Hacker Chronicles 2/HACKER2.BIN/736.AIRFARE1.TXT

Text File | 1994-01-16 | 97KB | 2,066 lines

;;; ****************************************************************
;;; Airfare FAQ, Part 1 ********************************************
;;; ****************************************************************

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 [e-mail].

An updated version of this file is posted once a month to the
newsgroups rec.travel.air and news.answers. The version date for the
file is located in the header near the top of the file. The list is
also available via anonymous ftp from ftp.cs.cmu.edu in the directory
/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/Travel/ as the files airfare-1.text
and airfare-2.text. The file jet-lag.txt in the same directory
contains the ANL jet lag diet. Note that you must cd to this directory in one
command, as intermediate directories are protected during an anonymous
ftp. Of course, if your site is running the Andrew File System, you
may access the file directly without using FTP.  You can also get the
file by anonymous ftp from rtfm.mit.edu (18.70.0.209) in the
files /pub/usenet/news.answers/travel/air/cheap-tickets/{part1,part2},
or by sending mail messages to "[e-mail]" with the
lines "send usenet/news.answers/travel/air/cheap-tickets/part1"
and "send usenet/news.answers/travel/air/cheap-tickets/part2" in the body.

;;; ********************************
;;; Copyright **********************
;;; ********************************

Copyright (c) 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993 by Mark Kantrowitz. Use
and copying of this information and preparation of derivative works
based upon this information are permitted, so long as the following
conditions are met:
   o  no fees or compensation are charged for use, copies or access to
      this information
   o  this copyright notice is included intact

This information is made available AS IS, and no warranty is made
about its quality or correctness.

;;; ********************************
;;; Contents ***********************
;;; ********************************

Recent Changes:
;;; 12-OCT-93 mk    Decided to start logging all changes instead of using
;;;                 asterisks in the table of contents.
;;; 12-OCT-93 mk    Delta offers frequent flyer awards now at 30,000 miles.
;;; 18-OCT-93 mk    Added Bicycles section.
;;; 27-OCT-93 mk    Change in Travel Avenue's rebating policies.
;;;  2-NOV-93 mk    Added Northwest restrictions on in-flight electronics.
;;;  2-NOV-93 mk    Note about Northwest frequent flyer records.
;;;  3-NOV-93 mk    USAir no longer honoring the AmEx travel vouchers.
;;;  3-NOV-93 mk    Added several sections suggested by Pankaj Gupta --
;;;                 Discount Coupons, Companion Tickets, Premier FF Membership.
;;;  4-NOV-93 mk    Added section on Visit USA.
;;;  6-DEC-93 mk    Added more Visit USA info from Peter Beal.
;;; 16-DEC-93 mk    Note about tax deduction for lodging and meals.
;;; 22-DEC-93 mk    Added entry on Traveler's Tales Travel Resource Center
;;; 22-DEC-93 mk    AT&T Reward Program.

Topics Covered (Part 1):
   Temporary Notes
   IRS
   Standard Tricks
   Fare Classes
   Classes of Service
   Fare Types
   Special Fare Categories
   Flying Standby
   Getting "Bumped"
   Missed Connections
   Buying "used" tickets through the classified ads
   Sympathy Fares, Emergencies
   Refunds
   Advance Purchase Fares
   Travel Agents
   Pets
   Lost Baggage
   Baggage Limits
   Bicycles
   Hub Cities
   Flying International: Couriers, Consolidators
   Visit USA

Topics Covered (Part 2):
   Unusual Travel Agents/Discount Agencies
   Special Meals
   Airline Reservation Phone Numbers
   Frequent Flyer Programs
   Premier FF Membership
   Hotel Frequent Flyer Plans
   Credit Card Voucher Offers
   Coupon Offers
   Companion Tickets
   Restrictions on Electronics
   Complaints and Compliments
   Glossary
   Miscellaneous Notes
   Other Sources of Information
   Further Reading
   Jetlag
   Packing Tips
   Safety
   Pregnant Passengers



;;; ********************************
;;; Temporary Notes ****************
;;; ********************************

With the American Airlines fare restructuring, many discounted fares
have been eliminated, ostensibly because "everything's cheap now".
However, I am not eliminating the discussion of these discounts
because they still apply to some airlines. In addition, I expect the
fare restructuring to be largely temporary -- as soon as fares start
creeping up again, some airline is going to announce discounted
children's fares to attract families as a marketing move, and the
other airlines will follow suit. [The fare restructuring seems to have
ended. Airlines are starting to offer discounts again, so it pays to
ask. --mk 12/15/92]

Even though most airlines are now matching their lowest discount
fares, it still pays to have your travel agent check several airlines.
For example, USAir has a virtual monopoly out of Pittsburgh, some
sometimes they don't feel the need to reduce the fares. If you don't
mind making a connection, you can sometimes save some money by taking
another airline.

;;; ********************************
;;; IRS Rules Change ***************
;;; ********************************

A recent IRS ruling allows companies to deduct the cost of lodging and
meals as a business expense when an employee stays over a Saturday
night in order to get a cheaper airfare, even if no business is
conducted on that day. The company does not have to report the
room and meals expenses as income to the employee.

As of January 1, 1994, the deduction for business lodgings and meals
goes down to 50% (from 80%).

