Issue #65  --  October 28, 1999

<< U P F R O N T >>

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#!@?> Fright Nite
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Is it proper to wish you (or anyone for that matter) "Happy Halloween"? It's not the underlying sentiment that's in question, it's the pre-'Halloween' modifier, the adjective 'happy.' Whatever the universal Halloween fantasy may be (spooky, scream-filled, an evening-long corn-candy-driven sugar rush), it's not about happiness. Birthdays should be happy; Halloween should be something else again.

So, whatever it is you wish Halloween to be, may it be so.

(And if you live in a country which has the good sense not to celebrate Halloween, that's a country I'll use my frequent flyer miles to visit.)

<< M I L E S >>

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Delta Auctions Vacation Packages for SkyMiles
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Delta has created 12 new travel packages in its latest SkyMiles "More for Your Miles" auction.

Between now and Nov. 10, SkyMiles members can bid on the packages using miles from their account. Travel is available as early as December and round-trip airfare is provided.

Here's a sampling of the packages on offer:

    * Swinging with tennis legends in London. A five-night stay at the London Hilton in Park Lane includes BusinessElite airfare, two sessions of VIP hospitality at the Senior Tour of Champions Tennis Tournament, and a chance to play in the pro-am. Five packages are available and travel dates are between Dec. 2 and 6, 1999.

    * A hunting and fishing get-a-way at the Bienville Plantation in White Springs, Fla. A three-night stay at one of the premier, private sport fishing and hunting lodges in the country. Kick back in an elegant five-bedroom log cabin with meals, open bar, cigars, and two full days of guided fishing included. Travel dates are between May 1 and Oct. 1, 2000. Two packages are available.

    * Theatre-going in London. This six-night package includes accommodations at London's Le Meridien Grosvenor house, daily breakfasts, one dinner for two at Cafe Nico, limousine service from the airport to the hotel, two tickets to a performance of critically acclaimed The Lion King and champagne upon arrival. Package expires March 31, 2000.

    * Experiencing "Dolce Vita" in two of Italy's most beautiful cities. This six-night package includes a three-night stay at the Palace Hotel in Milan and three nights at the Hotel Europa & Regina in Venice. Travel dates are between January and March 2000, July and August 2000, and November and December 2000.

    * Cheering U.S. athletes at the future sight of the 2002 Olympic games in Salt Lake City, Utah. This five-night package includes round-trip First Class airfare, accommodations at the prestigious Stein Eriksen lodge, meals, athletic events, receptions and award ceremonies. Travel dates are between Feb. 23 and 27, 2000. Two packages are available.

Check Delta's website for other available packages.

Members can bid toll-free via phone to 1-877-BID-MILES (1-877-243-6453), by toll-free fax to 1-800-821-1819 (see Delta web site for bidding form), or by e-mail to deltabids@delta-air.com . For the first time, Delta will accept in-flight bids via GTE Airfones. Passengers may dial *BID and place their bids from the airplane while flying over the 48 contiguous states and southern Canada. Members must have the bid amount in their account at the time of bidding. Closing for bids is midnight on Nov. 10, 1999.

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Delta

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Midwest Express, Virgin Link Programs
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Midwest Express and Virgin will partner in each other's frequent flyer programs.

Beginning November 1, 1999, Midwest Express Frequent Flyer program members may earn Midwest Express Frequent Flyer miles when traveling on Virgin Atlantic, and Virgin Atlantic flying club members may earn Virgin flying club miles for travel on Midwest Express or Skyway Airlines, The Midwest Express Connection. The expanded relationship also makes it possible for Midwest Express Frequent Flyer members to redeem miles for additional international award travel on Virgin Atlantic -- to Hong Kong; Shanghai, China; Tokyo; and Johannesburg, South Africa.

Virgin Atlantic currently serves London from eight U.S. gateways: Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Newark, Orlando, San Francisco and Washington Dulles. On November 1, Virgin will begin daily nonstop flights between Chicago O'Hare and London Heathrow.

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o Midwest Express
o Virgin

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Marriott Adds SkyMall Merchandise to Awards Lineup
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Now through Jan 31, 2000, members of the Marriott Rewards program can redeem their points for merchandise from name-brand manufacturers and retailers such as Sony, Best Buy, Toshiba and Dooney & Bourke, through a tie-in with SkyMall.

Members may view products on-line (link below) and then call 1-800-493-3278 to place their order from 9:00 a.m. to midnight (EST) Monday through Friday and have merchandise shipped to any location within the continental 48 United States. Marriott Rewards points are automatically deducted from the member's account.

