Internet Surfer 2.0/Internet Surfer 2.0 (Wayzata Technology) (1996).iso/pc/text/mac/faqs.015

Text File | 1996-02-12 | 29KB | 583 lines

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.015



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. Ask your travel agent for details on how to get
such a card and what discounts are available.

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.

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.


;;; ********************************
;;; Flying Standby *****************
;;; ********************************

        On the other hand, an empty seat doesn't earn the airline any
money.  So some airlines offer what is called "standby tickets". Using
such a ticket you are NOT guarranteed a seat on a particular flight,
but on the next flight with empty seats. (In other words, standby
means on a space available basis.) If there are available seats,
flying standby can be much cheaper. If it is a busy day and the
flights are full, you may have to wait several hours to get a seat, or
maybe not get a seat at all. 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. A standby
ticket does not guarrantee you a seat, but if you do not absolutely,
positively have to be there tomorrow, you can get some good deals.
[Days which are bad for standby seats are usually good days for
getting bumped.]

        Note that even if every seat isn't taken, an airline sometimes
won't accept standby passengers because it might mean having to unload
fuel to change the weight distribution of the aircraft.

        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"). This works even for "non-changeable" tickets.

        One way to "ensure" the availability of standby seats is for
the agent or the passenger to make 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. Travel agents don't do this very frequently,
since the airlines don't appreciate it. This probably doesn't do you
any good with the way airlines overbook flights. [And causes a lot of
bad will with the airlines. If people start doing this frequently,
airlines will probably eliminate standby fares.] Many airlines have
eliminated the discounts for flying standby for precisely this reason.

        When flying standby, 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. 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 will "roll over" to the next
flight.

        Note that although most airlines no longer sell standby tickets,
you can go to the gate agent at the airport with any unused ticket
from that airline and ask to be placed on the standby list. Your luck
will vary by airline and gate agent.

;;; ********************************
;;; Getting "Bumped" ***************
;;; ********************************

        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 they fly). The airline will then
put you on the next available flight to your destination, along with
your free ticket.

        So another way to reduce the cost of flying is to purchase a
confirmed reservation for 8-9 am or 5-6 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. 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 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.

        If you definitely want to be bumped, volunteer when you check
in and again at the gate. This will give you priority if there are
only a few bumps.

        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:
                Continental, Delta, United, USAir:  Open roundtrip

                American, America West, Southwest:  $$ off another
                ticket (usually $150 to $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.

                Northwest bump tickets are non-transferrable.

                Air Canada offers $150 cash or $300 in travel vouchers.

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.

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.)

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.


;;; ********************************
;;; Sympathy Fares, Emergencies ****
;;; ********************************

        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.

        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.


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

        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.

;;; ********************************
;;; Advance Purchase Fares *********
;;; ********************************

        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.


;;; ********************************
;;; 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.]

        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.


;;; ********************************
;;; Pets ***************************
;;; ********************************

        If you are travelling with a dog, 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 with the baggage, and you won't see the dog until the flight is
over.) Some airlines will charge you extra (~$20) for the dog. I don't
know about cats.

        America West and Southwest do not take pets. (Southwest will
take seeing-eye dogs. I believe all airlines are required to allow
seeing-eye and hearing-ear dogs to accompany their blind/deaf masters
on flights.)

        AA, UA and US all take dogs. US charges $30. AA and UA charge
$50. (Small dogs.)

        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


;;; ********************************
;;; 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, 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.

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

;;; ********************************
;;; 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
   Midwest Express (YX): MKE
   Northwest Airlines (NW): Minneaplois (MSP)#, Milwaukee (MKE)*, Memphis (MEM)*, Tokyo, BOS, DTW
   Southwest Airlines (WN): Dallas Love (DAL), Houston Hobby (HOU), PHX, ABQ
   TWA (TW): St. Louis (STL)*#, New York (JFK)
   USAir (US): Pittsburgh (PIT)*#, Philadelphia (PHL), Charlotte (CLT)*, Baltimore (BWI)*, Dayton (DAY)*, LAX, SFO, SYR, IND
   United Airlines (UA): Chicago#, DEN, Washington Dulles (IAD), SEA, SFO, Raleigh, Tokyo


Airport Abbreviations and Hubs:

ABQ Albuquerque, NM                     WN
ANC Anchorage, AL                       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
DAY Dayton, OH                          US
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
ORL 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


;;; ********************************
;;; 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. 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.  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, [phone]. Other couriers include: Now Voyager NY
212-431-1616, Halbart NY 718-995-7019, IBC NY 718-262-8058, TNT NY
516-338-4180.

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  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
        o  Travel Secrets, $30/year
           Box 2325, New York, NY 10108

        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.