;;; ********************************
;;; Airline Antitrust Litigation ***
;;; ********************************

Note: The deadline for claims was June 1, 1993 (postmark). They should
have acknowledged receipt of your claim by mid-September, 1993.  If
you did not receive a postcard by September 12, 1993, or have any
other questions, write to Airline Antitrust Administration, PO Box 66,
National Park, NJ 08063-0066. Please do not call the court.

It will take at least a year for them to distribute the certificates
because of the length of time required to process the over 4 million
claims received.

If you flew on American, Continental, Delta, Midway, Northwest, Pan Am, TWA,
United, or USAir (domestic flights only) between January 1, 1988, and
June 30, 1992 from one of the following airports
   Atlanta        Baltimore         Boston
   Charlotte      Chicago (O'Hare)  Chicago (Midway)
   Cincinnati     Cleveland         Dallas/FW
   Dayton         Denver            Detroit
   Houston (IAH)  Indianapolis      Kansas City
   Los Angeles    Memphis           Miami
   Mpls/St Pl     Nashville         Newark
   New York (JFK) New York (LGA)    Orlando FL
   Philadelphia   Pittsburgh        Raleigh/Durham
   St. Louis      Salt Lake City    San Francisco
   San Jose       Syracuse          Washington (National)
   Washington (Dulles)
you are probably eligible for part of the $364 million antitrust
settlement. This settlement is in response to a suit charging that
they conspired to fix prices through a computerized reservation
system. If you write to

   Airline Antitrust Litigation
   P.O. Box 209
   Philadelphia, PA 19107-9711

they will send you a claim form and instructions.  You can also call
them at 1-800-854-7264. (An alternate address is PO Box 267,
Pennsauken, NJ 08110.)

If you've taken at least one eligible trip, you will get a $100
voucher good for travel on either Northwest Airlines only, or on
the other airlines (the restrictions on the vouchers differ, see
below). You choose which kind of vouchers you prefer, subject to
availability.

If you've taken at least 5 round trips or 10 one-way trips (or some
combination), you will receive $250 in vouchers.

If you've taken more flights, you can file additional documentation
with your claim, and receive vouchers for 10% of the actual amount
spent.

This is a gross oversimplification of the terms of the settlement. If
more than 2,689,840 claim forms are submitted, the base $100 amount
will be reduced. If the total payout exceeds $364 million, the program ends.

Certificates may be used only as partial payment toward a ticket; they
may not exceed the price of the ticket.

The vouchers have the following restrictions on the price of the
ticket for which they may be used:

         Northwest Vouchers
      =====================================
      Voucher Amount   Ticket Price
      =====================================
       $25             $100-200
       $50             $201-300
       $75             $301-400
      $100             $401-500
      $125             $501-750
      $150             $751-1000
      $200            $1000-

       Other Airline Vouchers
      ===========================================
      Voucher Amount   Ticket Price (min)
      ===========================================
       $10              $50
       $25             $250
       $50             $500
       $75             $750
      $100            $1000
      $125            $1250
      $150            $1500

The first $100 in vouchers may be used immediately upon receipt. Of
the rest of the vouchers, half may be used immediately and half after
6 months. Vouchers are valid for a period of 2 years. Tickets
purchased using the vouchers are good for one year from the date of
purchase. Vouchers may not be combined with any other special offer.
Only you and your immediate family may use the vouchers unless you
designate a different recipient when filing your claim. Vouchers are
for use when purchasing tickets directly from the airlines, and may
not be used when purchasing tickets from a travel agent. Vouchers may
be used only for purchasing round trip tickets for travel within the
continental US (Hawaii and Alaska are excluded, except for residents
of those states). There are blackout dates during which the vouchers
may not be used. Tickets purchased using the vouchers will receive
frequent flyer miles.

;;; ********************************
;;; General Notes ******************
;;; ********************************

The information in this FAQ applies primarily to US domestic flights,
though some information may also apply to international flights.

;;; ********************************
;;; Standard Tricks ****************
;;; ********************************

   Airlines give better fares to people who advance book because
they are trying to encourage people to book as early as possible. If
the airline were to lower fares just before flight time there would be
a flood of people (on random flights) at the last minute. Airlines
need an accurate estimate of the number of people and amount of
baggage on a flight so that they can load the proper amount of fuel.
(Meals and beverages also have to be loaded.)

   Moreover, people who book at the last minute are usually
flying on business, and therefore the business is paying for it.
People flying for pleasure usually know weeks or months in advance,
and can't afford the prices that a business would pay. Thus it is to
an airline's advantage to set rates according to the major differences
between business and leisure travelers:
    o  Business travelers fly mostly between 9 and 5, whereas leisure
       travelers can fly offpeak hours.
    o  Business travelers buy tickets on very short notice, whereas
       leisure travelers plan trips well in advance.
    o  Business travelers do not stay over a weekend (= Saturday
       night), whereas leisure travelers do.
So airlines typically give discounts for people who stay over a
weekend, flying offpeak hours, and purchasing tickets 7 days, 14 days,
21 days or 30 days in advance.

