Issue #34  --  March 5, 1999

** CONTENTS **

Book Online to Receive 4,000 AAdvantage Miles ~ New ClickRewards Partners ~ Triple Miles for Reno Air Flights ~ Travelocity Offers Booking Bonus Miles ~ America West Adds Starwood Hotels to FlightFund ~ United + E*TRADE ~ US Airways' Miles-for-Charity ~ Class Action Against ALPA for Sickout at American ~ Southwest Will Fly from/to Raleigh-Durham ~ Thrifty to Join Aeromexico Program ~ New Loyalty Program ~ 5,000 Bonus Miles for Hong Kong Packages

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Bonus Miles for Online Bookings
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Book on AA.com (www.AA.com) for the first time, and travel between now and May 31, and receive 4,000 AAdvantage bonus miles in addition to the mileage earned for flying the trip. Those who have booked previously on AA.com will continue to receive 1,000 AAdvantage bonus miles when they travel after booking on AA.com.

In addition to shopping and reservation, AA.com also offers personalized features, including travel specials from preferred airports, online management of personal AAdvantage accounts, and time-saving features that allow customers to receive the targeted individual information.

>> Caveat
Always make sure you're getting the best price BEFORE making your booking. On several occasions, I've been able to get a lower fare through the airline's reservations agents than through the same airline's website. In the case of this bonus mile offer, figure 4,000 miles are worth between $40 and $80 (@ 1 - 2 cents per mile). If your online booking costs more than the value of the extra miles, you're probably better off booking through normal channels and pocketing the savings.

>> More <<
AA.com

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ClickRewards Expands Partner Network
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ClickRewards has added three more e-commerce sites to the roster of companies offering ClickMiles for online transactions.

1) DealDeal.com offers PCs, computer hardware, consumer electronics, sporting goods, etc. Earn 50 ClickMiles when you make a bid.

2) WorldSpy is a free service providing one-stop comparison shopping, product reviews, ratings and also features thousands of products at discounted prices. Earn 1 ClickMile for every dollar spent.

3) The Disney Store Online sells everything Disney-related. Earn 1 ClickMile for every dollar spent. On all orders over $75, earn two ClickMiles for every dollar spent.

Also, ClickRewards members earn double miles on all the sites in the ClickRewards Shopping Network. This offer ends on March 31, 1999.

>> More <<
ClickRewards

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Triple Miles for Reno Air Flights
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Reno Air is now offering triple miles on flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles, San Jose and Orange County, and San Jose and Los Angeles. With Reno Air's new expanded service on the West Coast, both American Airlines AAdvantage award program members and Reno Air QQuick Miles members can earn triple miles or 1,500 miles on qualifying flights through May 31, 1999. Both AAdvantage and QQuick miles count towards upgrades, free tickets and other travel awards.

Effective April 19 Reno Air will offer nine daily roundtrips between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and eight daily roundtrips between Los Angeles and San Jose.

This is yet another reason for long-suffering victims of United's LAX-SFO shuttle to give Reno a try.

>> More <<
Reno online

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Travelocity Reprises Bonus-Mile Offer
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Travelocity.com, the online travel agency, is giving travelers 1,500 bonus miles, a repeat of the bonus promotion held last fall. From February 26 through March 31, Travelocity.com members who purchase an airline ticket on select airlines, in addition to a hotel stay or car rental, can claim 1,500 extra frequent flyer miles on top of the travel provider's standard mileage awards.

U.S. and Canadian customers who purchase a car rental or hotel stay with an air ticket on Travelocity.com will qualify for 1,500 bonus miles on one of the following airlines: American Airlines, America West Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines and United Airlines.

Additionally, Travelocity.com customers who rent an Alamo Rent A Car through the site during the same time period also will receive double the standard frequent flyer miles for Alamo Rent A Car. Miles will be added to the frequent flyer account of choice designated in the customer's Alamo profile.

Air travel must be completed by June 30 and bonus miles must be redeemed within 30 days after travel is completed. Bonus miles are only available on participating airlines and can only be claimed for the airline on which the flight was booked. Other restrictions may apply.

>> More <<
Travelocity

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America West Adds Starwood Hotels to FlightFund
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America West Airlines' frequent flyers can now earn FlightFund miles at participating Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

Starwood properties include Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis/Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Caesars World and Four Points Hotels by Sheraton in addition to Westin Hotels and Resorts, a longtime FlightFund partner which has become part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. For each qualifying stay at the St. Regis/Luxury Collection properties, FlightFund members receive 750 FlightFund miles. FlightFund members will receive 500 FlightFund miles for qualifying stays at all other Starwood properties.

