. # indicates the main hub of the airline. Alaska Airlines (AS): Anchorage (ANC)#, SEA America West (HP): Phoenix (PHX)#, Las Vega$ (LAS), Columbus OH American Airlines (AA): Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW)#, Raleigh/Durham (RDU)*, SJC*, SJU, ORD, BNA, Continental Airlines (CO): Newark (EWR)#, Cleveland (CLE)*, IAH, DEN, MSY Delta Airlines (DL): Atlanta (ATL)*#, Salt Lake City (SLC)*, DFW, CVG, LAX, ORL, JFK and FRA (Frankfurt, FRG). Midwest Express (YX): MKE Northwest Airlines (NW): Milwaukee (MKE)*, DTW#, Memphis (MEM)#, BOS, NRT, Tokyo. Southwest Airlines (WN): Chicago (MDW), St. Louis (STL), Dallas Love (DAL), Houston Hobby (HOU), PHX, ABQ TWA (TW): St. Louis (STL)*#, New York (JFK), Paris (ORY or CDG) USAir (US): Pittsburgh (PIT)*#, Philadelphia (PHL), Charlotte (CLT)*, Baltimore (BWI)*, LAX, SFO, SYR, IND United Airlines (UA): Chicago#, DEN, Washington Dulles (IAD), SEA, SFO, Raleigh, Tokyo, LHR (London Heathrow) Airport Abbreviations and Hubs: ABQ Albuquerque, NM WN ANC Anchorage, AK AS ATL Atlanta, GA DL BNA Nashville, TN AA BOS Boston, MA NW BWI Baltimore, MD US CLE Cleveland, OH CO CLT Charlotte, NC US CVG Cincinatti, OH DL DAL Dallas (Love Field), TX WN DEN Denver, CO CO UA DFW Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX AA DL DTW Detroit, MI NW EWR Newark, NJ CO HOU Houston (Hobby), TX WN IAD Washington (Dulles), DC UA IAH Houston (Intercontinental), TX CO IND Indianapolis, IN US JFK New York (Kennedy), NY PA TW LAS Las Vega$ HP LAX Los Angeles DL US MEM Memphis, TN NW MIA Miami, FL PA MKE Milwaukee, WI NW YX MSP Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN NW MSY New Orleans, LA CO ORD Chicago, IL AA UA MCO Orlando, FL DL PHL Philadelphia, PA US PHX Phoenix, AZ HP WN PIT Pittsburgh, PA US RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC AA SEA Seattle, WA AS UA SFO San Francisco, CA UA US SJC San Jose, CA AA SJU San Juan, PR AA SLC Salt Lake City, UT DL STL St. Louis, MO TW SYR Syracuse, NY US AA American Airlines AS Alaska Airlines CO Continental Airlines DL Delta Airlines HP America West Airlines PA Pan American World Airways TW Trans World Airlines UA United Airlines US U S Air WN Southwest Airlines YX Midwest Express ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-14] Lost Baggage The domestic baggage liability limit is a minimum of $1250.00 per passenger. Some airlines may provide greater limits for checked/unchecked baggage. For international flights, the baggage liability limit is approximately $9.07 per pound ($20 per kilogram) for checked baggage and $400 per passenger for unchecked baggage. A minimum waiting period of one week is required before baggage can be declared lost. Airlines will not reimburse for currency, photographic or electronic equipment (e.g., cameras, stereos, VCRs, camcorders, CD players, telephones, etc.), rare and expensive jewelry or artistic works, or medication, unless prior arrangements were made (e.g., excess valuation insurance was purchased). Some credit cards will cover these items if the tickets were purchased with the card. Most lost baggage doesn't disappear to the same black hole that eats socks from your laundry, but eventually makes its way to regional warehouses owned by the airlines. If the airline can't identify the owner, they sell it at auction, just like the post office's lost letter department does. There are even stores that specialize in buying the lost baggage, sorting the contents, and selling the merchandise and clothing that's in good condition. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-15] Baggage Limits Checked baggage weight/size/number limits vary depending on the airline, the class of fare, and the country of origin. Typically one is limited to 2 pieces of checked baggage (excluding luggage carriers), each of which has a total length + width + height less than 60" (or 72") and weighs less than 70 pounds (32 kg). Unchecked baggage is usually limited to 2 bags, which must fit under the seat in front of you or in the overhead compartment. Purses, cameras, coats, and similar items are usually excluded from the limit. Garment bags are also often excluded, especially for first class customers. Sometimes the limit will be reduced to 1 bag, especially on very full flights. Oversize articles (e.g., skis, bicycles, moose heads) must be checked. If you do have excess baggage, it is cheaper to pay the excess baggage charges than to ship it by air freight. (This is why courier travel exists -- it is often cheaper for a company to pay for an airline ticket than it is for them to pay freight charges.) Rates airlines charge for excess baggage vary considerably, so it pays to call around before purchasing a ticket. Baggage limit rules are enforced very unevenly, particularly on flights which aren't very full. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-16] Pets If you are travelling with a dog or cat, you must say so when you make your reservation. All airlines will allow at most one dog in the presurized portion of the cabin (to prevent barking fights). The dog must be in a travel cage which fits under the seat in front of you and sedated. (If the dog is small, try to get a cage which fits under the seat, so you can keep watch on the pet. Otherwise, the dog will travel in the pet area of the baggage section, and you won't see the dog until the flight is over. The pet area is pressurized but may not be heated/cooled. Get nonstop flights since the pet area can get pretty hot while on the ground.) Only one cat per carrier except for kittens. Some airlines will charge you extra (~$50) for a small dog or cat. America West and Southwest do not take pets. (Southwest will take seeing-eye dogs.) State law in all 50 states requires common carriers (e.g., airlines) to allow guide dogs to accompany their masters. They are prohibited from charging extra because of the presence of a seeing-eye and hearing-ear dog. Canadian provinces have similar laws. AA, UA and US all take dogs. US charges $30. AA and UA charge $50. (Small dogs.) United charges $50 per carrier for cats in the pet area, $30 for cats as underseat baggage. All carriers require a recent (10 days old or less) veterinary certificate of health, but rarely look at it. All airlines embargo pets if the outside temperature is in the 90's (or perhaps even 80's). AA won't carry a pet if the temperature is less than 45F (enforcement of this rule is uneven). UA says they won't handle pets when it is -10F. US says they always handle pets except on certain commuter flights. US allows you to bring your pet out to the gate and have it boarded just before you get on the plane. AA sometimes will, but usually won't, allow this. Many airlines require that the dog be given a tranquilizer supplied by your vet. The following is what the airlines charge (1-way) for a pet which fits under the seat in front of you, as of August 1, 1992. $30 Alaska $45 Delta, Northwest, USAir $50 American, America West, Continental, TWA, United ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-17] Bicycles Most airlines charge about $45 one way to ship a bike. If you belong to the League of American Bicyclists ($25 annual membership fee for individuals, $30 for families, call 1-800-288-BIKE (1-800-288-2453) for info), you can get free bike passes on America West, Northwest, TWA, and USAir if you book your tickets through the Sports National Reservation Center, the LAB's travel agency. [LAB formerly known as League of American Wheelmen.] ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-18] Restrictions on Electronics The navigation equipment on most airplanes is unshielded, and hence subject to interference from electronic devices such as radios or personal computers. The latest FAA advisory leaves it up to the airlines to set their own rules, but prohibits the use of cellular phones during taxi before takeoff and during takeoff itself. Many prohibit the use of certain types of equipment below 10,000 feet. The FAA is considering setting a standard, with 3 classes of equipment: 1. No restriction. This will include hearing aids, digital watches, and implanted devices, such as pacemakers. 2. Prohibited during takeoff and landing. This will include electronic games, audio/video recorders, and calculators/computers (the kind without printers and disk drives). 3. Prohibited at all times. This will include cellular phones, remote-control devices, FM radio receivers, electric shavers, TV receivers, and radio transmitters. The FAA is still conducting studies, and will need to classify other equipment, such as CD players. The standard will also allow airlines to choose to add additional restrictions on the use of electronic equipment. Right now, each airline sets its own rules, and the pilots may further restrict the rules. Here are some sample rules: USAIR: - Prohibited at all times: portable radios, televisions, telephones, and CD players. - Prohibited during takeoff/landing: tape recorders, electric shavers, tape players (headsets must be removed during takeoff/landing), hand electronic games, hand calculators, and portable computers. - Everything else: Ask a flight attendant. United: - Prohibited during takeoff/landing (10,000 feet): All electronic devices. American: - Prohibited during takeoff/landing (10,000 feet): All electronic devices, especially laptops and CD players. Northwest: - Prohibited at all times: radio receivers and transmitters, cellular phones. - Prohibited during takeoff/landing (10,000 feet): All electronic devices. - Permitted during flight: computers, electronic games, CD players, tape players. Delta: - Prohibited at all times: cellular phones - Prohibited during takeoff/landing (10,000 feet): CD players, portable computers, radios Canadian Airlines: - Prohibited during takeoff/landing (10,000 feet): CD players, and laptops. Devices like TVs, Radios, CD Players, and Laptops, among others, have oscillators inside them that can send out RF energy. Shielding requirements for consumer use are not necessarily stringent enough for use on an airplane. Airplanes have numerous communication and navigation radios in the cockpit. For example, many of the instruments in the cockpit compute the position of the airplane by triangulating ground and sattelite-based radio signals. If the RF emissions from your radio happen to have RF energy on the frequency, it can interfere with the operation of the instruments in cockpit. Since the autopilot is slaved to these signals, spurious RF emissions can cause incorrect course changes. This is especially critical during takeoff and landing, because the room for error is reduced (and errors can have more serious consequences). In addition, RF energy is suspected of interfering with data feeds between parts of the aircraft's flight control system. In modern fly-by-wire aircraft, this can cause unwanted control movements. RF energy also has the potential of interfering with weather radar, airborne direction finder equipment, terminal collision-avoidance systems, and microwave landing systems. None of this has been verified by testing, but many airlines rightfully take a better safe than sorry attitude. Below 10,000 feet is known as the "sterile cockpit" portion of the flight. This means that the cabin crew may not disturb the cockpit crew except in an emergency. Hazardous materials, such as paints, explosives, lighter fluid, and fireworks, are not permitted aboard aircraft. You may not check these in your baggage nor may you include them in a carry-on. You may also not include anything pressurized (e.g., spray cans, oxygen bottles, etc.) in your luggage, as the baggage area experiences pressure changes during the flight. The use of cellular phones is forbidden on all flights at all times by the FCC (not by the FAA; FAA only prohibits their use during takeoff and landing). The high altitude of the plane extends the effective range of the phone, interfering with cellular communications on the ground within a 100 mile radius of the plane. The charge for headphones to listen to the movie on long flights isn't for headphone rental per se, but royalties to the movie company. (Movie royalty contracts often charge both a fixed fee and a percentage based on the number of viewers.) Knives and sharp implements that have a blade longer than three inches will usually not be allowed through airport security and must be checked through as baggage. Pocket knives (e.g., Swiss Army knives) are usually acceptable. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-19] X-ray Machines/Metal Detectors There is a lot of misinformation about what can and can't be safely passed through the airport x-ray machines and the metal detectors. ASA 400 film, when passed through the airport x-ray machines, gets fogged. I know this from personal experience, having ruined a roll of film by accidentally sending my camera bag through the machine. Higher film speeds will be more susceptible to fogging; ASA 100 film is probably much more resistant to momentary exposure. Nevertheless, film should not be sent through the airport x-ray machines. Packing the film in a lead-lined bag should protect it. Supposedly European x-ray machines are kinder and gentler on film, but I don't believe it. The next time I travel to Europe, I'll run a roll through and see. Can airport X-ray machines damage floppy disks, magnetic tapes, and portable computers? Probably not. I would be more worried about the metal detector than the X-ray machine. If the magnetic field is set strong enough, walking through with a floppy diskette, computer tape, cassette tape, or video tape can erase the tape. Although there have been a few unsubstantiated reports of portable computers being damaged by X-ray machines, it is unclear whether the X-ray machines were responsible. Given the flimsy construction of early notebooks, and the roughness inherent in any kind of transportation, whether by plane, car, or train, it's likely that they wouldn't have survived the trip even if they hadn't been passed through the X-ray machine. So what do we know? + A Mayo Clinic study says X-ray machines don't damage floppy disks. + The Apple Powerbook manual specificly states that the machine should not be passed through airport X-ray machines. The Powerbook Companion, on the other hand, states that X-rays don't harm the powerbook. Given that most airports are willing to hand-check computer equipment and magnetic media, it's probably best to keep them clear of *both* the metal detector and X-ray machine, just in case. Do not rest your film or notebook on top of the x-ray machine -- they aren't as well shielded as they could, especially on top. Unless you rub your wallet along the coils of the metal detector, and the field strength is set very high, walking through is unlikely to wipe the magnetic strip on your credit cards. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [2-20] Packing Tips/Checklist Checklist of things to bring with you: [ ] Fanny Pack or Money Belt [ ] Small Screwdrivers [ ] Camera, Batteries, Film (especially for overseas travel) [ ] Sewing Kits, Safety Pins [ ] Bandages, Sun Block, Insect Repellent, Cough Drops, Decongestants [ ] Toilet Paper (especially if traveling in Europe) [ ] Plastic Baggies (Ziploc), Duct Tape [ ] Washcloths [ ] Umbrellas [ ] Extra small change. A roll of dimes in the US; a pocketful of coins overseas. (Public restrooms in Europe are often coin-operated.) [ ] Small tape recorder or pad of paper, for notes/journal. [ ] For wet climates, don't take cotton clothes, which get soggy and don't insulate as well when wet. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ;;; *EOF* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: 08-13-94 Msg # 22766 To: ALL Conf: (2120) news.answers From: mkant@cs.cmu.edu Stat: Public Subj: FAQ: Air Traveler's Handb Read: No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ÿ@SUBJECT:FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 3/4 [Monthly posting] ÿ@PACKOUT:08-13-9440.13081994.0920@channel1.com Message-ID: Newsgroups: rec.travel.air,news.answers,rec.answers Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University Archive-name: travel/air/handbook/part3 Last-Modified: Thu Jul 21 23:55:22 1994 by Mark Kantrowitz Version: 1.13 Size: 52651 bytes ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 3 ******************************************** ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; Written by Mark Kantrowitz This post is a summary of useful information for air travelers. The focus is on obtaining inexpensive air fares, although other topics are also covered. It was previously posted under the title "FAQ: How to Get Cheap Airtickets". Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu. *** Copyright: Copyright (c) 1989-94 by Mark Kantrowitz. All rights reserved. This FAQ may be freely redistributed in its entirety without modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents (e.g., published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines, or other print form) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document to be made available for file transfer from installations offering unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet. This article is provided AS IS without any express or implied warranty. *** Topics Covered: Part 3 (Safety & Comfort, Frequent Flyers): Travel Safety, Comfort, and Convenience: [3-1] Travel Advisories/Health Information [3-2] Travel Safety [3-3] Air Quality [3-4] Smoke-Free Flights [3-5] Special Meals [3-6] Jetlag [3-7] Pregnant Passengers [3-8] Tips for Families Flying with Children [3-9] Tips for Business Travelers [3-10] Exchanging Currency Frequent Flyers: [3-11] Frequent Flyer Programs [3-12] Premier FF Membership [3-13] Hotel Frequent Flyer Plans [3-14] Credit Card Voucher Offers [3-15] Telephone Companies [3-16] Discount Coupon Offers Search for [#] to get to question number # quickly. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-1] Travel Advisories/Health Information Travel advisories are issued by the US State Department, and include Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets for every country. These contain basic information every US citizen should know before traveling to a foreign country. Travel Warnings contain advisories about recent dangerous circumstances affecting travelers to particular countries. Consular information sheets list the location of the US embassy or consulate. They also include unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties. For more information or personal help, call Citizens Emergency Center: 202-647-5225 Citizens Consular Services: 202-647-3444 Passport Services: 202-647-0518 Visa Services: 202-663-1225 US State Department: 202-647-4000/5225 They can help with citizenship matters, property and legal problems, questions of how to pay taxes and vote, and provide advice on similar issues while you are abroad. The State Department desk officers for particular countries will sometimes be more candid than the published travel warnings. Advisories and related files may also be obtained by anonymous ftp from ftp.stolaf.edu:pub/travel-advisories/advisories or retrieved by ftpbymail@stolaf.edu. You can also get updates by mail by joining the travel-advisories list. To subscribe, send an email message to travel-advisories-request@stolaf.edu with subscribe in the message body. [This service is provided by Craig D. Rice , fax 507-646-3549.] You can also call the US Department of Transportation's Free Travel Advisory number at 800-221-0673. For international health information (vaccines, etc.), call the Center for Disease Control at 404-332-4559. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-2] Travel Safety Travel by commercial airplane is among the safest ways to travel. But there are still some risks. To improve your chances of surviving in the event of a crash: - Count the number of seats from you to the nearest exits, both in front of you and behind you. This will let you find the exits even if you've been blinded or the smoke is so thick you can't see the way out. - Sit near the wings, as the airplane is reinforced there to support the wings. - Wear natural-fiber clothes. Synthetics can melt or ignite, producing smoke and toxic fumes and causing burns. - Wear comfortable shoes or sneakers, without high heals. High heals can snag on the escape slide. - Bring your own infant safety seat. Use one which has been approved for use in motor vehicles AND aircraft. Don't use one which was made before February 26, 1985. - In the event of a crash, do not carry any bags or other items with you. They can cause you to tumble on the slide, leading to broken bones or more serious injuries. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-3] Air Quality Newer airplanes recirculate part of the cabin air (up to 50%) to save fuel, in contrast with older planes, which use all fresh air ventilation. There have been reports of passengers and (more frequently) flight attendants complaining about headaches caused by "stale air". There have been two recent studies of cabin air quality that measured carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. Although CO2 is nontoxic, high CO2 levels are a sign of insufficient fresh air. The normal CO2 level in outdoor air is 300 parts per million (0.03%). The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers has set a "comfort threshold" of 1,000 ppm, above which a building is considered to suffer from stale air. 1. Consumer Reports tested 158 flights on 20 airlines covering 44 different kinds of planes (July 1994). They found that 25% of flights had stale air at some point in the flight, with 13% maintaining inadequate fresh air levels throughout the flight. Boeing 757 planes were among the worst -- as high as 5 times higher than normal outdoor air -- while newer Boeing 747-400 planes had the freshest air. All planes use HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Air) filters to remove dust, bacteria, and viruses, but the Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777 planes use higher efficiency HEPA filters. See "Breathing on a jet plane", Consumer Reports, August 1994, pages 501-506, for details. 2. Consolidated Safety Services of Virginia conducted a spot check of cabin air quality on 35 flights without notifying the airlines or crew (May 1994). Tests were conducted on Boeing 757 and 727 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and MD-80 aircraft. This study found an average CO2 level of 1162 ppm. Note that this study was sponsored by the Air Transport Association (ATA), which represents the airline industry. Nevertheless, the most likely cause of the often-reported symptoms is dry air, not a lack of fresh air (though stale air can contribute to the problem). Cabin air on both newer and older planes has very low humidity levels (15-20% relative humidity), due to very dry air being brought in from outside at high altitude. So if you suffer from soar throats, dry eyes, headaches, allergies, itchy nose, or general fatigue when you fly, it might be due to dry air. To alleviate these symptoms, try the following: + If you wear contact lenses, take them out for the flight, especially if it is longer than an hour or two in duration. + Drink lots of liquids, but avoid alcohol and caffeine, which tend to dehydrate you. + Don't take a decongestant before the flight, since this dries out your nose. + If the air smells bad or feels stuffy -- a sign of stale air -- complain to the flight attendant. On some planes pilots can control the mix of fresh and recycled air. (The pilots aren't affected by the stale air problem, because the cockpit has a separate ventillation system, as mandated by FAA regulations. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-4] Smoke-Free Flights The December 1992 EPA report on the health effects of environmental tobacco smoke (so-called "second-hand smoke"), underscoring the independent assessments in 1986 by the US Surgeon General and the National Research Council, concluded that environmental tobacco smoke is a carcinogen with significant health risks for non-smokers. The lung cancer risks to non-smokers from environmental tobacco smoke are ten times greater than the cancer risks which would normally elicit a reaction from the EPA. It is therefore unthinkable that any airline would continue to condone smoking on any of its flights, and any airline that permits smoking is opening itself up to future lawsuits from non-smoking passengers and crew. Most domestic flights in the US are smoke-free, due to FAA regulations that restrict smoking on short flights (under 6 hours), including virtually all flights in the continental US. No US carrier operates completely smoke-free trans-oceanic service, with the exception of "experiments" (e.g., United on some SFO-SYD and JFK-LHR flights). As more passengers complain about smoking to the airlines, more flights will become smoke-free, especially new flights. For example, when United announced that international flights to London (from New York) and the South Pacific (LA-Auckland) will be smoke-free, they got such favorable response that they're now testing smoke-free service on some, but not all, of the flights between London and San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington (Dulles). Note that code-share flights operated by another airline may permit smoking even when they carry a flight number of a smoke-free airline. Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and China Airlines all participate in code-shares with smoking carriers on some routes. The smoke status of other international carriers is as follows: Air Canada: Flights between Canada and the USA and Europe. Air New Zealand: All flights to the USA. Smoking is permitted on pool flights operated by Qantas, of which there are many. British Airways: Riding the fence; no firm policies as yet. There is a completely non-smoking SFO-LHR nonstop. Canadian Airlines It'l: All flights to Euope, TPE, HKG, and BKK, and pool flights YVR-HNL-AKL operated by either Canadian Airlines International or Air New Zealand. Smoking is permitted on the YVR-FRA flight, and pressure from Japan forced smoking on flights to Japan (TYO and NGO). (The US seems to export lawyers and tobacco to Japan. :-) Cathay Pacific: Daily nonstop LAX-HKG is smoke-free as is all flights within Asia, and to Australia and New Zealand. New non-smoking flights between FRA and HKG. Smoking is allowed on flights to Europe, the Mideast, and Africa. Cathay Pacific has announced its intention to become a totally smoke-free airline, on all its routes worldwide, by the end of 1995. China Airlines: SFO-TPE and all flights within Asia. Three weekly smoke-free nonstop flights LAX-TPE; smoking is permited on the daily afternoon departure from LAX to TPE, as well as all flights to HNL, NYC, and ANC. They also permit smoking on flights to Europe and Africa. Qantas: Riding the fence; no firm policies as yet. Singapore Airlines: All SQ flights from SFO and LAX (SFO-HKG-SIN, LAX-TPE-SIN, and LAX-NRT-SIN) are smoke-free since 1-JUL-94. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-5] Special Meals Most of the major airlines will provide alternate meals on meal-flights upon request, if the request is made 24 hours in advance. Special meals include: Kosher, Muslim, Hindu, vegetarian, children, low-fat, low-salt, low-cholesterol, diabetic, low-glutin, and seafood. Simply ask for the meal when you make your reservation; there is no extra charge. Things to watch out for: o The Hindu meal is just a non-beef meal. If you are interested in Indian vegetarian meals, make sure you say "Hindu Vegetarian meal" when ordering. o Low-cholesterol is not the same as low-fat. The low-cholesterol meal will still include some fat. Sometimes the vegetarian meal has less fat than the low-fat meal. o Your definition of low-fat is probably not the same as the airlines. For example, you might get chicken and margarine instead of beef and butter. Chicken is lower in fat than beef, but... o Vegetarian means different things to different people. Be sure to say whether you mean vegan or ovo-lacto, and be prepared to explain the difference to the travel agent. Some caterers think that a vegetarian meal means a meat meal with the meat removed. So be prepared for disappointments. When traveling overseas, the words carry yet a third interpretation, with vegetarian meaning vegetables, and nothing else. The Kosher meals are glatt and double-sealed. Wilton Caterers is the largest supplier of these meals, although there are a number of smaller companies as well. If you will be having a special meal, be sure to let the flight attendant know as you enter the plane. Airlines sometime forget to load the meal (especially kosher), and if you let the flight attendant know, they can sometimes catch this. (And feel very guilty if they don't.) If the airline forgets to load your special meal, ask for a meal voucher. Even if you can't eat in the airport restaurants, you can buy nuts, candy or fruit at the gift shops and the airline will reimburse you within reason (e.g., $3-$5). When in doubt, bring your own food. Airplane food tends to be bland for travelers who don't like spices, so your own food will almost always taste better anyway. Southwest is a "no frills" airline, so don't even bother. The most you'll get from them is peanuts. But what do you want for some of the cheapest fares in the industry? The trend these days is for airlines to not serve meals on short flights to save money. Continental Airlines doesn't serve meals on domestic flights of 2.5 hours or less. Southwest Airlines has never served meals on its flights. Most airlines that discontinue meal service on short flights, however, continue to serve beverages and light snacks (roasted peanuts, almonds, and pretzels, depending on the airline). Even though the meal itself only costs a few dollars, when you add in the cost of galley space, storage, preparation, cleanup, and staffing, it can be as high as $20 a flight. Other airlines, like Midway and Continental, offer ``No-Peanuts Fares'' on certain flights. These are usually no-frills, short-haul flights. Some peanuts fares still serve complimentary beverages. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-6] Jetlag To reset your clock, there are several things you can do: o Stay up 24+ hours and go to sleep at the normal time for your destination. o Do not take a nap at your destination until it is the normal time to go to sleep. o When you wake up in the morning, go for a half hour walk in the bright morning sunlight. o Do not eat right before you go to sleep. Eat a light dinner. o Eat your meals according to the destination time zone. o Do not drink any alcoholic or caffeine-based beverages during your flight. Drinking other liquids is OK -- some people recommend drinking a lot of water. Things that affect the sleep-wake cycle: o Sunlight. Properly timed bright light is very helpful. Turn off the lights in your bedroom at bedtime in your destination time zone, and leave the windowshades down in the morning. o Time of Meals o Amount of Sleep o It is easier to shift forward (e.g., waking up at noon home time instead of 7am) than it is to shift backward (e.g., waking up at to sleep at 2am). o Carbohydrates make you sleepy. Protein will keep you awake. Eat heavy carbohydrate meals for two days prior to the trip and a heavy protein one on the day of departure. Some people recommend taking melatonin at dusk or bedtime (for your destination) a day or two before departure, and continue for a day or two after you arrive. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland at the base of the brain during the night, and can be used to shift the circadian rhythm ("body clock"). Melatonin production is highest in the dark and is suppressed by exposure to sunlight. Or you could give in, and just not plan to do anything really important during your first day in the new time schedule. If you can arrange it, just don't switch over to the new time zone, if you're only going to be there for a few days. The Argonee National Laboratory anit-jet-lag diet is available as the file ftp.cs.cmu.edu:/user/mkant/Travel/jetlag.txt ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-7] Pregnant Passengers If you're pregnant, check with your doctor before traveling by air, especially during the last trimester. There is a small but real risk that the flight could cause you to go into labor and induce a premature birth. Definitely do not fly if the baby has turned. Many airlines won't let a visibly pregnant woman travel without a note from her doctor certifying that it's ok for her to travel and that she's not likely to give birth at 30,000 feet. Airlines may still refuse transportation to you, even with a doctor's certificate, especially if you're in the 8th month. The reasons for refusal vary, but often include the passenger's safety and airline liability. (If you give birth in the air, the airline will have to divert to the closest airport with a nearby hospital, even if there are no complications.) If you do fly, keep your lap belt low around the hips. Also, ask the gate agent if there's an empty seat available in first class. You'll be more comfortable in the wider seats, and if you do happen to give birth, they can close the curtain to give you a little privacy. Flying can also be a miserable experience for someone who is pregnant. Flying differs from other modes of transportation in the sudden acceleration and deceleration, frequent air pressure changes, and significant amounts of vibration. (Though pregnant women should be careful during any traveling, no matter what the means of transportation.) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-8] Tips for Families Flying with Children If you're flying with children, here are some tips for making air travel a more enjoyable experience -- for you, for your child, and for your fellow passengers. When making reservations: + Ask for window seats for your children. Children love to watch the world move outside the window. + Ask for contiguous seats, and make sure you're in the aisle seat, so you can contol your children. + Mention that you're flying with children, so your seats won't be in the emergency exit row. Children under age 15 aren't allowed to sit in this row, so if your seats are there, you'll have to be moved when you arrive for the flight, and may not get contiguous seats. + If meals are served on the flight, ask for the special children's meal. + Ask if they have any special services for children. Some airlines provide pins and model airplanes for older children, and sets of puzzles, games and toys for younger children. All airports have changing rooms. Packing: + Bring your child's favorite toys, books, teddy bear or blanket, and other amusements to keep them quiet on the plane. If you bring along electronic games, be sure to turn the sound off, and make sure they don't use it during takeoff and landing. If you bring a favorite stuffed animal or blanket, be sure it is easily replaceable, in case it gets lost during the trip. + Bring chewing gum and snacks to help them with air pressure changes during takeoff and landing. For younger children, bring a pacifier or a bottle of juice or milk. The flight attendants can warm your baby's bottle in the galley after they complete the safety dance. + Bring several spare diapers and baby blankets in your carry-on luggage, in addition to the usual emergency change of clothing. + For a stoller which qualifies as a carryon, get one of the folding "umbrella" strollers. Before the flight: + If your children have never flown before, tell them how much fun it is, and try to build up some excitement (e.g., have a countdown calendar). Day of the flight: + For carrying an infant, use a "front pack" or "Snugli" -- it's among the easiest. Be sure to get one with extra padding on the shoulder straps. At six months, you can switch to a baby back pack. + Arrive early. Kids like to explore airports, and juggling kids AND bags will take time. Allow at least an hour in the airport for domestic flights and two hours for international flights. + Watch your children carefully, to make sure they don't wander off. Airport personnel can help you locate lost children. + Parents with children are allowed to board first, so take advantage of this "perk". End of the flight: + Wait until other passengers have gotten off the plane before you start gathering your belongings to deplane. + Don't forget to count noses. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-9] Tips for Business Travelers If you travel frequently on business, here are some hints on making the process more tolerable. Credit Cards, Phone Cards: + Get the limit on your credit card increased (or use a card like the American Express Card, which has no set limit). Between air fares (especially for one-way flights), hotels, taxis, and the like, you can easily run up a hefty bill. In addition, consider getting one of the cards that either gives you a cash rebate (Discover), rebates you on purchases of some products (GE card, GM/Ford cards, Citibank Apple card), or affinity cards that give you frequent flyer miles for every dollar spent. Carry two different kinds of cards (e.g., not every place accepts American Express, and some places will accept Mastercard but not Visa, or vice versa). + Get yourself a calling card from one of the major phone companies (AT&T, MCI, Sprint). Make sure it has a toll free access number. Frequent Flyer, Hotel Promotions/Discounts: + Sign up for ALL the various frequent flyer programs. You never know which airline you'll actually fly on, so it is best to accumulate mileage on all of them. You don't need to carry the cards -- just write down a list of your frequent flyer numbers on an index card, and carry that with you instead. You may want to consider signing up also for the AmEx membership miles program as well, even though it will cost you (Corporate AmEx cardholders only ($50); regular cardholders only after the first year ($25)). Make a list of their partners for car rentals and such -- you'll quickly add up miles on all your cards. Even if you get sick of air travel, you can always give the tickets to family members. Also join all the hotel clubs. (Some people advocate picking one program and sticking with it, to avoid the hassles of juggling many programs.) + Your clients probably have a company discount with a nearby hotel. Such discounts can range from 10% to as much as 50% off. Travel Agencies: + Use a travel agency which provides a 24-hour number to handle problems. Ticketing: + If you fly regularly to the same destination but not over a Saturday night, use the nested/overlapping tickets strategy, where one roundtrip ticket is bought from the destination's perspective, and you use the outgoing ticket of that ticket as your first trip's return and vice versa. This will save your company a lot of money, since both tickets magicly become Saturday night stay tickets. An alternative is to buy two round trip tickets in the same manner, but with the return flights 30 days or so after your first trip. You'll use the outgoing portions of each ticket as before, but the return portions can be used for standby travel or may be changeable with a $35 change fee. If worse comes to worst and you can't use either of the returns, the cost of your flight will still be no more than a single midweek roundtrip. + If you're visiting multiple cities, get your tickets as a circle trip instead of a series of round trips or one-way tickets. A circle trip has the savings benefits of supersaver fares, even if one of the segments isn't over a Saturday night. + If you book two legs of a trip separately, you can avoid long delays in the airport by reducing the connection time. Since you're probably paying for one way tickets anyway, this probably won't affect the cost. Make sure you allow enough time, though, in case your flight is delayed and the other leg is at the other end of a big distributed airport. Note that on some airlines, if you miss a leg, you will not be able to pick up a later flight, even on standby. When you buy the tickets separately, the airline is no longer responsible if a late flight causes you to miss your connection. But if your ticket is refundable, you can cash it in and use it toward a later flight. (If your original ticket was a discount ticket, you'll have to pay the difference in fares between the two flights, if any. If your ticket was full fare, you won't.) + Buy your tickets through an outfit like Price Club, which gives you a 5% rebate (which you pocket, of course). + Since you paid cash for your (non-discount, refundable, changeable) tickets, most carriers will be glad to honor them (even if they are on another airline). So if you miss a flight, find the next flight to your destination on any carrier and talk to the gate agent there. Some airlines, however, will require the original airline to endorse the ticket over to them before they will accept it. + If your flights are concentrated with one airline, get a copy of their flight schedules books. It will come in handy, especially when you miss flights. Luggage and What to Carry: + Carry lots of business cards and keep them handy. You will meet a lot of people on airplanes. + Carry lots of good reading material. It gives you something to do when you do get stuck in an airport (or in a plane that's 37th in line for takeoff). + Buy inexpensive luggage. It will wear out no matter how good it is, so why pay $$$ for it when you'll have to replace it anyway? + Carry a portable electric shaver (if male), soap, and shampoo with you. Not every hotel provides these amenities. + Bring your own travel alarm. Not every hotel provides rooms with an alarm clock, although most will give you a wake-up call upon request. + Carry the most important items with you as carry-ons. If you can travel light (no checked luggage), do so. Don't check anything you can't afford to lose. Carry at