   For example, "Supersaver" or "Maxsaver" fares require that you
buy your roundtrip ticket 7 days, 14 days, or 30 days in advance, and
that you stay over a weekend (Saturday night). The price is usually
the average of the two one-way tickets. (E.g., a 2-week advance
PGH/BOS advance ticket is around $200 this way.) Since a regular 1-way
ticket is so much worse, it sometimes pays to buy a round-trip ticket
and throw away the other half (if you're only going one way). If you
buy a round trip ticket and throw away the other half, make the first
leg of the trip the destination, since some airlines will cancel the
return trip if you don't show up for the first leg.

   For example, a round-trip to San Francisco from Pittsburgh
with a one-night stayover is $1,333. However, the cost of a Saturday
night stayover is only $479 if you order the ticket a week or two in
advance. Purchasing two round trip tickets, one originating from Pgh
and one from SF, and then using one half of each round trip ticket
saves you $375.

   Note that for many airlines the discount fares depend solely
on the date of the first leg of the trip. The price does not vary no
matter when the return flight is (so long as you stay over a Saturday
night). You could buy a flight with one leg in March and the return in
November, and it would cost the same as if the return was in March.

   If you travel regularly to a particular destination, but don't
stay over weekends, you can get the cheaper weekend rates by
staggering your tickets. I.e., if you're flying from A to B and back
Monday and Wednesday of Week 1, and the same Week 2, instead of buying
roundtrip tickets for each week, buy a roundtrip ticket leaving A
Monday of Week 1 and returning Wednesday of Week 2, and a second
roundtrip ticket leaving B Wednesday of Week 1 and returning to B
Monday of Week 2. This works out to be precisely the same flights, but
since both tickets are over a weekend, you get the cheaper rate. The
only problem is that you have to know your schedule in advance to make
this work. Using the Pgh-SF example from above, this method would save
you $1708 on a pair of midweek round trip flights.

   If you travel on offpeak hours and low volume days, the rates
are cheaper. Thus to guarrantee a low cost flight, you have to be very
flexible about where you are going, what time and day you are leaving,
and how long you want to stay.

   Also important is when you make the reservation. If you make
the reservation for an offpeak flight during the peak season (say,
make a reservation for February just before Thanksgiving), you may be
charged the peak rates. After the holidays some airlines lower their
discount fares to attract customers. So you may be able to get a
better fare by making your reservation right after the holidays.

   If you notice that the fare for your flight has been lowered
after you bought the ticket, try calling the airline. Sometimes they
will refund the difference between the price you paid and the lower
fare. (You may have to go to the airport to get the ticket rewritten
at the lower fare.)

   According to a Wall Street Journal article by James S. Hirsch,
(July 30, 1993) many airlines now test fare increases by raising
prices on the weekend (Friday night through Sunday night). If other
airlines don't match the increases, the fares return to normal on
Monday. So you should avoid purchasing tickets on the weekend. (This
works around the Justice Department consent decree that prevents
airlines from signalling planned fare increases in the computer
reservation systems.)

   Hirsch also reported that many airlines have increased the $25
charge for changing advanced purchase tickets to $30 or $35. Note that
this is often a minimum fee -- you'll probably have to pay the full
difference in price if the new ticket price is much higher. Airlines
are using these measures to discourage passengers from buying tickets
during a fare war and later changing the time of flight or
destination. If you go to one of the airline's ticket agents (not a
travel agent), some airlines will reissue a ticket at the lower fare
without fee if the difference is refunded in the form of a voucher for
future travel.

   In addition to the Saturday night stay requirement, many airlines
now give discounts for travel midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
when a Saturday night stay is involved. For example, Northwest
discount coupons recently had this restriction. Most leisure travelers
like to travel Sunday-Sunday, or at least not miss a large part of the
week. Business travelers, of course, don't like to stay over the weekend.

;;; ********************************
;;; Fare Classes *******************
;;; ********************************

   When airlines set their fares, they divide their seating into
"classes", which are based on an analysis of past passenger purchases.
Suppose you have a 100 seat airliner going from DC to SF. The rates
might break down on a particular day as follows:
   30 seats at $315 round trip, 30 days in advance
   20 seats at $350 RT, 21 days in advance
   20 seats at $375 RT, 14 days in advance
   20 seats at $400 RT, 7 days in advance
   10 seats at $450 RT, full fare, available until the last minute.
Now if the time has elapsed within a given price group, then the fare
will go up to the rate of the next price group. If they sell the quota
of tickets for a price group, even if the time has not elapsed, then
they can only sell you tickets at the next rate group price (which is
naturally higher). So it can pay to make your reservations way in
advance. (The number of seats available at each fare varies from day
to day, depending on the airline's yield management algorithm.)

   Actually, it would be more accurate to say that airlines
distinguish between classes of service and types of fares. A discount
ticket (fare) for first class travel (service) could, in theory, be
cheaper than an advance purchase ticket (fare) for thrift travel in
the first class compartment (service). The best way to describe it is
as a series of overlapping tiers of fares.

   There are five regular classes of service: First, Business,
Standard, Coach and Thrift. Standard is practically nonexistent these
days. Fares usually drop with lower class service. For each class except
Standard there are six main types of reduced-fare tickets: discounted,
night, offpeak, weekend, advance purchase, and excursion fare.


;;; ********************************
;;; Classes of Service *************
;;; ********************************

   The following chart gives some of the letters used to
designate each class of service. Note that Fn means Night/Offpeak
Coach in the First Class compartment, and Yn means Night/Offpeak Coach
in other than the First Class compartment.