Available awards range from $100 gift certificates for 40,000 Marriott points, to a Toshiba Tecra 8000 laptop computer for 460,000 points.

(SkyMall, if you can't place the name, is the company which provides inflight catalogs to 70% of U.S. airlines. Their catalogs are actually catalogs-of-catalogs, combining offerings from many different direct merchants into single publications. They're also online.)

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o Marriott
o SkyMall

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Double AAdvantage Miles for LAX-DFW Flights
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Now through December 9, 1999, earn double AAdvantage miles for each nonstop segment you fly between Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth.

To receive the bonus, you must register before your trip by calling AAdvantage Dial-In at 1-800-882-8880. Press 1, 2*, 4* and, when prompted, enter promotion code DBLAX.

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American

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Avant Airlines Joins OnePass
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Beginning November 2, 1999, OnePass members can earn mileage credit and take awards on Avant Airlines of Chile, as follows:

o A minimum of 500 OnePass miles per flight or actual miles (whichever is greater) on flights to and from Santiago, Chile, or to and from Puerto Montt, Chile

o Miles and segments that count toward your OnePass Elite status

o Elite bonus miles

Reward travel will also be available on Avant Airlines beginning November 2, 1999. Mileage requirements for reward travel on Avant are the same as on Continental.

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Continental

<< S T E A L S & D E A L S >>

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Alaska Air, AT&T Offer $0.99/Minute Inflight Calls
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Starting November 1, 1999, Alaska Airlines' passengers can place domestic calls to the United States and Canada on the AT&T inflight phones at the special rate of only $.99 per minute plus taxes and charges with NO connect fee. This promotional rate is only available on Alaska flights and is scheduled to end on January 31, 2000.

For full instructions on how to place a call, receive a call, send a fax; or for information on rates, charges, terms, conditions or restrictions refer to the Alaska Airlines inflight magazine or call AT&T customer care at 800-247-6636 or *611 from the plane. Billing begins when the call is answered. Partial minutes of use are round up and billed as a full minute.

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America West Lowers Orange County Fares
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America West is introducing lower fares to and from Orange County, Calif., and Phoenix, Las Vegas and Sacramento, Calif. Fares to the popular Southern California destination drop by more than 50 percent on 7-day advance purchase fares.

Examples of fares are:

America West offers the only non-stop service between Orange County and Phoenix and Sacramento with eight and five daily flights respectively, and the most non-stop between Orange County and Las Vegas with nine daily flights.

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America West

<< I N D U S T R Y N E W S >>

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BA Prevails in Virgin Suit
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Earlier this week, a U.S. federal court dismissed charges by Virgin Atlantic that arch-rival British Airways had engaged in anti-competitive practices in marketing its transatlantic services.

Virgin filed its claim in 1993, requesting damages in the amount of $1 billion. The suit alleges that BA's use of incentive agreements with travel agents and corporate accounts amounts to anti-competitive behavior, given its dominance of flights to/from London's Heathrow Airport.

In a similar suit filed in Europe, the European Commission ruled in Virgin's favor, fining BA $6.6 million for abusing its dominant position in the market.

Richard Branson was "astounded," and vowed to appeal the U.S. decision.

<< T R A V E L O N L I N E >>

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Internet Bookings Strong at Cheap Tickets
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Cheap Tickets, leading seller of discount tickets for domestic leisure travel, reported that bookings in the third period increased 97% over the comparable quarter last year to $149.6 million. Net revenues increased 118% to $110.2 million, compared to $50.4 million in the third quarter of 1998.

Internet bookings were $45.1 million in the quarter and accounted for 30% of total bookings. This was an increase of 17% over the second quarter and a five-fold increase over the same quarter last year. During the third quarter approximately 580,000 new registered users were added, exceeding Cheap Tickets' internal expectations. The growth in new users represents a more than 28% increase over the previous quarter. In the third quarter the total user base increased 48% to approximately 1.8 million registered users.

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Cheap Tickets

<< R E A D E R R A N T S & R A V E S >>

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Why Do They Do That?
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Under the heading of why do they do that anyway I had an interesting encounter with United Airlines. In order to get the best price to New Orleans, which my company appreciates, especially when the difference is about 3X, my travel agent booked me on Delta. Delta to Dallas, Dallas to New Orleans. Good price though. And since I was doing this at the same time as a colleague she mentioned that we could get United miles on Delta. Of course if I was paying better attention to your newsletter or web site I might have recalled that. Anyway, I would have flown Delta in any case to save the money.