As a special offer, FlightFund members who stay at participating Starwood properties five times between now and May 31, 1999, earn 10,000 FlightFund bonus miles. To be eligible to earn the 10,000-mile bonus, members must sign up for Starwood's frequent guest program, Starwood Preferred Guest, and must register by calling 1-888-625-4955 and mentioning code KE. A maximum of one 10,000-mile FlightFund bonus per member is allowed and is subject to the terms and conditions of the Starwood Preferred Guest Program. Starwood Preferred Guest members earn two Starpoints per eligible U.S. dollar spent.

Starwood Preferred Guest, launched in February 1999, replaces Westin Premier and Sheraton Club International.

To receive America West FlightFund miles at qualifying Starwood properties, FlightFund members present their membership card at check-in.

>> More <<
America West

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More Mileage Plus Opportunities with E*TRADE
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E*TRADE and United Airlines Mileage Plus this week announced a marketing program which allows Mileage Plus members to earn miles for E*TRADE transactions, and gives them the opportunity to participate in the Million Mile Challenge. By playing the April E*TRADE Stock Game, the first place finisher will win a grand prize of 500,000 Mileage Plus miles. The second place prize is 200,000 miles, with the third through fifth place finishers each receiving 100,000 Mileage Plus miles. Contestants must register for the April E*TRADE Stock Game no later than April 10. Winners are determined by the greatest return on a fantasy portfolio of stocks.

Mileage Plus members who open an E*TRADE account with a minimum investment of $10,000 will be rewarded with a sign-up bonus of 10,000 miles. And members who open an E*TRADE account with a minimum investment of $1,000 will receive a sign-up bonus of 5,000 miles. Current E*TRADE customers earn up to 10,000 United Airlines Mileage Plus miles by opening a new, qualifying E*TRADE account.

Beginning in late Spring 1999, E*TRADE customers who refer a friend to E*TRADE will be rewarded with 5,000 Mileage Plus miles when the friend opens an E*TRADE account. Under the agreement, current E*TRADE customers can earn a maximum of 50,000 Mileage Plus miles annually.

>> More <<
E*TRADE

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Class Action Suit Filed Against Pilots' Union
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Two Fort Worth residents filed a class action lawsuit in Fort Worth today naming the Allied Pilots Association, its officers and several of its directors as defendants.

Jim and JoEllen Cashion were trying to get to Miami to see his sister before her scheduled surgery for cancer when their trip was curtailed because of the American Airlines pilots sickout last month.

The sickout was precipitated by American Airlines acquisition of Reno Air, and the Allied Pilots' dissatisfaction with American's integration of 300 Reno pilots into the American system.

The lawsuit seeks at least a fifty percent refund of the cost of American tickets for all passengers affected by the sick-out. According to the Cashions' attorney, the damages alleged could easily exceed $100,000,000.

While at least two other lawsuits have been filed by passengers over the sickout, this is the first known lawsuit to seek a ticket refund from the Allied Pilots for all those affected by the sickout.

According to the lawsuit, Allied Pilots set up a phone bank between February 7, 1999 and February 10, 1999 to call American Airlines pilots and encourage them to call in sick. E-mail was also sent to the American Airlines pilots suggesting that they were "all feeling ill" and "a great deal of stress" because of American Airlines' handling of the Reno acquisition. E-mail messages then told the pilots that they were considered "sick" if they were "sickened by strong emotion" or "lacking vigor" and reminded the pilots that federal law prohibited them from flying "if you are 'sick'."

The lawsuit alleges that the feigned sickout was part of a conspiracy to intentionally interfere with American passengers' contractual rights with American Airlines.

"In pursuit of their own personal economic concerns, the pilots completely disregarded the effect that their actions would have on the lives of thousands of innocent people," said John Malesovas, the Cashions' attorney. "They knew that their actions were wrong, yet they continued, despite a court order directing them to stop.

"I am hopeful that the Allied Pilots will recognize the errors in their ways and agree to do what's right to attempt to rectify the situation, but given their actions to date, I expect nothing less than continued denial of their responsibility for severely disrupting the lives of thousands," said Malesovas.

Plaintiffs' counsel in this action, Malesovas, Martin & Tekell, L.L.P. and Freidman, Young, Suder & Cook with offices in Fort Worth and Waco, Texas, have considerable experience in consumer class actions and are actively involved in major litigation throughout the State of Texas.