least one suit with you onto the plane, even if you have others in your checked luggage. Being forced to wear a t-shirt and jeans to a meeting can ruin even the best of presentations. The "two carry-on" rule is widely ignored -- you can often get away with three carry-on bags, especially if one is a garment bag. Carry a duffel bag in your luggage for expansion space on the return, if you happen to buy any souvenirs. + Pack half the clothes you think you need, and use the hotel's dry cleaners. + If you use a laptop with modem, include a long modular phone cable with you (25 feet) and a modular jack splitter. Both are available at your local Radio Shack or drug store. Also buy a 15 foot extension cord for your power supply. At the Airport: + Check you bags with the valet, and go straight to the gate with your tickets. Standing in line all the time at the check-in counter will rub you the wrong way after the nth time. Try to spend as little time as possible in lines at airports. Do not pick your flights at the airport ticket line; call the 800 number instead. This effectively puts you ahead of everybody in line. At the Hotel: + Be nice to hotel and airline staff, and they'll be nice back. Use the hotel's concierge when you need something. They can help you find almost anything, from tickets to a concert, to rental car discounts, to aspirin, to restaurant recommendations, to good directions to your meeting site. Be sure to tip well. On airplanes, wait until the plane is in the air before you ask the flight attendants for anything, since boarding is the busiest time for them. + Ask for a room facing away from the highway and away from the elevator and ice machine, if you want to avoid noise. Expenses: + Take a modest amount of cash with you. Not everybody takes plastic, and you never know when you'll have trouble finding an ATM. + Keep receipts, and log them on your expense report every day. If you don't record expenses right away, you'll forget them. Put the receipts in a separate envelope for each day and label it. Write notes on the receipts about the expenses, if it isn't clear from the receipt itself. When the taxi driver offers you a few extras, take them. You'll probably lose some of your receipts, and having a stash of blank ones can help you make up the loss. Complete your expense report before you return to work, and turn it in right away. That'll get you your reimbursement much sooner. Miscellaneous: + Get maps and use them to figure out where the meetings are and where the closest hotel is. + Don't eat meat while on the road, or your health with suffer. Bring your own food with you for the flight; it's healthier and more pleasant. + Arrange for your company to provide a service for remote dialin, so that you can call up and read your email. Either get your mail via one of the national commercial services (Prodigy, Compuserve, Delphi, etc.) or have them subscribe to an outfit like Sprintnet or Telenet which lets you dialup using local numbers in many locations around the world. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-10] Exchanging Currency There are two factors involved in exchanging currency abroad, the exchange rate and the commission fee. Don't rely solely on the exchange rate, but factor in the commision as well. Commission fees can vary significantly. So look for the best combination of exchange rate and fee. Since changing exchange rates can affect the value of your money, you'll want to be cautious about the currency you carry. When the dollar is strong, you'll want to carry dollars; when the dollar is weak, you'll want to carry either the currency of the country you are visiting, or a strong currency, such as Swiss francs. When the dollar is in flux, you'll want to carry both, and spend dollars when the dollar is rising and foreign currency when the dollar is dropping. When the dollar is dropping, try to pay for as many expenses as possible in advance. When the dollar is dropping, be careful with using credit cards. If there is a delay in posting the transaction to your account, you'll get a less favorable exchange rate. On the other hand, the exchange rate used by the credit card companies is often better than that for cash or traveler's checks. If you need extra cash, the exchange rate used by ATMs is the preferential commercial/wholesale rate. [Although true in most countries, it is not necessarily the case in Japan, where the government sets the exchange rate.] Even with the interest charges and/or transaction fee, getting a cash advance on your credit card or bank card can sometimes be the cheapest (and most convenient) option, because you don't pay a commission. Thus using an ATM to get cash in the foreign currency is probably one of the best and least expensive methods. On the other hand, when the dollar is rising, you'll want to pay by credit card when possible. There are, however, some caveats about using an ATM. Not all ATMs overseas can be used 24 hours a day; some are restricted to regular banking hours only. As usual, there are daily withdrawal limits. Your bank card or credit card must be on the Plus or Cirrus system for you to be able to use it abroad. Both systems have more than 100,000 ATMs in 40-50 foreign countries. Before you leave, call your bank to make sure your PIN (personal identification number) will work in ATM machines in the foreign country. Before you leave, take at least $50 worth of foreign currency with you, to pay for incidental expenses at the start of your trip (e.g., transportation from the airport to your hotel; taxicabs don't accept credit cards overseas). Airport currency exchange offices have long lines, and often charge a higher exchange rate than banks. Later on you can get foreign currency for restraurants and other establishments that don't accept credit cards. But don't take too much cash with you, because flashing a big wad of bills is the quickest way to lose it. If you buy traveler's checks, be careful when exchanging them for foreign currency. Exchange rates and processing fees can vary considerably, depending on which bank, exchange office, or hotel you use. There is no fee for exchanging American Express traveler's checks at American Express offices. Traveler's checks are safer than cash, but you'll still want to be careful. The drawback to traveler's checks is, of course, the 1-2% commission you pay when you buy them. Traveler's checks are also available in foreign currency, including British pounds, Canadian dollars, Dutch guilders, French francs, German marks, Hong Kong dollars, Japanese yen, Spanish pesetas, and Swiss francs. If the dollar is in flux or dropping, you'll want to buy some traveler's checks in the foreign currency or in a strong currency, such as Swiss francs. Many shops and restaurants will accept traveler's checks that are denominated in the native currency, saving you the bother of exchanging them. Bring some dollars with you for the trip home (e.g., drinks and movies on the plane, and cab fare home). If the dollar is very strong, you may be able to get more for your money in open markets as dollars than if you had exchanged them for the local currency. Because you may have trouble doing exchange calculations in your head, precompute the value of several common items in the foreign currency. (Don't use items whose value in the foreign currency doesn't correspond with their value in dollars.) Then use these items as standards when shopping in the market. Chocolate bars and the cost of lunch are good yardsticks. It won't be exact, but it'll give you a quick and instinctive test for whether you're getting ripped off or not. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-11] Frequent Flyer Programs American Airlines introduced frequent flyer programs in 1981 to encourage customer loyalty. The other major airlines quickly followed suit. Most programs (e.g., United, American, USAir, and Northwest) will give you a free domestic roundtrip for 20,000 miles, a ticket to Hawaii or the Carribbean for 30,000, a ticket to Europe for 40,000 and a ticket to Australia or Asia for 60,000. Each airline, however, has its own set of rules and somewhat different mileage levels. Delta requires 30,000 miles for a free domestic ticket. Given joining bonuses and mileage promotions, one can sometimes reach this with one overseas flight. Northwest and USAir give you a minimum of 750 (Delta, 1000) miles for each flight segment. Northwest will give you two one-way tickets for 20,000 miles. NWA will not preissue boarding passes the day before the flight. Some airlines will award two tickets for less than twice the mileage needed for one ticket. For example, it is possible to get two tickets to the Carribbean from Continental for only 40,000 miles. Note: The minimum number of miles required for a domestic roundtrip ticket will increase to 25,000 on United, USAir, and American on 8/1/94, 1/1/95, and 2/1/95, respectively. Since the travel certificates are good for one year, be sure to redeem your frequent flyer miles a few days before the deadline, or you'll have to earn an extra 5,000 miles for a free ticket. Other changes include an increase to 45,000 miles for a free first-class domestic ticket on American, an increase to 50,000 miles for a free roundtrip ticket to Europe on United (as of 2/1/95), and a reduction in the minimum number of FF miles awarded per leg from 750 to 500 on Northwest. Northwest has also announced that it is dropping out of the American Express Membership Miles program (1 miles per $1 spent) on 3/31/94 or 4/30/94. Current members of AmEx Membership Miles are Continental, Delta, Southwest, and USAir. Northwest is switching to an arrangement with First Bank Visa (800-948-8300) and has already dropped their deal with Bank One Visa. Delta, Continental, USAir and Southwest are staying in the program. (Call 1-800-AXP-MILE for more information.) United will stop its practice of automatically mailing out award certificates at the 20,000 mile mark on 10/1/94, and will issue them only upon request, just like all the other frequent flyer programs. Delta has established a "Rapid Redemption" program that allows you to redeem your frequent flyer miles for free tickets when buying a ticket by phone or at a Delta ticket office. There is a $60 charge, however, for this service. (The charge is per transaction.) You can still redeem the old way without the extra charge. Frequent flyer miles can also be exchanged for upgrades at no extra charge. Northwest's frequent flyer records do not seem to record flights that were changed after ticketing, so check the records carefully. However, Northwest recently installed a new phone system (1-800-327-2881) that lets you request a review of tickets to adjust your account. Air Canada 1-800-361-8523 Partners with Austrian, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, First Air, Singapore Alaska Airlines 1-800-654-5669 Partners with Northwest, TWA Aloha Airlines 1-800-486-7277 AAdvantage (American) 1-800-882-8880 Partners with TWA, Cathay Pacific, Singapore, Canadian Cancels miles after 3 years. America West 1-800-247-5691 Partners with Virgin Atlantic Canadian 1-604-270-7587 Partners with Air France, Lufthansa, American, Qantas (for flights between Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, and Canada). Continental 1-713-952-1630 Partners with Air France, KLM. Delta 1-800-323-2323 Partners with Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Japan Air Lines (no economy), KLM, Lufthansa, Singapore, Swissair Restrictions: US/Canadian residents only, only with voucher, travel must originate in US. Midwest Express 1-800-452-2022 Northwest 1-800-435-9696 Partners with KLM. TWA 1-800-325-4815, 1-800-221-2000 Partners with American, Alaska, Air India, British Airways United 1-800-421-4655 Partners with Air France. Travel must originate in US. Also partners with SAS, Lufthansa, Alitalia. Mileage is given only for the legs connecting a U.S. city to Europe for theses airlines. If you are continuing onward to say Asia, you will not receive mileage on United on the leg from Europe to Asia. USAir 1-800-872-4738 (frequent traveler service ctr) 1-800-442-2784 (international award travel) 1-800-428-4322 (domestic reservations) Partners with British Airways and AF. British Airways 1-800-955-2748 Lets you combine the mileage for up to four family members. Partners with USAir. Hawaiian Airlines Gold Plus 1-800-367-7637 USAir has a frequent flyer program for undertakers (or is it a "frequent dier" program?). Ship 30 corpses with USAir, and you get a free domestic round trip ticket. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-12] Premier FF Membership If you travel more than a certain number of miles or flight segments on some airlines, they'll upgrade your membership in their frequent flyer program to Premier (Silver) or Gold status. These programs let you earn frequent flyer miles more quickly, let you get free or cheap upgrades, and get preferred seating. For example, TWA gold card holders can upgrade any unrestricted coach ticket to first class on a space available basis. (Likewise, in Continental, if you pay full fare coach and are a FF member, they'll upgrade you to first class.) Continental silver elite members get a 100% mileage bonus on subsequent flights. USAir waives blackout dates and capacity controls for award travel by members of their frequent flyer program who have reached the Priority Gold level. The mileage levels for status change vary from airline to airline, and the benefits vary as well, but typically one or two overseas flights or 20,000 to 35,000 domestic miles will be sufficient to upgrade your status. Some airline reservation systems dynamicly modify the available seating based on your frequent flyer membership status. The idea is to reserve the desirable seats (window seats, far forward, away from engine noise) for the more active members of the frequent flyer program. Some airlines are also providing automatic free upgrades to first class at reservation time to high mileage flyers. So be sure to give your frequent flyer number before asking for a seat assignment. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-13] Hotel Frequent Flyer Plans Many large hotel chains offer frequent traveler incentives to their guests, including free airline miles and points that are redeemable for free hotel rooms. Some are even offering the free airline miles without requiring a flight with the stay. Here's a summary of what the hotels are now offering: Hilton: - Airline Miles: 500 miles/stay. Airlines include Air Canada, American, America West, and United (no flight required); Delta and USAir (ticket and boarding pass required). - Points: 10 points per $1 spent. Redeemable for free weekend nights, sports tickets, and merchandise. - May earn miles and points for same stay. Spouses may combine points. - 3 stays earn one free weekend night. - Extra goodies for gold-level members (12 stays/year), such as airline club passes, boosts in FF membership status, and car rental club benefits. Holiday Inn: - Airline Miles: 500 miles/stay, 2.5 miles per dollar spent. Airlines include Air Canada and Northeast (flight required), United and Northwest. - Points: 1 point per $1 spent. Redeemable for free travel and merchandise. - May not earn miles and points for same stay. (No double dipping.) - $10/year membership fee, waived for the first year. Hyatt: - Airline Miles: 500 miles/stay for United mileage (no flight required), Alaska Airlines, Northwest, and USAir (flight required). 1000 miles/stay for Delta (flight required). - Points: 5 points per $1 spent. Redeemable for free travel, room upgrades, and car rentals. - May not earn miles and points for same stay. (No double dipping.) Marriott: - Airline Miles: 500 miles/stay for American, British Airways, Northwest, or USAir. 1000 miles/stay for Continental or TWA (no flight required). 2,500 bonus miles after fifth stay. 5,000 bonus miles for Continental. - Points: 10 points per $1 spent. Bonus points from Hertz car rental. Redeemable for free travel, hotel rooms, and car rentals. - Restrictions: In a given stay, can get points or miles, but not both. Sheraton: - Sheraton Miles: 2 miles per $1 spent for (free) standard membership (blue club card), 3 miles per $1 spent for gold membership ($25/year, golden club card). Each Sheraton Mile is redeemable for one Airline Mile on American or United. Sheraton Miles are redeemable for free stays, special vacation packages, etc. Gold membership provides you with 4 pm late check-out guarantee, room upgrades, and other amenities. Many hotels also offer discounts for members of certain groups. For example, membership in AAA (American Automobile Association) or the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) for example can get you a 10% discount at many hotels and motels. Visiting someone at a local university or hospital can be good for either a discount or a room upgrade, depending on the hotel. There are also often special discounts for government employees and military personnel. Note that you don't need to be 65 to become a member of the AARP -- you can be as young as 50. You also don't necessarily need to be a member of the AARP to take advantage of some discounts. For example, if you're over 50, Choice Hotels offers a 30% discount for travelers with advance reservations, 10% for those with no reservation. Always ask for the best price, especially in the off-peak travel season. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-14] Credit Card Voucher Offers Several credit card companies offer vouchers for cheap airline travel as an incentive to enroll students. 1. American Express. Students who apply for the standard green card ($55/year) or gold card ($75/year) will receive two vouchers if approved. Putting the vouchers to good use can easily result in your saving more than the cost of the card. Income and employment requirements for the gold card are waived for graduate students. Two of the vouchers are good for travel anywhere in the continental United States (no more East/West zones) on Continental Airlines. However, the ticket prices are $179 during the school year, $239 for summer, spring break and other peak months (this is defined as "when you begin *OR* end your travel in March, July, August, or December"). You must stay over a Saturday night, and maximum stay is 10 days and 9 nights; there are no black-out dates listed. You may not purchase tickets until 14 days before the flight. Students report that they've had little trouble getting a last-minute reservation with the vouchers. They may have had to be flexible with their departure and return times and dates, but they've hardly ever had a problem getting to their destination. Traveling during off-peak times will increase your chances of getting a seat. Don't expect to be able to get a seat around Christmas and Thanksgiving. Tickets must be purchased using the American Express card. In addition, cardholders will also receive two more Continental savings certificates, one for an international flight and one for domestic travel. All four certificates allow you to take along a student companion at the same price. The vouchers expire 1 year after issue and are not transferrable (and the airlines do check your student id both at the ticket counter and at the gate). [Note: When travelling on Continental, beware of connections in their hub in Newark NJ.] To work around the non-transferrable restriction, use your first initial instead of your first name, and (if female) ask to have your maiden (alternately, married) name on the ticket (which allows you to substitute an arbitrary last name, if you're not bothered by the sleaziness). [As of 9/1/93, USAir is no longer honoring the AmEx travel vouchers.] Although the current AmEx tickets are for travel on Continental Airlines, USAir will honor them for travel on USAir (non-summer coupons only; you may use the non-summer coupons during the summer, however). Give the following promotion code to the travel agent when using the AmEx/Continental vouchers for travel on USAir: H/CO AMEX STUDENT USAir seems less likely than Continental to check for student id. In general, USAir seems to accept coupons from almost any other airline. If you are a student, have an AmEx card and haven't received the vouchers, call the 800 number (1-800-582-5823 or 1-800-528-4800) and they'll send them out to your billing address. 2. Chase Manhattan VISA [ THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. ] Same cost structure as the AmEx/Continental vouchers ($129 if you don't cross the Mississippi River, $189 if you do), but for travel on USAir. Maximum stay of 60 days (Saturday stay not required). Tickets must be purchased within 48 hours of reservation. Valid student id must be presented at time of ticketing. Blackout dates around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and some destination-specific days. 3. Citibank VISA The Citibank AAdvantage VISA/MC charges a $50 annual fee (not a great deal, when no-fee VISA/MC cards abound). Earns 1 mile for every dollar spent. (You'd need to spend $25,000 to get a free PlanAAhead ticket.) Given the annual fee, not that good a deal. If you decide to get it, wait until American runs their next sign up bonus (typically either a free companion ticket or 5,000 free miles). ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-15] Telephone Companies These programs give you frequent flyer miles for every dollar spent on long distance phone calls. If you can, charge your phone bill to one of the affinity credit cards to get even more miles. 1. MCI. (Originated the idea in 1989.) MCI currently offers 4000 miles to enroll and 5 miles for every dollar spent. Airlines include Northwest and American. 2. US Sprint. Airlines include TWA. 3. AT&T With the AT&T Reward program, you can earn frequent flier miles on Delta, United Airlines, or USAir (or free AT&T long distance certificates). During every month you spend $25 or more on long distance, you earn 5 frequent flier miles for every $1 spent. During the first month you get a triple bonus (quadruple credit). Call 1-800-7-REWARD to enroll. Only calls billed via an AT&T calling card or dial 1 service are eligible. You don't have to decide what to do with your credits until you cash them in, and you can get 5% cash back instead, if you prefer. Other relevant programs: + Air Miles Program 800-222-2AIR ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [3-16] Discount Coupon Offers Discount coupons for air travel can often be obtained from a variety of sources: - AAA has included dollars-off coupons for travel on USAir and United in their membership newsletter in the past. - Some catalogs and magazines, especially those associated with business equipment, such as the AT&T phone catalog, have included coupons for savings on flights on Continental and Northwest. - The Entertainment book has discount coupons for up to $100 off a Continental Airline ticket. - Supermarkets in California periodically offer promotions providing discount coupons upon purchase of a certain amount of groceries. - Discover card and other credit cards have on occasion included discount certificates with the monthly bills. Others offer discount certificates for opening an account. See also "Credit Card Voucher Offers" above. The coupons typically have several blackout dates, require a Saturday night stay, and have a lot of fine print, but are often transferable. People will often advertise to sell these coupons over the net. You can also get travel discount coupons in some of the travel discount books, but you can almost certainly get them for free from some of the publications listed above. But if you can't find one, spending $20 to save $50 is probably worth it. Such entertainment books include 800-513-6000 ($19.95, includes United coupon), 800-445-4137 (Continental coupon). ---------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: 08-13-94 Msg # 22769 To: ALL Conf: (2120) news.answers From: mkant@cs.cmu.edu Stat: Public Subj: FAQ: Air Traveler's Handb Read: No ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ÿ@SUBJECT:FAQ: Air Traveler's Handbook 4/4 [Monthly posting] ÿ@PACKOUT:08-13-9440.13081994.0920@channel1.com Message-ID: Newsgroups: rec.travel.air,news.answers,rec.answers Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University Archive-name: travel/air/handbook/part4 Last-Modified: Fri Jul 22 01:12:48 1994 by Mark Kantrowitz Version: 1.13 Size: 53728 bytes ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 4 ******************************************** ;;; **************************************************************** ;;; Written by Mark Kantrowitz This post is a summary of useful information for air travelers. The focus is on obtaining inexpensive air fares, although other topics are also covered. It was previously posted under the title "FAQ: How to Get Cheap Airtickets". Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu. *** Copyright: Copyright (c) 1989-94 by Mark Kantrowitz. All rights reserved. This FAQ may be freely redistributed in its entirety without modification provided that this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for profit or incorporated in commercial documents (e.g., published for sale on CD-ROM, floppy disks, books, magazines, or other print form) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document to be made available for file transfer from installations offering unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet. This article is provided AS IS without any express or implied warranty. *** Topics Covered: Part 4 (Appendices, Miscellaneous): Appendices: [4-1] Airline Reservation Phone Numbers [4-2] Flight Information [4-3] On-line reservation services [4-4] Complaints and Compliments [4-5] Glossary [4-6] Other Sources of Information [4-7] Further Reading [4-8] Phone Numbers Included in this FAQ Miscellaneous: [4-9] IRS Rules Change [4-10] Airline Antitrust Litigation [4-11] Miscellaneous Notes Search for [#] to get to question number # quickly. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-1] Airline Reservation Phone Numbers If the toll free number is incorrect, do me a favor and call 1-800-555-1212 to get the correct 800 number, and send me email with the correction. Three or four of these numbers change every year. Alaska Airlines 1-800-426-0333, [1-602-921-3100] American 1-800-433-7300, 1-800-223-5436, [1-817-267-1151] America West 1-800-235-9292, [1-602-693-0737] Continental 1-800-525-0280 (Dom), 1-800-231-0856 (Itl) [1-404-436-3300] Delta 1-800-221-1212, [1-404-765-5000] Northwest 1-800-225-2525 (Dom), 800-447-4747 (Itl) [1-612-726-1234] Southwest 1-800-IFLY-SWA, [1-800-435-9792], 1-800-531-5601 TWA 1-800-221-2000, [1-404-522-5738] United 1-800-241-6522 (Dom), 1-800-538-2929 (Itl), [1-312-825-2525] USAir 1-800-428-4322 (Dom), 1-800-622-1015 (Itl), [1-412-922-7500] Aer Lingus 1-800-223-6537 AeroMexico 1-800-237-6639 Aerolineas Argentinas 1-800-333-0276 Air Canada 1-800-776-3000 Air France 1-800-237-2747 Air India 1-800-223-2250 Air Jamaica 1-800-523-5585 Air New Zealand 1-800-262-1234 Alitalia 1-800-223-5730 All Nippon Airways 1-800-235-9262 Avianca 1-800-284-2622 BWIA International 1-800-327-7401 British Airways 1-800-247-9297, [1-800-AIR-WAYS] Canadian Partners 1-800-426-7000 Cathay Pacific Airways 1-800-233-2742 Dominicana Airlines 1-800-327-7240 Ecuatoriana 1-800-328-2367 Egyptair 1-800-334-6787 El Al Israel Airlines 1-800-223-6700 Emirates 1-800-777-3999 Finnair 1-800-950-5000 Hawaiian Airlines 1-800-367-5320 Iberia 1-800-772-4642 Icelandair 1-800-223-5500 Japan Air Lines 1-800-525-3663 KLM 1-800-374-7747 Korean Air 1-800-421-8200 Lufthansa 1-800-645-3880 Malaysia Airlines 1-800-421-8641 Malev Hungarian 1-800-223-6884 Mexicana 1-800-531-7921 Midway Airlines 1-800-621-5700 Midwest Express Airlines 1-800-452-2022 Olympic Airways 1-800-223-1226 Philippine Airlines 1-800-435-9725, [1-800-IFLY-PAL] Polish Air-Lot 1-800-223-0593 Quantas Airways 1-800-227-4500 Royal Jordanian 1-800-223-0470 SAS Scandinavian Air 1-800-221-2350 SKY BUS 1-800-755-9287 Sabena 1-800-955-2000 Saudia Arabian Airlines 1-800-472-8342 Singapore Airlines 1-800-742-3333 Swissair 1-800-221-4750 TAP Air Portugal 1-800-221-7370 Thai Airways 1-800-426-5204 Varig 1-800-468-2744 Virgin Atlantic 1-800-862-8621 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-2] Flight Information OAG FlightCall 900-786-8686 ($.95/min) Flight arrival/departure/gate information for 17 US airports USAir Flight Info 800-943-5436 Arrival/departure/gate information for all USAir flights American Airlines 800-223-5436 Arrival/departure/gate/schedules/fare information for all American Airlines flights. Good explanation of why flight is delay. Northwest Airlines 800-441-1818/800-225-2525 Arrival/departure information for all NW flights. Delta Airlines 800-DAL-1999 Arrival/departure information for all Delta flights. United 800-824-6200 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-3] On-line reservation services Note: NONE of the on-line airline reservation systems provide free access, and it is unlikely that they ever will. On-line airline reservation systems typically allow you to check fares and schedules and make reservations on most airlines. You can also pay for the tickets, which can then be sent by mail, or issued at the airline's airport ticket counter or city ticket office, or by most travel agents. Some allow you to maintain an online profile of information to be inserted into your reservations, such as frequent flyer number and special meal requests. These systems provide the same basic scheduling and pricing data as the ones used by travel agents, but with a different user interface, and restricted access to some information. The major airline reservation systems with online interfaces are Eaasy Sabre (owned by the parent company of American Airlines), Travelshopper (owned by Worldspan, formerly known as PARS), and Official Airline Guide. Don't assume that on-line reservation systems are necessarily complete. In today's electronic age, all too often folks assume that if information isn't available in electronic form, it doesn't exist at all. A good travel agent will often be able to find you a cheaper fare than you can find for yourself, especially for complicated itineraries (e.g., unpublished consolidator fares). If you like using an on-line reservation system, use it to identify possible flights and times, and to get a feeling for the lowest fare, and then talk to your travel agent. Be as flexible with your travel agent and you were with the on-line system -- tell them how much you're willing to modify your travel plans. But don't just give them the flights you found in your on-line searches; take advantage of their expertise, and ask them if they can find anything cheaper. Eaasy Sabre can be accessed as a basic service (no additional fee) from the following online services: America Online ($9.95/month; two hours "free" access included.) Compu$erve (1-800-848-8199; part of basic service, $8.95/month); use the terminal interface version rather than the Compuserve Information Manager (CIM). Delphi ($10/month for four hours, or $20 for twenty hours) National Videotex ($5.95/month) Prodigy (1-800-822-6922) Prodigy replaces the Eaasy Sabre interface with their own user interface. GENIE provides Eaasy Sabre for free (other than the $4.95/month basic service fee), assuming you use it during their off-peak hours, which are 6pm-8am weekdays, all day holidays and weekends. Delphi has an internet gateway (delphi.com), but one must still pay for the service. PARS TravelShopper is available on Compu$erve and Delphi. Official Airline Guide (OAG) Electronic Edition is available on Compu$erve, Delphi, direct TYMNET (with credit card billing), GEnie (for a surcharge), Dow Jones News Retrieval, and National VideoTex (Premium Plus Service; $12/hour charge plus Premium surcharge of $6/hr non-business, $9/hour business hours). It is also available on the Internet (telnet to oag.com), but you have to subscribe first to get a login userid. OAG is also accessible via Sprintnet from the hermes.merit.edu gateway, but charges by the minute (17 cents/minute offpeak). It can be fairly expensive, but since it has no monthly minimum, it can be the cheapest for infrequent users. Also, if the last thing you do before logging off is make or cancel a reservation, the session is free. None of these save you the commission charges, so it doesn't save you much over calling the airline's 800 number or using a travel agent and asking lots of "what-if" questions. All providers of computer reservation systems are required to be non-biased (e.g., even though Eaasy Sabre is owned by American Airline's parent company, they don't preferentially list American first). Some accomplish this by listing the flights in a particular order, like shortest non-stop flights shortest flights with transit point(s) shortest aggregate times for one-city connections shortest aggregate times for multi-city connections. but in random order within each category. Travel agents can, of course, restrict the display to the flights of specific carrier(s). The major computer reservation systems (CRS) are: Apollo (United, USAir), EAASY SABRE (American), System One (Continental), Worldspan-PARS (Northwest, TWA), and Worldspan-DATAS II (Delta). Each carrier also has its own internal reservation system. All of the major CRS's are interconnected, so you can make a reservation for one airline on a system owned by a different carrier. However, in some cases the connections are by TTS (yikes!), so it can take up to 24 hours to actually confirm the reservation. Some of the systems have faster links (e.g., EAASY SABRE has fast links with United, Delta, and Continental). When the reservation is complete, you'll get a record locator number (6 alphanumeric characters). This number can allow a travel agent to locate the reservation. (In general, even when placing a reservation with a travel agent, it's a good idea to ask for and record the record locator number.) OAG sells subscriptions to "OAG Flightdisk", a flight schedule information program that is updated monthly. It contains the same flight information as the airline reservation systems. (Of course, you can't make reservations with it, but this might be a cheaper alternative than the online services for some people.) The cost is $216 for the North American Edition (US, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean), $216 for the European Edition (Europe, Africa, and the Middle East), or $269 for the Worldwide Edition. It comes in DOS, Windows, and Macintosh versions. For more information, write to Official Airline Guides, 2000 Clearwater Drive, Oak Brook, IL 60521, call 1-800-323-3537, or fax 708-574-6565. (Prices valid until 4/15/94.) OAG also sells (printed) subscriptions to OAG Pocket Flight Guide for $70 a year (normally $87); it comes with a free subscription to Frequent Flyer Magazine and a copy of the OAG Top Restaurant Guide. Call 1-800-DIAL-OAG (1-800-342-5624) and mention special offer 2AZV6 to subscribe or for more information. (Offer valid through 3/31/94.) For domestic flight information and pricing, such services are supposed to be as accurate as the information available to travel agents and the airlines themselves. The same may not necessarily be true for flights originating outside the US. Note, also, that consolidator fares are NOT listed in online services, nor in the databases used by airlines and travel agents. Consolidator fares are obtained by calling up the consolidators themselves. More information on online CRS's can be found in John Levine's FAQ on the topic, a copy of which may be found in ftp.cs.cmu.edu:/user/mkant/Travel/ as the file online.faq. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-4] Complaints and Compliments If you have a legitimate complaint about service, write a well-written letter to the appropriate people at the airline. This can often result in real results. But don't become a habitual complainer. Many airline customer service departments keep records of all complaints and compliments. If you complain too often, you'll get tagged as a flamer, and they'll ignore future complaints. If you are a frequent flyer and don't complain often, complaints can end up in travel discount compensation. Airlines do keep track of who complains and how frequently, so if you complain too often about trivial matters, your complaints won't have the same effect as they would if you complained about only important problems. Keep track of the names of all airline personnel you deal with, and be as specific as possible about dates, times, places, and flight numbers in your letter. Enclose copies of any receipts for expenses incurred because of missed/delayed flights. When writing a complaint letter, tell the airline what it can do to make you happy. If you're realistic and reasonable, giving them some leeway, your complaints will be addressed much more quickly. Venting anger in a complaint letter won't get you results. Remember, the people reading your letter aren't the cause of the problem, and they have to read thousands of angry letters. They're human beings, with feelings. So if they get a nice, calm letter, that describes the problem, suggests a solution, and says what you want to make you happy, they are much more likely to respond positively. If you're complaining on the spot (e.g., they lost your reservation) and feel you're not making headway with the agent/clerk you're talking to, try asking to speak to a supervisor or manager. Sometimes clerks don't have the authority to address the problem. The more flexible you are, the more likely they are to come up with a solution that satisfies you. Losing your temper and getting loud won't help. Remember, the person you're talking to probably wasn't responsible for the problem, so yelling at them hurts them without being productive. (Breaking down into tears will get you a lot further than any quantity of angry words.) If you're making no progress, try calling your travel agent collect and telling them about the problem. Whatever you do, please don't complain about something minor or make meaningless threats. Saying "I'm going to tell all my friends to stop using your airline" or "I'll make a post on netnews, nyeah, nyeah, nyeah, nyeah" really won't accomplish anything, unless you happen to be the CEO of a large multinational firm. The Department of Transportation accepts consumer complaints about airlines and records, compiles, and publishes statistics on airline performance. The statistics are available in a monthly Air Travel Consumer Report. For a free copy, write to the Office of Consumer Affairs, US Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, NW, Room 10405, Washington, DC 20590. 202-366-2220. The statistics vary a lot from month to month. They receive 400-500 complaints a month from consumers. Here are statistics for 1993: On-time (within 15 minutes of schedule): Best -- Southwest 88.0% Northwest 85.7% America West 79.9% American 79.3% TWA 77.9% Delta 77.2% USAir 76.7% Continental 74.6% United 73.7% Worst -- Alaska 68.5% Avg -- 83% Overbooking: Best -- American 89 involuntary bumps/19 million passengers Worst -- America West 1,805/3.7 million Mishandled baggage: Best -- Southwest Worst -- America West Complaints per 100,000 fliers: Best -- Southwest 0.10 America West 0.48 Delta 0.50 Northwest 0.55 USAir 0.58 United 0.67 American 0.88 Continental 1.28 Worst -- TWA 1.45 On average, airlines mishandle 4.75 bags per 1,000 passengers. According to a recent survey by JD Powers & Associates, for long trips, customer satisfaction was highest on Delta, Continental, and Northwest, and for short trips, customer satisfaction was highest on Delta, Southwest, and Alaska. Customer Relations Departments of various airlines: Aloha Airlines Inc., Customer Relations, PO Box 30028, Honolulu, HI 96820. Alaska Airlines, Consumer Affairs, PO Box 68900, Seattle, WA 98168. American Airlines, 1-800-967-2000 America West Airlines, Consumer Affairs, 222 South Mill Ave., Tempe, AZ 85281, 1-800-247-5692. Continental Airlines, Customer Relations, PO Box 4607, Houston, TX 77210-4607, 712-987-6500. Delta Air Lines Inc., Consumer Affairs, Hartsfield Atlanta Int Airport, Atlanta, GA 30320, 404-765-2600. Eastern Air Lines Inc., Consumer Affairs, Bldg 11, Rm 1433, Miami Int Airport, Miami, FL 33148. Hawaiian Airlines, Consumer Affairs, Honolulu Intl Airport, PO Box 30008, Honolulu, HI 96820-0008. Northwest Airlines, Consumer Affairs, Minneapolis/St. Paul Intl Airport, St. Paul, MN 55111, 612-726-2046. Pan American World Airways Inc., Consumer Affairs Dept, 200 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10166. Southwest Airlines Co., Customer Relations, PO Box 37611, Love Field, Dallas, TX 75235-1625, 214-904-4000. Trans World Airlines Inc., Customer Relations, 605 Third Ave., New York, 10158, 914-242-3172. United Airlines, Customer Relations, PO Box 66100, Chicago, IL 60666, 312-952-7843. USAir, Consumer Relations, Washington National Airport, Washington, DC 20001, 703-892-7020. Federal Aviation Administration, 202-366-2220. American Society of Travel Agents, Consumer Affairs Dept., 703-739-2782. If you encounter problems as a result of buying tickets from a fly-by-night organization (pun intended), contact the Better Business Bureau, the state office of consumer protecture, and/or the attorney general's office. You can protect yourself by using a credit card to purchase the tickets and by confirming your reservation directly with the airline. If you ask the flight attendant for a comment card, they'll provide one. (Most of the comment cards use business reply mail, so you don't even have to pay for the stamp. But there isn't much space on the cards, so you may be better off writing a letter and paying the postage yourself.) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-5] Glossary Fly-by-wire aircraft Fly-by-wire aircraft use a computerized control system that decides how to best control surface movements, engine fuel-flow rates, and so on. There is no direct connection between the pilot and the flight control surfaces in this kind of setup. Instead, the pilot gives instructions to the computer which interprets them, hopefully correctly. The computer is able to update the settings hundreds of times per second, something human pilots can't do, and in theory results in a more efficient, smoother, and safer flight. Some more recent planes are even able to land themselves. The controversy with such planes concerns their failure modes. If the computer conks out for some reason, it may not be possible for the pilot to dead-stick the plane in for a landing, since some of the more efficient control surfaces must have their parameters updated very frequently to remain airborn. Also, some early fly-by-wire planes may have had programming bugs that caused unexpected behavior. Finally, the Airbus A320, a fly-by-wire aircraft, has been perceived as accident-prone, allegedly because of the fly-by-wire system, though this has never been proven. Currently the only fly-by-wire commercial airplanes are the Airbus A320 and A340, with the A319, A321, A330, the Boeing 777 and the Tupolev TU204 entering production shortly. Many military aircraft have been fly-by-wire for years. (For further discussion of fly-by-wire aircraft, see the extensive RISK archives on this topic.) "Glass-cockpit" aircraft Such aircraft are not fly-by-wire. They display several flight instruments on a CRT screen in the cockpit, and have an integrated flight management system (sophisticated autopilots) but still have a direct connection between the cockpit control column and the control surfaces. The MD-11 and some MD-80s are examples of glass-cockpit planes that aren't fly-by-wire. Overbooking The airline practice of selling more tickets than there are seats on the aircraft. Airlines like to fly full flights, the fuller the better. Since on any given flight there are likely to be one or two no-shows, the airlines tend to oversell the flight to compensate. If more people show up than there are seats, the airline will first ask for passengers to voluntarily give up their seats in exchange for an incentive of the airline's choosing (e.g., typically a free round trip ticket), and then if there aren't enough volunteers, the airline will involuntarily bump some of the passengers. DOT rules specify how the airlines must compensate involuntarily bumped passengers. DOT US Department of Transportation Codes Every scheduled airline has a two character code, and most also have a three-character code. For example, United Airlines is UA, USAir is US, and Southwest is WN. Most charter airlines have two- character codes, and some have three-character codes. Some airlines share their two-character codes, and some airlines have more than one code. Airports have three-character designations, with BOS for Boston, PIT for Pittsburgh, and EWR for Newark, among others. Code-sharing Some airlines have "code-sharing" agreements with other airlines, in which each airline may list flights on the other airline under their own "code". Thus, when consumers purchase tickets from an airline, the actual flight (or some segments of the flight) may be on an entirely different carrier. These agreements typically arise as special arrangements linking the routes of a US airline with a foreign carrier. For example, United Airlines and Lufthansa, USAir and British Airways, American Airlines and South Africa Airways, etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-6] Other Sources of Information The best source of information is the US Department of Transportation. All carriers must file their fares with them for tariff purposes. A variety of companies publish rate guides based on the US Department of Transportation files. The subscription prices are a bit steep, but your library may have some. The Travelers' Tales Travel Resource Center provides travelers with current information on international news, weather, discounted air tickets, access to Internet travel newsgroups, currency rates and where and how to use credit cards, and much more. The Travel Resource Center was created by O'Reilly & Associates as an informational companion to their Travelers' Tales books. The Travel Resource Center is a free service, and can be accessed through the Global Network Navigators' Marketplace section. (To view GNN or the Travel Resource Center you must be able to support the WWW [World Wide Web] browser. The URL for the TRC is http://nearnet.gnn.com/mkt/travel/center.html.) To obtain a free subscription to GNN, send an email message to: info@gnn.com. Additional information about this free service can be obtained by writing to Allen Noren . The rec.travel Library is available by anonymous ftp from ftp.cc.umanitoba.ca:/rec-travel. A WWW server for the library is ftp://ftp.cc.umanitoba.ca/rec-travel/README.html Travel and recreation information, including discount travel packages, are listed on The Avid Explorer at the URL http://www.explore.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-7] Further Reading Consumer Reports Travel Letter $39/yr, monthly Subcription Department Pox 51366 Boulder CO 80321-1366 800-234-1970 Backissues cost $5 and may be ordered from Consumers Reports, PO Box 53016, Boulder, CO 80322-3016. Best Fares Magazine: Covers air fares, hotels, car rentals, etc. Includes a TravelAmerica half-price hotel book and coupons for reduced airfares. Consumer Edition: $58/year Corporate Edition: $78/year (includes hidden cities in airfares) Best Fares, Inc. 1111 W. Arkansas Lane, Suite C, Arlington, TX 76013, or PO Box 171212, Arlington, TX 76003 817-261-6114 or 817-543-0538 Travel Unlimited: (World-wide courier flight information and travel tips.) $25/year, monthly Box 1058 Allston, MA 02134 Official Airline Guide, Pocket Edition: $82/year 1-800-323-3537 American Express Sky Guide: $45/year (12 issues) 1-800-678-6738 x111. Skyguide, PO Box 5146, Harlan, IA 51593-2646 The Official Frequent Flyer Guidebook - 2nd Edition, 320 pages. Information about airline, credit card, hotel, and car rental programs. Published by AirPress (publisher of InsideFlyer) $14.99 plus $3 shipping 1-800-487-8893 Some articles from InsideFlyer can be viewed at no charge on "The Electronic Newsstand, a service which collects articles, editorials, and table of contents from over 100 magazines and provides them to the Internet community. The Electronic Newsstand is accessible by Gopher at gopher://gopher.internet.com:2100/ or by telnet to gopher.internet.com (userid "enews", no password). For more information, write to staff@enews.com. "Going Places: The High School Student's Guide to Study, Travel, and Adventure Abroad", St. Martin's Press, $13.95. This book is compiled by the Council on International Educational Exchange, and gives information on more than 200 travel programs for students ages 12 to 18. The European Travel Commission's 1994 guide to planning a trip to Europe is available for free from European Planner/Dept. A, Box 1754, New York, NY 10185. For the "European Planning & Rail Guide", send $1 to BETS Planning Guide, Budget European Travel Service, 2557 Meade Court, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. For a free copy of "101 Tips for Adventure Travelers", call 1-800-873-5628, or write to 101 Tips, Overseas Adventure Travel, 349 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139. For a free copy of "Discover America: A Listing of State and Territorial Travel Offices of the United States", send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Discover America, c/o Travel Industry Association of America, Dept. A, 1133 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036. It includes a comprehensive list of tourist offices and phone numbers. Many tourist offices will send you free maps and travel guides. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-8] Phone Numbers Included in this FAQ 800 Information 800-555-1212 A-1 International Courier (Miami) 305-594-1184 AAdvantage (American) Frequent Flyer Miles 800-882-8880 AT&T Reward Program Frequent Flyer Miles (Phone) 800-7-REWARD AUSTRAVEL Consolidator 415-781-4329 AUSTRAVEL Consolidator 415-781-4358 fax AUSTRAVEL Consolidator 800-633-3404 Aer Lingus Reservations 800-223-6537 AeroMexico Reservations 800-237-6639 Aerolineas Argentinas Reservations 800-333-0276 Air Canada Frequent Flyer Miles 800-361-8523 Air Canada Reservations 800-776-3000 Air Facilities Courier (Miami) 305-477-8300 Air France Reservations 800-237-2747 Air India Reservations 800-223-2250 Air Jamaica Reservations 800-523-5585 Air Miles Program Frequent Flyer Miles 800-222-2AIR Air New Zealand Reservations 800-262-1234 AirHitch Consolidator 212-864-2000 AirPress InsideFlyer/FF Guidebook 800-487-8893 AirTech Consolidator 800-575-TECH Airbrokers Consolidator 800-883-3273 Airfares for Less Bargain Travel Agency 800-AIR-FARE Airlines Antitrust 800-854-7264 Alaska Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles 800-654-5669 Alaska Airlines Reservations 602-921-3100 Alaska Airlines Reservations 800-426-0333 Alitalia Reservations 800-223-5730 All Nippon Airways Reservations 800-235-9262 Aloha Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles 800-486-7277 Am. Soc. of Travel Agts Complaints and Compliments 703-739-2782 AmEx Membership Miles Frequent Flyer Miles 800-AXP-MILE AmEx Sky Guide Newsletter 800-678-6738 x111 America West Frequent Flyer Miles 800-247-5691 America West Reservations 602-693-0737 America West Reservations 800-235-9292 America West Airlines Complaints and Compliments 800-247-5692 American Reservations 800-223-5436 American Reservations 800-433-7300 American Reservations 817-267-1151 American Airlines Complaints and Compliments 800-967-2000 American Airlines Flight Information 800-223-5436 American Express Student Travel Vouchers 800-582-4800 American Express Student Travel Vouchers 800-582-5823 Avianca Reservations 800-284-2622 BWIA International Reservations 800-327-7401 Best Fares Magazine Newsletter 817-261-6114/543-0538 Best Travel Service Consolidator 713-777-4888 Best Travel Service Consolidator 800-800-4788 British Airways Frequent Flyer Miles 800-955-2748 British Airways Reservations 800-AIR-WAYS (247-9297) CIEE International Student ID Card 800-438-2643 Canadian Frequent Flyer Miles 604-270-7587 Canadian Partners Reservations 800-426-7000 Cathay Pacific Airways Reservations 800-233-2742 Center for Disease Ctrl It'l Health Information 404-332-4559 Cheap Tickets Consolidator 800-377-1000 Citizens Consular Srvcs US State Department 202-647-3444 Citizens Emergency Ctr US State Department 202-647-5225 City Link Courier (LA) 213-410-9063 Compu$erve Online CRS 800-848-8199 Consumer Rpts Trvl Ltr Newsletter 800-234-1970 Continental Frequent Flyer Miles 713-952-1630 Continental Reservations 404-436-3300 Continental Reservations (Dom) 800-525-0280 Continental Reservations (Itl) 800-231-0856 Continental Airlines Complaints and Compliments 712-987-6500 Council Travel (CIEE) Student Travel Agency 800-800-8222 Courier Travel Service Courier (NY) 516-763-6898 Courier Travel Service Courier (NY) 718-244-0101 Courier Travel Service Courier (NY) 800-922-2359 Crossroads It'l Courier (LA) 213-643-8600 Delta Frequent Flyer Miles 800-323-2323 Delta Reservations 404-765-5000 Delta Reservations 800-221-1212 Delta AIrlines Flight Information 800-DAL-1999 Delta Air Lines Complaints and Compliments 404-765-2600 Dominicana Airlines Reservations 800-327-7240 East-West Express Courier (NY) 516-561-2360 Ecuatoriana Reservations 800-328-2367 Egyptair Reservations 800-334-6787 El Al Israel Airlines Reservations 800-223-6700 Emirates Reservations 800-777-3999 Entertainment Books W/Discount Coupon (Continental) 800-445-4137 Entertainment Books W/Discount Coupon (United) 800-513-6000 FAA Complaints and Compliments 202-366-2220 Federal Trade Comm. Telemarketing Travel Fraud 202-326-2222 Finnair Reservations 800-950-5000 First Bank Visa Northwest Affinity Card 800-948-8300 Gateway Express Courier (San Francisco) 415-344-7833 Global Access Consolidator 800-283-5333 Guide Books Guide to Courier Travel 800-344-9375 Halbart Courier (NY) 718-656-8189 Halbart Courier (NY) 718-656-8279 Halbart Courier (NY) 718-995-7019 Hawaiian Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles 800-367-7637 Hawaiian Airlines Reservations 800-367-5320 IBC Courier (NY) 718-262-8058 IBC Pacific Courier (LA) 310-607-0125 ISE $20 Rebate/Citibank 800-255-7000 Iberia Reservations 800-772-4642 Icelandair Reservations 800-223-5500 IntraTours Consolidator 713-952-0662 IntraTours Consolidator 800-334-8069 It'l Student Exchange Student Travel Agency 602-951-1177 Japan Air Lines Reservations 800-525-3663 Jupiter Air Courier (LA) 310-670-5123 Jupiter Air Courier (NY) 718-341-2095 Jupiter Air Courier (NY) 718-656-6050 KLM Reservations 800-374-7747 Kelly Monaghan Insider's Guide to Courier... 