                        Regular Premium Discounted      Night/Offpeak
First Class             F       P       A               Fn
Business Class          C       J       D               Cn
Standard                S
Coach Economy           Y               B, H, M, Q, T   Qn, Yn
Thrift                  K               L, V            Vn, Kn
Supersonic              R
No Reservation Service  U

In reality there is no difference between classes F and P, nor between
classes C and J.



;;; ********************************
;;; Fare Types *********************
;;; ********************************

   The following lists some of the letters used to designate
different types of fares. This is distinct from class of service. A
number (e.g., 7 or 14) usually means how many days in advance the
ticket must be bought.

   Miscellaneous
      AP   Advance Purchase
      EX   Excursion Fare
      B    Capacity-controlled Excursion Fares
      SW   Offpeak; Saturday or Sunday
      W    Weekend
      X    Midweek
      US   48 contiguous states (not including alaska/hawaii)

   Economy
      KH   Weekend
      KL   Midweek/Offpeak
      MH   Weekend (Discount Fare)
      ML   Midweek/Offpeak (Discount Fare)
      L    Capacity-controlled Inventory

   Standard
      SH   Peak
      SL   Offpeak
      V    Offpeak

   Coach
      B    Capacity-controlled Inventory
      BN   Night Coach
      H    Capacity-controlled Inventory, Coach/Night Coach
      V    Offpeak
      YH   Weekend
      YL   Midweek/Offpeak

   Super Coach
      QH   Weekend; applies Fri-Sun
      QL   Midweek; applies Mon-Thur


;;; ********************************
;;; Special Fare Categories ********
;;; ********************************

   All airlines have special rate categories, but you have to ask
for them by name, since the agents are usually not familiar with them.
You may even have to talk to the agent's supervisor. Below is a brief
listing of different special fare categories, followed by a more in
depth discussion of standby fares.
   Also, see preceding discussion of classes of service and fare
types. For example, on TWA, class K, V, YC, and M fares are the cheapest.

Children's fares:

   Children under 2 years of age travel free on US domestic
flights. To be more accurate, the child must not occupy a separate
seat (sits on its parent's lap), and must be accompanied by a fare
paying adult passenger 12 years of age and over (the lap in which it
sits). Additional children under 2 are subject to regular children's
fares. On international flights you need a "lap child" ticket which
typically costs about $100.
   Fares for children accompanied by a fare paying adult
passenger and occupying a separate seat are cheaper than fares for
unaccompanied children. Some carriers will not accept unaccompanied
children under five years of age (some 8 years, some 12). Fares for
accompanied children range from 50% to 100% of an adult fare
(1/2 fare, 2/3 fare, 3/4 fare, 80%, 90%, full fare). Fares for
unaccompanied children range from 50% of adult fare to 125% of an
adult fare (1/2 fare, 2/3 fare, 3/4 fare, full fare, 1-1/4 fare).

Clergy fares:

   Clergy get ridiculously cheap standby fares on certain
airlines if they possess a certain type of "Clergy Identification
Card".

Military fares:

   US military personnel traveling at their own expense on
authorized leave or pass may get signicantly cheaper fares. Discharged
military personnel must complete all travel within 7 days of discharge
date. Valid active duty US green identification card or separation
orders must be presented. USAir has a 50% military discount.

Also, any military person who is on active duty and either on TDY
(temporary duty), emergency leave or regular leave, or any retired
military person may sign up for space available travel on
pre-scheduled military flights to any air force base (e.g., Hawaii,
Boston, Florida). Active duty personnel have priority over retired
personnel, and space is allocated in order of signup. Few flights,
however, are scheduled more than 24 hours in advance, and you may need
to go to your destination by a very roundabout route, since not every
base has a lot of space-available flights. The cost is free from most
bases, but some tack on a $10 or $20 charge for admin purposes. For
long flights, they will sell you a box-lunch for $2.40. The planes may
not be as comfortable as commercial flights. There are numerous books
on space-available flights that military people can pick up at their
PX/BX.   They should also contact the PAX representative at their
nearest base for more specific information.


Senior Citizen fares:

   Certain airlines provide reduced fares for passengers 65 years
of age and older. Passengers must carry proof of age (passport, birth
certificate, driver's license or medicare card). Seats are usually limited.

Standby fares:

   Flying standby can be one of the cheapest ways to travel.
Adult standby passengers are enplaned on a flight on a standby basis
subject to availability of space at departure time. This is only after
all passengers with reservations for the flight have been boarded.
Passengers from a previous flight who were bumped have priority. No
advance reservations are accepted, but get to the gate early to put
yourself first on the standby list. No stopovers are permitted on
standby fares. [Many airlines no longer sell standby tickets at a
special fare, but will sell you a standby ticket at regular fare.]

   Note that nonrefundable, nonchangeable tickets can often be
used for standby travel (sometimes with a slight surcharge).


Student fares:

   Some airlines give discounted fares to full-time students of an
accredited school, college or university who are at least 12 years of
age. Student ID card must be carried and displayed at the request of
the carrier. Some restrict the age of the student to under some age
(e.g., 22, 26 years of age). Stopovers are not permitted, and some
require reservations at least 7 days before departure.