>> More <<
If you held tickets on American for flights between February 5, 1999 and February 14, 1999, your rights could be affected by this lawsuit. If you have any questions regarding your rights or interests in the case, please contact John Malesovas via E-mail at john@malesovas.com or toll free at 1-800-653-7199.

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US Airways' Miles-for-Charity
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Members of the US Airways Dividend Miles program now can use their frequent traveler miles to make a difference for children.

As part of a new relationship between US Airways and both the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Save the Children Federation, Dividend Miles donated to the airline's charity program will be divided equally between the two nationally recognized organizations.

US Airways inaugurated this new program with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Save the Children by depositing 100,000 miles into each charity's account. For every five miles donated by a Dividend Miles member, US Airways will donate one additional mile.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation will use the donated miles to help make dreams come true for children facing life-threatening illnesses, whether it's spending a day as a New York City police officer or taking a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

The Save the Children Federation will use the miles for its Web of Support for U.S. Children, which assists and supports organizations that provide safe places, caring adults and constructive activities to children during out-of-school hours in over 100 urban and rural communities nationwide.

Members can donate as many miles as they wish, with a minimum of 5,000 miles. Donations over 5,000 miles must be made in increments of 1,000 miles. The miles donated will be redeemed by the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Save the Children Federation to further their missions for children.

Dividend Miles members can make their donations to the Dividend Miles Charity Program by calling 336-661-8390. Members also can submit their donation by faxing their name, Dividend Miles account number, and the number of miles to be donated to 336-661-8216. The donated miles automatically will be deducted from the member's account and acknowledged on the member's next account statement.

>> More <<
o US Airways
o Make-A-Wish
o Save the Children

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Southwest Brings Low Fares to Raleigh-Durham
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Southwest Airlines will begin service from the Raleigh-Durham on June 6, 1999.

Southwest will operate 12 daily nonstop departures to five cities: Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Nashville, Chicago's Midway Airport, Tampa Bay, and Orlando.

The airline will offer four daily nonstop flights to Baltimore/Washington, two daily nonstop flights to Chicago's close-in Midway Airport, four daily nonstop flights to Nashville, one daily nonstop flight to Tampa Bay, and one daily nonstop flight to Orlando. Southwest also will offer connecting service to 28 other cities. Connecting service requires a change of planes before continuing to the final destination.

Southwest is offering a $65 one-way unrestricted fare between Raleigh- Durham and Baltimore/Washington, which is a 78 percent savings from the $297 one-way fare currently offered by other airlines between Raleigh-Durham and Baltimore/Washington. Southwest's $65 one-way fare is available on every seat, every flight, everyday between the two destinations. (See below chart for fares to all destinations from Raleigh-Durham.)

An even lower fare of $39 each way, based on roundtrip travel, is available with seven-day advance purchase for travel between Raleigh-Durham and Baltimore/Washington. Seats are limited and an overnight stay is required. Tickets must be purchased within one day of making reservations and are nonrefundable but may be applied, if unused, toward the purchase of future travel on Southwest.

Southwest will occupy two gates at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and will employ 44 people when operations are fully staffed.

This will increase to 53 cities in 27 states when Southwest begins service to MacArthur Airport on Long Island, New York, on March 14, and to 54 cities in 28 states when service begins to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in June. Southwest currently operates more than 2,400 flights a day.

  (A) Lowest Restricted Fare Requires a 7 day advance purchase and a stayover. Fares are non-refundable.

>> More <<
Southwest

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Thrifty Joins Aeromexico Program
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Thrifty Car Rental is teaming up with Aeromexico, Mexico's largest airline, to give Club Premier frequent flyer members 1,000 kilometers every time they rent from Thrifty anywhere in the world effective immediately.

A flight is not required for Aeromexico Club Premier members to receive kilometers from Thrifty.

In Mexico, Thrifty has 34 locations in 16 cities, including Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Guadalajara, Ixtapa-Zihuatenejo, Leon (Guanajuato), Mexico City and Monterrey. Thrifty also has locations in 28 other countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. In Spain, one of Aeromexico's premier European destinations, Thrifty has locations in Barcelona, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca and Sevilla.

>> More <<
Thrifty

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Carlson Laucnhes New Frequency Program
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Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, one of America's largest hotel and restaurant companies which includes such well-known brands as T.G.I. Friday's restaurants, Radisson Hotels Worldwide and Country Inns and Suites By Carlson, this week unveiled a new customer loyalty program which awards members with dining, travel and merchandise awards.

