Archive-name: travel/air/cheap-tickets/part2
Last-Modified: Wed Mar  9 17:57:42 1994 by Mark Kantrowitz
Version: 1.12
Size:  66044 bytes

;;; ****************************************************************
;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 2 ********************************************
;;; ****************************************************************

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. 

Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms
and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu.

;;; ********************************
;;; Flying International:         **
;;;    Couriers, Consolidators    **
;;; ********************************

   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).
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. For example, the following courier
company will let you fly as a courier to Israel (TelAviv) on Tuesday,
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, round trip, for $525: Dworkin Cosell,
(212) 213-0036. Other couriers include: Now Voyager NY 212-431-1616,
Halbart NY 718-995-7019, IBC NY 718-262-8058.

   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

   Also, 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).  The Sunday NY Times travel section has a list of
wholesalers. For example, Nippon Travel 800-662-6236.

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. The restrictions on these tickets are governed by
the consolidator's contract with the airline, and not by the rules for
published fares. Usually they sell only through retail agencies and
not directly to the public. 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 has many consolidators) and in other techniques of fare
construction, importing tickets, etc.

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). 

Courier Agencies in New York:
   Courier Travel Service   516-763-6898, 800-922-2359
 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
 10am-3pm only
   East-West Express   516-561-2360
 To Singapore only.
   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
 Hong Kong and Singapore.

Courier Agencies in Miami:
   A-1 International   305-594-1184
   Air Facilities   305-477-8300

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

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.

;;; ********************************
;;; 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.

;;; ********************************
;;; Unusual Travel Agents **********
;;; ********************************

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 $100,
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 rebate and ticket will be mailed out the same day.


;;; ********************************
;;; 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.

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?

;;; ********************************
;;; 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
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


;;; ********************************
;;; 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.

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.



;;; ********************************
;;; 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.

;;; ********************************
;;; 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.

;;; ********************************
;;; 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. 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. 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). You must purchase your tickets with
   the AmEx card.

   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).

;;; ********************************
;;; 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.

;;; ********************************
;;; Discount Coupons ***************
;;; ********************************

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).

;;; ********************************
;;; 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.

;;; ********************************
;;; 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. 

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

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.

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.
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.) 

;;; ********************************
;;; 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.)

;;; ********************************
;;; 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)
   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).

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.)

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 oneline-info.faq.

;;; ********************************
;;; 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. Even with the
transaction fee and/or interest charges, getting a cash advance on
your credit card can sometimes be the cheapest (and most convenient) option.
On the other hand, when the dollar is rising, you'll want to pay by
credit card when possible.

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). Airport currency
exchange offices have long lines, and often charge a higher exchange
rate than banks.

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 want to be careful.

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.

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.

;;; ********************************
;;; 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. 

;;; ********************************
;;; 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.

   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. 

Travel Safety Tips/Travel Advisories:
   Department of Transportation's Free Travel Advisory number: 800-221-0673
   US State Department Citizen's Emergency Center: 202-647-5225

For international health information (vaccines, etc.):
   Center for Disease Control: 404-332-4559

   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.

;;; ********************************
;;; 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 Res7Path: planet!isdnlin.mtsu.edu!darwin.sura.net!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!news.duke.edu!godot.cc.duq.edu!nntp.club.cc.cmu.edu!cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!casaba.srv.cs.cmu.edu!mkant
From: mkant+@cs.cmu.edu (Mark Kantrowitz)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air,news.answers,rec.answers
Subject: FAQ: How to Get Cheap Airtickets 2/2 [Monthly posting]
Message-ID: <airfare-2.text_773136035@cs.cmu.edu>
Date: 2 Jul 1994 08:00:55 GMT
Expires: 13 Aug 1994 08:00:35 GMT
Reply-To: mkant@cs.cmu.edu
Followup-To: poster
Distribution: world
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, School of Computer Science
Lines: 1503
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu
Supersedes: <airfare-2.text_770544063@cs.cmu.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: anformation about this free service can beobtained by writing to Allen Noren <allen@ora.com>.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;;; ********************************;;; 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 817-543-0538Travel Unlimited: (World-wide courier flight information and travel tips.)   $25/year, monthly   Box 1058   Allston, MA 02134Official Airline Guide, Pocket Edition:   $82/year   1-800-323-3537American Express Sky Guide:   $45/year (12 issues)   1-800-678-6738 x111.   Skyguide, PO Box 5146, Harlan, IA  51593-2646The 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"Going Places: The High School Student's Guide to Study, Travel, andAdventure Abroad", St. Martin's Press, $13.95. This book is compiledby the Council on International Educational Exchange, and givesinformation on more than 200 travel programs for students ages 12 to 18.;;; ********************************;;; X-Ray Machines/Metal Detectors *;;; ********************************There is a lot of misinformation about what can and can't be safelypassed through the airport x-ray machines and the metal detectors. ASA 400 film, when passed through the airport x-ray machines, getsfogged. I know this from personal experience, having ruined a roll offilm by accidentally sending my camera bag through the machine. Higherfilm speeds will be more susceptible to fogging; ASA 100 film isprobably much more resistant to momentary exposure. Nevertheless, filmshould not be sent through the airport x-ray machines. Packing the filmin a lead-lined bag should protect it. Some notebook computers can survive passing through the x-ray machinewithout damage; others can't. Multiple exposures increases the risk. The Apple Powerbook manual specificly states that the machine shouldnot be passed through airport x-ray machines.Do not rest your film or notebook on top of the x-ray machine -- theyaren't as well shielded as they could, especially on top. Unless you rub your wallet along the coils of the metal detector, andthe field strength is set very high, walking through is unlikely towipe the magnetic strip on your credit cards.;;; ********************************;;; 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  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.The Argonee National Laboratory anit-jet-lag diet is available as thefile jet-lag.txt in /afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/Travel/ onftp.cs.cmu.edu. ;;; ********************************;;; Packing Tips *******************;;; ********************************Checklist of things to bring with you:  [ ]  Fanny Pack or Money Belt  [ ]  Small Screwdrivers  [ ]  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, 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.);;; ********************************;;; Safety *************************;;; ********************************Travel by commercial airplane is among the safest ways to travel. Butthere are still some risks. To improve your chances of surviving inthe 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.;;; ********************************;;; 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 riskthat the flight could cause you to go into labor and induce apremature birth. Flying can also be a miserable experience for someonewho is pregnant. Flying differs from other modes of transportation inthe sudden acceleration and deceleration, frequent air pressurechanges, and significant amounts of vibration. (Though pregnant womenshould be careful during any traveling, no matter what the means oftransportation.) Many airlines won't let a visibly pregnant woman travel without a notefrom her doctor certifying that it's ok for her to travel and thatshe's not likely to give birth at 30,000 feet. ;;; *EOF*