[The USAir student discount was cancelled on May 30, 1992, as a
consequence of the American fare restructuring. As of June 1993, the
program has been reinstated on a limited scale, primarily on
short-haul east-coast flights. For discounts of up to 30%, you must be
a student of under age 24.]
USAir has a 10% discount on fares for full-time students. The student
discount is combinable with supersaver fares (i.e., you get a 10%
discount above and beyond the supersaver discount). The only
restrictions are that
   (1) You must be a full-time student, aged 16 through 26.
   (2) You must show proof of age and student status to the
       agent when making a reservation (e.g., a college ID and
       driver's license)
   (3) The discount is limited to domestic travel.

Students may purchase discount books of 10 tickets on the Trump (now
USAir) shuttle for $499. Delta has a similar program for their shuttle.
Age restrictions can be as low as 18-22 on these tickets (Continental
18-22, USAir 18-24 some routes, 18-22 others, Delta is 18-24). Times are
restricted from 10am to 2:30 pm and after 7 pm.

A variety of discounts are available if you have an International
Student Identity Card. 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.

Conference Fares

If you're flying to a meeting or conference, airlines will often offer
a conference discount. This must be arranged ahead of time by the
conference organizers and only holds for one particular airline. This
airline is designated as the "official" airline of the conference, and
is advertised in the registration brochure. Discounts are generally
40% off of full coach or 5% off of the best supersaver fare, with
travel within 3 days of the meeting. The conference organizers receive
one free round trip ticket for every 20 conference attendees who use
the airline.

;;; ********************************
;;; 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" ***************
;;; ********************************

[Note: The comments in this section apply to domestic flights only.
US Department of Transportation rules apply only to flights between
points in the US. Airlines do not need to give any compensation for
international flights, so what, if anything, you get for an
involuntary bump is entirely up to the airline.]

   Airlines tend to overbook their flights in case of no-shows.
Occasionally this will mean that more people show up with confirmed
reservations than there are seats on the plane. (Or if the flight is a
particularly full one, it may exceed the weight limit even with empty
seats.) The airline will ask if there's anyone willing to be bumped
from the flight in exchange for compensation (e.g., USAir will give
you a free round-trip ticket anywhere in North America). The airline will then
put you on the next available flight to your destination, along with
your free ticket. Vouchers are typically valid for only a year from
date of issue.

   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:
      Delta, United, USAir:  Open roundtrip
        (Delta requires reservations three days before flight time on
        bump tickets.)

      Continental: domestic roundtrip ticket.

      American, America West, Southwest, Northwest:  $$ off another
      ticket (usually $150 to $300; Northwest generally around $300;
      American has been known to go as high as $1000.)
      Dollar-denominated vouchers are not subject to tax, so they
      stretch further. Amounts depend on the degree of overbooking of
      the flight. United sometimes will also issue a
      dollar-denominated voucher.

      United bumps more than average, Delta less.

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

Most bump tickets (vouchers) are non-transferable, so you must use
them yourself.

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.

If airline delays cause you extra expense, the airlines may be willing
to help you out. For example, if the airline delay caused you to miss
the cheap bus shuttle service to downtown, the airline may be willing
to pay the difference between cab fare and shuttle fare. But in
general, there aren't any policies for compensation (e.g., meals, hotel,
etc.) that must be given to bumped and delayed passengers. Some
airlines are very nice and will give you food coupons if you ask, some
won't.

Under Department of Transportation rules, an involuntarily bumped
traveler who is delayed more than one hour but less than two on a
domestic flight is entitled to $200 or 100 percent of the one-way
fare, whichever is less (the airline must also honor the original
ticket).  For delays longer than two hours, the compensation doubles.
Airlines can offer you a travel voucher (for a free domestic
round-trip ticket) in lieu of cash, but must give you the cash if
that's what you want. Airlines like bumped volunteers because free
travel costs them less than the cash compensation they're required to
offer involuntarily bumped passengers. (If the involuntarily bumped
passengers are put on a flight which brings them to their destination
within an hour of the original flight time, the airline has met its
requirement.) Anything more is strictly the policy of the airline,
which is stated in its Conditions of Carriage statement. (To obtain
this statement, get it either from your travel agent or by writing to
the customer affairs office of your airline. Be sure to ask for the
full copy of the conditions; otherwise they'll give you just a three
page summary of the limitations of liability sections.) Note that
these rules do NOT apply to delayed passengers in general, just to
bumped passengers.

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.

;;; ********************************
;;; Missed Connections *************
;;; ********************************

If you ever miss a connection because your plane was late and the
lines at the service desk are very long (e.g., everybody else on that
flight needs rebooking), call the airline's 800 number. Sometimes
they'll let you rebook because of a missed connection over the phone.
You may still have to pick up the flight coupon at the service desk
(though sometimes you'll be able to get it at the gate), but at least
you'll make the next flight. If you wait on the line, you may not make
the next flight if everybody in front of you is also waiting for the
next flight, or the next flight leaves in a few minutes.

Depending on the airline and the airport, you may be able to be
rebooked on a flight by going directly to the gate. Some airlines will
force you to go to the service desk. (For example, TWA in JFK requires
that all changes go through the service desk.)

If the flight you want to be rebooked on is "full", it may pay to
ask the agents whether upgrading to first class will make a
difference. It'll cost you, but it may save you from being stuck in
the airport for a few hours.