With Gold Points Rewards, customers earn points based on dollars spent or nights stayed at 800 of Carlson Hospitality's hotel, resort and restaurant locations in the United States. Gold Points can be redeemed for future hotel stays, restaurant dining, travel and merchandise. There are additional opportunities to earn and redeem Gold Points through special offers from participating service and retail companies in the Gold Points national partner network.

Participating Carlson companies are as follows:

>> Country Inns & Suites By Carlson
Country Inns & Suites By Carlson awards Gold Points for every dollar spent. Gold Points can be earned and redeemed at more than 150 Country Inns & Suites locations in the United States.

>> Radisson Hotels
Radisson Hotels Worldwide offers Gold Points with each stay at a Radisson hotel. Bonus points are awarded for multiple Radisson stays. With Radisson Gold Rewards, Gold Points are earned and redeemed at the more than 200 Radisson hotel and resort locations in the United States.

>> T.G.I. Friday's and Three Other Carlson Restaurants
T.G.I. Friday's and its sister restaurants, Friday's Front Row Sports Grill, Friday's American Bar and Italianni's, augments its existing Frequent Friday's program by joining the Gold Points program. Since 1996, nearly five million T.G.I. Friday's guests have become members of Friday's frequency program, and Friday's has issued more than 13 billion points to guests. Friday's Gold Points, which can be earned at more than 400 restaurant locations in the United States, will have the same basic prize and point levels as Frequent Friday's, but with more places to earn and redeem points.

Other Gold Points national network partners currently include MCI WorldCom, a residential long distance service, and SkyMall, an in-flight merchandise catalog. SkyMall retailers include Sharper Image, Orvis, Brookstone and Wine Enthusiasts.

Customers can enroll in Gold Points at any U.S. location of Country Inns & Suites, Radisson hotels, T.G.I. Friday's restaurants, Italianni's restaurants or any other participating Gold Points network partner.

Someone evidently forgot to tell the Carlson people (who should know better) what it's all about: It's THE MILES, stupid. Programs which don't offer miles, or allow conversion into miles, are for the most part destined to lead marginal lives, perpetually overshadowed by the programs which traffic in the only real currency, mileage.

>> More <<
The Gold Points site

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5,000 Bonus Miles for Hong Kong Packages
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In conjunction with the Hong Kong Tourist Association and The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, United Vacations is offering Spirit of Hong Kong, an air-inclusive package with a kicker of 5,000 United Airlines' Mileage Plus bonus miles. The miles are awarded in addition to the miles accrued for the air portion of the trip, which means that travelers can expect to earn a minimum of 13,800 flight miles for Spirit of Hong Kong.

Spirit of Hong Kong includes roundtrip travel on United Airlines; five nights Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group accommodations, with a one category room upgrade based on availability at check-in; roundtrip transfers between the airport and hotel; a half-day Hong Kong Island Tour; 5,000 Mileage Plus bonus miles; a Hong Kong Value Plus Card, offering discounts on shopping, entertainment and more; a complimentary Noon Day Gun Tour; and hotel taxes.

Per person pricing at The Excelsior (city view) begins at $1099 from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Honolulu and reflects Monday-Thursday travel April 1-Aug. 31, 1999. Add approximately $30 for departures from other U.S. cities. And, for those travelers who desire roomier seating on their overseas flight, United Vacations is offering business class airfares at a significant savings.

>> More <<
United Vacations online

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Reader Rants & Raves
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The following is from B.A.

Special warning to all people trying to cash in their Delta miles for award travel around Christmas/New Year:

In Delta's fine tradition of frequent flier neglect, it is now nearly impossible to redeem miles for business class travel between the US west coast and Europe. All domestic legs are Coach only, whether you are a Gold Medallion member, Platinum Medallion member, or the Pope. Well, maybe the Pope still gets a seat. This is 10 (ten) months ahead of actual travel with a departure and return flexibility of 2 days each. The question as to how many seats exactly are available for mileage redemption is answered with the typical "We don't know, and even if we did know, we wouldn't tell you, the stupid customer".

Do you know any other business that can afford to do this?? "I am sorry, sir, you already paid for the car with bonus points, but you can't have it around the time you wanted or needed it, we don't know how many cars there are on the lot, and even if we did, we couldn't tell you, but maybe some cars will become available two days before you need yours."

I am getting the hell out of their Medallion program.

Until next week...