Anyway what with all the illnesses in the family, I got a late-ish start on Monday on the 70 mile drive to Denver International (what I won't do to save my company money!) and, despite speeding and taking the nearly empty 470 tollway, I could see it was getting less and less likely that I would make my flight. No worries though, I would just find another flight since I didn't actually have to be anywhere until Tuesday morning. Still I didn't give up so I dashed around the parking structure, jammed the car into a space I hoped I'd remember later and ran up and got into the United Premiere line, a very long line. I only stayed there long enough to park my luggage and pop out to look at the departure screens for my flight, which I didn't find, since I wasn't flying United but Delta. Sigh. If I ever had a chance of making the flight I was doing my best to blow it. So I drag my luggage (two laptops and one checked piece, don't ask) over to ask someone where Delta is, natch it's in another terminal. Still it's pretty easy to cross over to where they are. In stark contrast to the long lines at United there was literally no one in line at Delta and 3 nice people waiting to help me at the counter. I stepped up to the counter and said that I was probably missing my flight right about then. The person at the counter confirmed that this was so and told me not to worry that I could go over to United and they would take me on a stand-by basis at 9:56 or 12:30 or else I could come back and take a 3pm Delta flight. Funny me! Still, no rush for today so I crossed back over to the United terminal and was directed by a nice United directions person to a much shorter line.

At the much shorter line the flustered United person booted her computer twice (I totally empathize) and then put me on the stand by list for the 9:56 flight direct to New Orleans which, as it turns out, will get me there about an hour earlier than the Delta-Dallas-New Orleans flight. I needed a break about then anyway. So far, so good. Hectic day, all my fault, helpful people.

Then I go to the gate and at the gate counter I walk up to let them know that there I am, standing by, hoping to get on. Now comes the "why do they do that?" part. The lady at the counter starts chewing me out--technically, she says, I hadn't actually missed my 8:50 Delta flight when the flustered, two-booting United person put me on the stand by list at 8:48. Well I just don't know how to respond to that so I say nothing. She also says, "You know, she should have charged you for the fare difference. It's a lot more expensive to fly United. So now you get to fly at Delta prices and get United miles." Very snippy, if I do say so myself. I still can't think of a response to make verbally but I just had to think "Wait a minute, lady! I already was going to get United miles. I don't know why I should be chewed out because other United people don't follow United rules. I wouldn't have paid one dime extra to take your stupid flight I would have rather waited until 3 for the next Delta flight. And what were you going to do with that empty seat anyway? I guess you will only begrudgingly take my 418 dollars which is 418 more than you would have got for no one flying in that seat. And let's not even start discussing the 10s or 100s of thousands of dollars my company has spent paying full fare to fly me on United over the last 8 years."

Sheesh! Like I say, why would they do that? What is to be gained by treating a customer like this? Didn't make me any happier than I was. No wonder United isn't rising.

 - Jackie

[Danged if I know why they do that. Good question, though.]

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Feel Cheated
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I'm a WorldPerks member and so are my four children and my husband. Recently I tried to book seats for our family to travel to Hawaii using our WorldPerks miles. I was told that it's impossible to get seats ( even though my travel is in December) unless I pay cash. I was told only limited seats were reserved for WorldPerks members. We are placed last on the list.

Suddenly, I feel like a third class passenger ( if at all there is such a thing). I don't want to be given something that's useless. Is this how frequent travelers are rewarded? We are made to feel that we're going for hand-outs. I hate the feeling! Don't give me Worldmiles then, give me better service and be honest!

 - J.K.

<< S I T E 2 S E E >>

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Virgin Atlantic: Online Eyeful
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If you haven't been to Virgin Atlantic's website recently, fly on over.

It's the most graphically sophisticated of any of the airline websites, featuring heavily colored backgrounds and lots of animation. So aggressively graphical is the site that other airline websites literally pale by comparison.

Too often, great graphics come at the expense of site utility. In Virgin's case, they've managed to make the site a visual standout without compromising download times. The pages snap onto the screen disconcertingly quickly. The site is fully contented: online bookings, frequent flyer account access, media backgrounders, etc. And the navigation, while arty, is clear and actually informative.

Speaking of navigation... navigate on over to the advertising section of the site to view the gallery of Virgin billboard ads. Like the website itself, they're colorful, witty and humorous.

Jolly good show.

>> More <<
Virgin online

Until next week...