;;; ********************************
;;; Buying tickets through classifieds
;;; ********************************

Many people, when they can't use their nonrefundable ticket (or the
return leg of a round trip ticket), try to sell their tickets through
classified advertisements. This can be a source of cheap air tickets.
However, you'll be traveling under someone else's name, and the
airlines frown on this practice. If they catch you doing this, you'll
be forced to pay full fare for the return flight, and the airline will
cancel all your frequent traveler miles and all the frequent flyer
miles of the person who originally bought the ticket. They may also
terminate your membership in their frequent flyer program. (Most
airlines only check IDs on full flights or on fares that require a
special ID, such as a student ID. But more are checking IDs on
randomly selected tickets in an effort to discourage this practice.
And of course, one should never purchase such a ticket for
international travel, since they always check your travel documents
when you check in for the flight.) If the airplane should crash and
you die, the airline won't have your real name (which can affect life
insurance policies), and this is just plain unethical.  But given that
the airline pricing strategies try to game the consumer market, some
consumers feel they are entitled to game the system right back. I
neither advise nor condone using this practice as a means of obtaining
cheap air travel.

Northwest prints the following warning on the inside flap of the
ticket jacket:

  "Photo identification is required for all passengers.  Boarding may
   be denied and ticket confiscated if passenger's identification does
   not match the name on the ticket."


;;; ********************************
;;; 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. Some airlines will only allow
immediate relatives to get a sympathy fare.

[As of 4/30/93, American and United offered 17% discount on
unrestricted coach, USAir 50%.]

   In any case you have to ask and sometimes be persistent as these are
nonstandard and not widely publicized policies. Many low level airline
workers are not aware of them or do not have the authority to allow them.

   United "Rule 120" describes the rules governing sympathy fares.


;;; ********************************
;;; 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. If you don't pay the invoice, the
reservation cancels out at the end of the 10 day period. I was once
able to get the 10 day period extended, but that was because the
airline had transposed digits in my zip code, causing the invoice to
arrive after the 10 day period had expired.

;;; ********************************
;;; 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 or cat, you must say so when you
make your reservation. All airlines will allow at most one dog in the
presurized portion of the cabin (to prevent barking fights). The dog
must be in a travel cage which fits under the seat in front of you and
sedated. (If the dog is small, try to get a cage which fits under the
seat, so you can keep watch on the pet. Otherwise, the dog will travel
in the pet area of the baggage section, and you won't see the dog
until the flight is over. The pet area is pressurized but may not be
heated/cooled. Get nonstop flights since the pet area can get pretty
hot while on the ground.) Only one cat per carrier except for kittens.
Some airlines will charge you extra (~$50) for a small dog or cat.

   America West and Southwest do not take pets. (Southwest will
take seeing-eye dogs.) State law in all 50 states requires common
carriers (e.g., airlines) to allow guide dogs to accompany their
masters. They are prohibited from charging extra because of the
presence of a seeing-eye and hearing-ear dog. Canadian provinces have
similar laws.

   AA, UA and US all take dogs. US charges $30. AA and UA charge $50.
(Small dogs.) United charges $50 per carrier for cats in the pet area,
$30 for cats as underseat baggage.

   All carriers require a recent (10 days old or less) veterinary
certificate of health, but rarely look at it.
   All airlines embargo pets if the outside temperature is in the
90's (or perhaps even 80's). AA won't carry a pet if the temperature
is less than 45F (enforcement of this rule is uneven). UA says they
won't handle pets when it is -10F. US says they always handle pets
except on certain commuter flights.

   US allows you to bring your pet out to the gate and have it
boarded just before you get on the plane. AA sometimes will, but
usually won't, allow this.
   Many airlines require that the dog be given a tranquilizer supplied
by your vet.


The following is what the airlines charge (1-way) for a pet which fits
under the seat in front of you, as of August 1, 1992.
   $30   Alaska
   $45   Delta, Northwest, USAir
   $50   American, America West, Continental, TWA, United


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

;;; ********************************
;;; Bicycles ***********************
;;; ********************************

Most airlines charge about $45 one way to ship a bike. If you belong
to the League of American Wheelmen ($25 annual membership fee,
call 1-800-288-2453 for info), you can get free bike passes on
America West, Northwest, TWA, and USAir if you book your tickets
through the Sports National Reservation Center, the LAW's travel agency.

;;; ********************************
;;; Hub Cities *********************
;;; ********************************

   Try to avoid hub cities. For example, since USAir's hub is
Pittsburgh, they have a virtual monopoly on flights to PGH, so if
you're so unlucky as to be flying to Pittsburgh, the rates are not cheap.
Occasionally you may be able to take a flight which makes a stop or
connection at Pittsburgh, and walk off the plane in Pittsburgh (i.e.,
a ticket from Boston to Cleveland on a plane which makes a stop in
Pittsburgh might be cheaper than a ticket from Boston to Pittsburgh on
the same plane). This only works when you can carry on all of your
baggage. (Or if your connecting flight is more than two hours after
your flight arrives or on a different plane, you can usually arrange
to claim your baggage at the hub and recheck it yourself. 8*) Several
airlines are currently being investigated by the justice department
for anti-trust violations based on their dominating the airports at
their hubs.