800-356-9315 Korean Air Reservations 800-421-8200 LAB League of American Bicyclists 800-288-BIKE (= 2453) Line Haul Services Courier (Miami) 305-477-0651 Lufthansa Reservations 800-645-3880 Malaysia Airlines Reservations 800-421-8641 Malev Hungarian Reservations 800-223-6884 Mexicana Reservations 800-531-7921 Midnight Express Courier (LA) 310-673-1100 Midway Airlines Reservations 800-621-5700 Midwest Express Frequent Flyer Miles 800-452-2022 Midwest Express Airlns Reservations 800-452-2022 Nippon Travel Consolidator 800-662-6236 Northwest Frequent Flyer Miles 800-327-2881 Northwest Frequent Flyer Miles 800-435-9696 Northwest Reservations 612-726-1234 Northwest Reservations (Dom) 800-225-2525 Northwest Reservations (Itl) 800-447-4747 Northwest Airlines Complaints and Compliments 612-726-2046 Northwest Airlines Flight Information 800-225-2525 Northwest Airlines Flight Information 800-441-1818 Now Voyager, Inc. Courier (NY) 212-431-1616 Ntnl Fraud Info Center Suspicious Travel Offers 800-876-7060 OAG FlightCall Flight Information 900-786-8686 OAG Flightdisk Flight Information 708-574-6565 fax OAG Flightdisk Flight Information 800-323-3537 OAG Pocket Flight Guide Flight Information 800-DIAL-OAG (342-5624) Olympic Airways Reservations 800-223-1226 Overseas Tours Consolidator 800-878-8718 Overseas Travel Advntr Free Tips 800-873-5628 Passenger's Choice Consolidator 800-666-1026 Passport Services US State Department 202-647-0518 Philippine Airlines Reservations 800-IFLY-PAL (435-9725) Polish Air-Lot Reservations 800-223-0593 Price Club Travel Commission Rebater 800-800-8505 Prodigy Online CRS 800-822-6922 Quantas Airways Reservations 800-227-4500 Royal Jordanian Reservations 800-223-0470 SAS Scandinavian Air Reservations 800-221-2350 SKY BUS Reservations 800-755-9287 STA Travel Consolidator 800-777-0112 Sabena Reservations 800-955-2000 Saudia Arabian Airlines Reservations 800-472-8342 Singapore Airlines Reservations 800-742-3333 Southwest Reservations 800-531-5601 Southwest Reservations 800-IFLY-SWA (435-9792) Southwest Airlines Complaints and Compliments 214-904-4000 Sunline Express Holidays Consolidator 800-786-5463 Swissair Reservations 800-221-4750 TAP Air Portugal Reservations 800-221-7370 TNT Chicago (?) Courier (Chicago) 312-453-7300 TNT San Fransisco Courier (San Francisco) 415-692-9600 TWA Complaints and Compliments 914-242-3172 TWA Frequent Flyer Miles 800-221-2000 TWA Frequent Flyer Miles 800-325-4815 TWA Reservations 404-522-5738 TWA Reservations 800-221-2000 Thai Airways Reservations 800-426-5204 Travac Consolidator 800-872-8800 Travel Avenue Commission Rebater 800-333-3335 Travel Bargains Bargain Travel Agency 800-872-8385 Trvl Industry of Am. Anon Tips about Crimes 800-474-8477 US Dept of Trans. Airline Performance Statistics 202-366-2220 US Dept of Transprttn Travel Advisory Number 800-221-0673 US State Department General Information 202-647-4000/5225 USAir Complaints and Compliments 703-892-7020 USAir Frequent Flyer Miles (itl awrd) 800-442-2784 USAir Frequent Flyer Miles (srvc ctr) 800-872-4738 USAir Reservations 412-922-7500 USAir Reservations (Dom) 800-428-4322 USAir Reservations (Itl) 800-622-1015 USAir Flight Info Flight Information 800-943-5436 UniTravel, St. Louis Consolidator 800-325-2222 United Flight Information 800-824-6200 United Frequent Flyer Miles 800-421-4655 United Reservations 312-825-2525 United Reservations (Dom) 800-241-6522 United Reservations (Itl) 800-538-2929 United Airlines Complaints and Compliments 312-952-7843 Varig Reservations 800-468-2744 Virgin Atlantic Reservations 800-862-8621 Visa Services US State Department 202-663-1225 World Courier Courier (NY) 718-978-9400 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-9] IRS Rules Change A recent IRS ruling allows companies to deduct the cost of lodging and meals as a business expense when an employee stays over a Saturday night in order to get a cheaper airfare, even if no business is conducted on that day. The company does not have to report the room and meals expenses as income to the employee. As of January 1, 1994, the deduction for business lodgings and meals goes down to 50% (from 80%). ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-10] Airline Antitrust Litigation Note: The deadline for claims was June 1, 1993 (postmark). They should have acknowledged receipt of your claim by mid-September, 1993. If you did not receive a postcard by September 12, 1993, or have any other questions, write to Airline Antitrust Administration, PO Box 66, National Park, NJ 08063-0066. Please do not call the court. (If you didn't submit a claim by the deadline, it's too late.) It will take at least a year for them to distribute the certificates because of the length of time required to process the over 4 million claims received. They hope to start sending out vouchers in the fall of 1994. If your address has changed in the meantime, send a postcard to the Airline Antitrust Administration address above. If you flew on American, Continental, Delta, Midway, Northwest, Pan Am, TWA, United, or USAir (domestic flights only) between January 1, 1988, and June 30, 1992 from one of the following airports Atlanta Baltimore Boston Charlotte Chicago (O'Hare) Chicago (Midway) Cincinnati Cleveland Dallas/FW Dayton Denver Detroit Houston (IAH) Indianapolis Kansas City Los Angeles Memphis Miami Mpls/St Pl Nashville Newark New York (JFK) New York (LGA) Orlando FL Philadelphia Pittsburgh Raleigh/Durham St. Louis Salt Lake City San Francisco San Jose Syracuse Washington (National) Washington (Dulles) you are probably eligible for part of the $364 million antitrust settlement. This settlement is in response to a suit charging that they conspired to fix prices through a computerized reservation system. If you write to Airline Antitrust Litigation P.O. Box 209 Philadelphia, PA 19107-9711 they will send you a claim form and instructions. You can also call them at 1-800-854-7264. (An alternate address is PO Box 267, Pennsauken, NJ 08110.) If you've taken at least one eligible trip, you will get a $100 voucher good for travel on either Northwest Airlines only, or on the other airlines (the restrictions on the vouchers differ, see below). You choose which kind of vouchers you prefer, subject to availability. If you've taken at least 5 round trips or 10 one-way trips (or some combination), you will receive $250 in vouchers. If you've taken more flights, you can file additional documentation with your claim, and receive vouchers for 10% of the actual amount spent. This is a gross oversimplification of the terms of the settlement. If more than 2,689,840 claim forms are submitted, the base $100 amount will be reduced. If the total payout exceeds $364 million, the program ends. Certificates may be used only as partial payment toward a ticket; they may not exceed the price of the ticket. The vouchers have the following restrictions on the price of the ticket for which they may be used: Northwest Vouchers ===================================== Voucher Amount Ticket Price ===================================== $25 $100-200 $50 $201-300 $75 $301-400 $100 $401-500 $125 $501-750 $150 $751-1000 $200 $1000- Other Airline Vouchers =========================================== Voucher Amount Ticket Price (min) =========================================== $10 $50 $25 $250 $50 $500 $75 $750 $100 $1000 $125 $1250 $150 $1500 The first $100 in vouchers may be used immediately upon receipt. Of the rest of the vouchers, half may be used immediately and half after 6 months. Vouchers are valid for a period of 2 years. Tickets purchased using the vouchers are good for one year from the date of purchase. Vouchers may not be combined with any other special offer. Only you and your immediate family may use the vouchers unless you designate a different recipient when filing your claim. Vouchers are for use when purchasing tickets directly from the airlines, and may not be used when purchasing tickets from a travel agent. Vouchers may be used only for purchasing round trip tickets for travel within the continental US (Hawaii and Alaska are excluded, except for residents of those states). There are blackout dates during which the vouchers may not be used. Tickets purchased using the vouchers will receive frequent flyer miles. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: [4-11] Miscellaneous Notes The largest travel agency in the US is Thomas Cook Travel. Keep in mind that travel agents, ticket agents, and gate attendants are people, and if you're nice to them, they may be able to bend the rules. Be honest and tell them what you're trying to do, and they will often be nice to you in turn. The same thing goes with airport staff and flight attendants -- ask for help, don't demand it. Unpaid reservations are often cancelled by the airline 24 or 48 hours in advance of the flight, just after midnight. So if you want to book a flight that is already full (e.g., changing your return flight in the middle of the holiday season), try calling the airline reservation number at 12:30 am. Note that the time zone matters here -- you have to call after midnight in *their* time zone. This trick won't always work, since the flight in question might have no cancellations. If it works, you'll have to pay for the ticket by credit card, or, if trying to change your flight, have all the flight information in front of you (including your ticket) and pay for the change by credit card. After midnight is also the best time to get the seat assignments you prefer. When giving your name to your travel agent, be sure to spell it the same way as on you passport. Many airline reservation systems don't allow name changes on a reservation, so if you don't get it right the first time, the agent may be forced to cancel and reissue the reservation. If space on that flight is tight, they may not be able to reissue the reservation under a different name. (Airlines do this to prevent agents from using dummy names to lock in reservations for cheap fares and changing the names later when they have a real person to sell the ticket to.) For domestic flights this isn't as much of a problem, but when traveling overseas, they like the name on the ticket to match the name on the passport. Seat assignment on most airlines starts 3 weeks in advance of the flight (some are 30 days). No seat assignments on Southwest and shuttle flights. Northwest allows advance seat selection 30 days prior to the flight. Continental and Delta allow seat selection 60 days prior to the date of the flight. Non-refundable, non-changeable, non-transferable tickets are the default; you might have to pay more to have a transferable ticket. But then you might be able to sell half your ticket, and thereby recoup some of your costs. (This only works on domestic flights, where you don't need to show a passport.) Bargain seats are almost always limited, so start looking early and be flexible with your times and dates. January, February, September and October are the slack travel months; ticket prices will be cheapest around then. Because of the way airlines price tickets, it is sometimes cheaper to buy a ticket from point A to point C making a mid-trip stop in point B (i.e., two tickets A-to-B and B-to-C) than it is to buy a ticket direct from point A to point B. Note, however, that if you do this your luggage should be carryons, since the airline usually checks the luggage direct to the ultimate destination. Also, some airlines will cancel your entire ticket if you skip one leg of the trip. (For instance, if you discard the B-to-C part of a round-trip ticket from A to C through B, you may find the tickets for your return flight cancelled by the airline.) Most airlines have a rule requiring you to show up AT THE GATE 15 or 20 minutes before flight time, or they will release your seat. That's 20 minutes according to the watch of the gate agent -- give yourself 10 minutes to spare. If you have your ticket and you're late (e.g., 30 minutes or less to flight time, and there are long lines at the main ticket counter), go directly to the gate. Baggage can always be checked at the gate. But if your ticket needs changes or has to be picked up, you can't go directly to the gate. If your flight is leaving very soon and there's a long line, ask the people ahead of you if you can cut in front of them (explaining why). Most people will let you. Airports notorious for heavy traffic and air-traffic-control snafus: Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta, Logan Airport in Boston, O'Hare in Chicago, Stapleton in Denver, JFK in New York, and San Francisco International. If you don't like delays, fly earlier in the day. A flight that leaves early in the morning (before 8 am) often uses an airplane that was at the airport the previous night, and so is already prepped and ready to go. A flight that leaves in the afternoon uses an airplane that started its day in another city, and hence is more likely to suffer from delays (especially if it was delayed on one of its previous flight segments). The safest seats in a plane are often over the wings in the exit row (extra reinforcement). Aisle seats are better than window seats because: 1. You can get up and move around without having to climb over other people. 2. There is more legroom (window seats aren't as wide, because they must fit into the curve of the plane). 3. You'll get off the plane faster, and have easy access to the overhead compartments. Window seats are better than aisle seats because: 1. You have a view, when it isn't cloudy. Few people like middle seats. Reward for Crime Tips: The Travel Industry Association of America and Crime Stoppers International will pay cash rewards of up to $1,000 for anonymous tips about crimes against travelers (including US and foreign citizens on business and pleasure trips). To make a report, call 1-800-474-8477. If there's a promotion on airline A, you prefer to fly on airline B (e.g., you're a frequent flyer on airline B), but airline B doesn't have a similar promotion, you might be able to negotiate with airline B. Try calling up airline B, state the terms of airline A's offer, and say that if they match it, you'll buy the tickets right then and there, otherwise you're going with airline A. This will sometimes work quite well. Carry-on bags: 21" x 14" x 9" is the official size, and 2 is the usual limit. If the flight isn't full, you can usually get away with slightly bigger bags. If they see you struggling with your bags, or you're carrying far too many bags, or you ask if your bag is ok, they'll probably ask you to check the bag at the gate. Purses usually don't count towards the number of bags limit (depends on the purse of course -- there are some mammoth purses out there). If you're carrying non-checkable items (e.g., computers or electronics), they'll probably let you carry them on. If your bag is extremely heavy, DO NOT put it in the overhead bin -- the latches aren't very strong, and having a 40 pound bag fall on your head during a flight isn't pleasant. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ;;; *EOF*