   Here's a list of airline hub cities. I've asterisked those
that I'm sure are monopolized by that airline. # indicates the main
hub of the airline.
   Alaska Airlines (AS): Anchorage (ANC)#, SEA
   America West (HP): Phoenix (PHX)#, Las Vega$ (LAS), Columbus OH
   American Airlines (AA): Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW)#, Raleigh/Durham (RDU)*,
      SJC*, SJU, ORD, BNA,
   Continental Airlines (CO): Newark (EWR)#, Cleveland (CLE)*, IAH, DEN, MSY
   Delta Airlines (DL): Atlanta (ATL)*#, Salt Lake City (SLC)*, DFW, CVG, LAX,
      ORL, JFK and FRA (Frankfurt, FRG).
   Midwest Express (YX): MKE
   Northwest Airlines (NW): 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), Paris (ORY or CDG)
   USAir (US): Pittsburgh (PIT)*#, Philadelphia (PHL), Charlotte (CLT)*,
      Baltimore (BWI)*, LAX, SFO, SYR, IND
   United Airlines (UA): Chicago#, DEN, Washington Dulles (IAD), SEA, SFO,
      Raleigh, Tokyo, LHR (London Heathrow)


Airport Abbreviations and Hubs:

ABQ Albuquerque, NM           WN
ANC Anchorage, AK             AS
ATL Atlanta, GA               DL
BNA Nashville, TN             AA
BOS Boston, MA                NW
BWI Baltimore, MD             US
CLE Cleveland, OH             CO
CLT Charlotte, NC             US
CVG Cincinatti, OH            DL
DAL Dallas (Love Field), TX   WN
DEN Denver, CO                CO UA
DFW Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX      AA DL
DTW Detroit, MI               NW
EWR Newark, NJ                CO
HOU Houston (Hobby), TX       WN
IAD Washington (Dulles), DC   UA
IAH Houston (Intercontinental), TX   CO
IND Indianapolis, IN          US
JFK New York (Kennedy), NY    PA TW
LAS Las Vega$                 HP
LAX Los Angeles               DL US
MEM Memphis, TN               NW
MIA Miami, FL                 PA
MKE Milwaukee, WI             NW YX
MSP Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN  NW
MSY New Orleans, LA           CO
ORD Chicago, IL               AA UA
MCO Orlando, FL               DL
PHL Philadelphia, PA          US
PHX Phoenix, AZ               HP WN
PIT Pittsburgh, PA            US
RDU Raleigh/Durham, NC        AA
SEA Seattle, WA               AS UA
SFO San Francisco, CA         UA US
SJC San Jose, CA              AA
SJU San Juan, PR              AA
SLC Salt Lake City, UT        DL
STL St. Louis, MO             TW
SYR Syracuse, NY              US

AA   American Airlines
AS   Alaska Airlines
CO   Continental Airlines
DL   Delta Airlines
HP   America West Airlines
PA   Pan American World Airways
TW   Trans World Airlines
UA   United Airlines
US   U S Air
WN   Southwest Airlines
YX   Midwest Express


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

   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.

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

   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.

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    213-216-1637
    11am-4pm
       [doesn't seem to exist anymore?]
   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.

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

;;; *EOF*



;;; ****************************************************************
;;; 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 [e-mail].

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

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).

;;; ********************************
;;; 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,
diabetic, low-glutin, and seafood. Simply ask for the meal when you
make your reservation; there is no extra charge. Note that a 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.

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.

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).

;;; ********************************
;;; Airline Reservation Phone Numbers
;;; ********************************

AeroMexico              1-800-237-6639
Air Canada              1-800-776-3000
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            1-800-247-5692, [1-602-693-0737]
British Airways         1-800-247-9297
Canadian Partners       1-800-426-7000
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, [1-612-726-1234]
TWA                     1-800-221-2000, [1-404-522-5738]
United                  1-800-241-6522, [1-312-825-2525]
USAir                   1-800-428-4322 (Dom), 1-800-622-1015 (Itl),
                                        [1-412-922-7500]

Alitalia                1-800-223-5730
KLM                     1-800-374-7747

;;; ********************************
;;; Frequent Flyer Programs ********
;;; ********************************

Most programs (e.g., United, Northwest, American, USAir) 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.

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.

;;; ********************************
;;; 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. Continental silver
elite members get a 100% mileage bonus on subsequent flights. 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.

   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 earn miles and points for same stay.
     -  $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 earn miles and points for same stay.

   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:
     -  Airline Miles: May convert points to miles for American or
        United, at a rate of 5,000 miles per 10,000 points, no flight
        required.
     -  Points: 4 points per $1 spent. Redeemable for room discounts,
        free travel, car rentals, or merchandise.
     -  $25/year membership fee. (Ask them to waive it.)


;;; ********************************
;;; 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) will
   receive three vouchers if approved. The vouchers are good for
   travel anywhere in the continental United States (no more East/West
   zones). However, the ticket prices are $179 during the school year,
   $259 for summer and spring break (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. 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 ************
;;; ********************************

1. US Sprint

2. MCI.
   MCI currently offers 4000 miles to enroll and 5 miles for every
   dollar spent.  Airlines include Northwest and American.

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 in their
     membership newsletter.

  -  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.

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

Hazardous materials, such as paints, explosives, light 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.

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

   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.
   On-time:
      Best  -- America West Airlines 84.8%
      Worst -- Delta 74.3%
   Overbooking:
      Best  -- American 89 involuntary bumps/19 million passengers
      Worst -- America West 1,805/3.7 million
   Mishandled baggage:
      Best  -- Southwest
      Worst -- America West

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.

;;; ********************************
;;; On-line reservation services ***
;;; ********************************

Eaasy Sabre is an ailine reservation system. It can be accessed via
Prodigy, Compu$erve, Delphi for an additional fee.  America Online has
no additional fee for Easy Sabre; it's covered by the basic fee
($9.95/mo.; two hours "free" access included.)  Eaasy Sabre is also
available through National Videotex as a basic service. (National
Videotex costs $5.95 a month and provides unlimited basic services for
the month and numerous free local access dialup numbers.) GENIE
provides Eaasy Sabre for free (other than the normal monthly $4.95),
assuming you use the service during their off-peak hours, which are
6pm-8am weekdays, all day holidays and weekends.  Prodigy replaces the
Eaasy Sabre interface with their own user interface.

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), and National VideoTex (Premium Plus Service;
$12/hour charge plus Premium surcharge of $6/hr non-business, $9/hour
business hours).

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.

;;; ********************************
;;; Miscellaneous Notes ************
;;; ********************************

   The largest travel agency in the US is Thomas Cook Travel.

   Keep in mind that ticket agents and gate attendants are
people, and if you're nice to them, they may be able to bend the rules.

   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. Continental, Delta and Northwest 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.)

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


;;; ********************************
;;; Other Sources of Information ***
;;; ********************************

   The best source of information is the US Department of
Transportation. All carriers must file their fares with them for
tariff purposes.

   A variety of companies publish rate guides based on the US
Department of Transportation files. The subscription prices are a bit
steep, but your library may have some.

The Travelers' Tales Travel Resource Center provides travelers with
current information on international news, weather, discounted air
tickets, access to Internet travel newsgroups, currency rates and
where and how to use credit cards, and much more. The Travel Resource
Center was created by O'Reilly & Associates as an informational
companion to their Travelers' Tales books.  The Travel Resource Center
is a free service, and can be accessed through the Global Network
Navigators' Marketplace section. (To view GNN or the Travel Resource
Center you must be able to support the WWW [World Wide Web] browser.)
To obtain a free subscription to GNN, send an email message to:
[e-mail]. Additional information about this free service can be
obtained by writing to: [e-mail]

;;; ********************************
;;; Further Reading ****************
;;; ********************************


Consumer Reports Travel Letter
   $37/yr, monthly
   Pox 53629
   Boulder CO 80322-3629
   800-234-1970

Best Fares Magazine (consumer edition):
   $58/year
   Best Fares, Inc.
   1111 W. Arkansas Lane, Suite C
   Arlington, TX 76013
   1-817-261-6114

Travel Unlimited:
   $25/year
   Box 1058
   Allston, MA 02134

Official Airline Guide, Pocket Edition:
   $82/year

American Express Sky Guide:
   $45/year (12 issues)
   1-800-678-6738 x111.
   Skyguide, PO Box 5146, Harlan, IA  51593-2646

The Official Frequent Flyer Guidebook - 2nd Edition, 320 pages.
   Information about airline, credit card, hotel, and car rental programs.
   Published by AirPress (publisher of InsideFlyer)
   $14.99 plus $3 shipping
   1-800-487-8893

;;; ********************************
;;; 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 the
file jet-lag.txt in /afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/Travel/ on
ftp.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
  [ ]  Plastic Baggies, Duct Tape
  [ ]  Washcloths
  [ ]  Umbrellas

;;; ********************************
;;; Safety *************************
;;; ********************************

Travel by commercial airplane is among the safest ways to travel. But
there are still some risks. To improve your chances of surviving in
the event of a crash:

  -  Count the number of seats from you to the nearest exits, both in
     front of you and behind you. This will let you find the exits
     even if you've been blinded or the smoke is so thick you can't
     see the way out.

  -  Sit near the wings, as the airplane is reinforced there to
     support the wings.

  -  Wear natural-fiber clothes. Synthetics can melt or ignite,
     producing smoke and toxic fumes and causing burns.

  -  Wear comfortable shoes or sneakers, without high heals. High
     heals can snag on the escape slide.

  -  Bring your own infant safety seat. Use one which has been
     approved for use in motor vehicles AND aircraft. Don't use one
     which was made before February 26, 1985.

  -  In the event of a crash, do not carry any bags or other items
     with you. They can cause you to tumble on the slide, leading to
     broken bones or more serious injuries.

;;; ********************************
;;; Pregnant Passengers ************
;;; ********************************

If you're pregnant, check with your doctor before traveling by air,
especially during the last trimester. There is a small but real risk
that the flight could cause you to go into labor and induce a
premature birth. Flying can also be a miserable experience for someone
who is pregnant. Flying differs from other modes of transportation in
the sudden acceleration and deceleration, frequent air pressure
changes, and significant amounts of vibration. (Though pregnant women
should be careful during any traveling, no matter what the means of
transportation.)

Many airlines won't let a visibly pregnant woman travel without a note
from her doctor certifying that it's ok for her to travel and that
she's not likely to give birth at 30,000 feet.

;;; *EOF*