U P F R O N T

Weekly Travel Watch
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War Looms, Miles Dwindle
There's no longer much question as to whether or even when a war with Iraq will begin. What's left to wonder is how long the conflict will last, and how it will affect everyone concerned.

For the travel industry, times of conflict or tragedy trigger a shift into low-profile mode. That means a suspension of marketing activity, which might be perceived as unseemly, and in any case would be ineffective.

So, expect a slowdown, if not a downright moratorium, on mileage promotions.

Some new offers, which may have been in the pipeline for weeks or months, may be introduced as scheduled. But most will be deferred and, perhaps, rescheduled when the environment improves.

United Utters the L-Word
United for the first time publicly made reference to liquidation, calling it "a distinct possibility" if proposed labor-cost reductions are not forthcoming.

Scare tactic? Perhaps. But United's prospects have truly never looked bleaker.

US Air On Schedule to Exit Bankruptcy
On a more positive note, US Airways has received approval for its reorganization plan from a majority of it creditors, clearing the way for the carrier to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by Mar. 31, as scheduled.

O N S I T E

New Topics On the FrequentFlier Forum
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Misterchimpy wants to convert United miles to Hilton HHonors points.

Jean is planning to redeem US Air miles for an award trip on United. "Do I redeem the miles through United or US Airways? I tried to call both airlines but could never get a person."

Bob, citing "the current state of affairs," is looking for an insurance policy for his frequent flyer miles.

Questions, answers, comments? Post them to the Forum!

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M I L E S & P O I N T S

Share AA Miles Through May
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American's shareAAmiles program, which enables AAdvantage members to transfer miles to others' accounts, has been extended through May 31, 2003.

Transfer up to 60,000 miles to others, and receive up to 15,000 miles annually.

A $25 transaction fee covers up to 3 transactions, after which there's a transfer fee based on the number of miles transferred. A transfer of 1,000 to 5,000 miles is $50; 6,000-11,000 miles is $100; and 11,000-15,000 miles is $150.

Continental Card Awards Double Miles for Charges
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Charges made on the Continental Airlines World MasterCard from Chase now earn 2 OnePass miles for every $1 spent at select merchants, including AT&T, Bed, Bath & Beyond, BestBuy, CVS Pharmacy, Hertz, K-B Toys, Macy's, and the U.S. Post Office.

Plus, receive double miles on the purchase of Continental tickets when purchased directly through Continental.

New cardholders will receive a 10,000-mile sign-up bonus.

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Double Hotel, Rental-Car Miles from Northwest
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Between Mar. 1 and May 31, WorldPerks members will earn double miles for stays at partner hotels and for rentals from partner car-rental companies.

Register prior to using hotel and car rental partners at the link below.

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From Priority Club: Raceway to Rewards
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Priority Club Rewards members who charge stays to their Visa cards between Apr. 1 and June 15 will earn extra points, miles or merchandise for multiple stays.

When registering, members must choose between 2 tracks, 1 to receive miles or points, the other to receive racing-related awards. Depending on the track chosen, bonuses are as follows --

- 2 stays = 1,500 points or 350 miles, OR driver flag or pin set
- 4 stays = 3,000 points or 750 miles, OR bobblehead doll or watch
- 8 stays = 6,000 points or 1,500 miles, OR replica hood or TRACKPASS subscription
- 20 stays = 20,000 points or 5,000 miles, OR Dale Jarrett Racing adventure

Bonuses are in addition to the Priority Club Rewards points or miles normally earned for stays at InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express or Staybridge Suites hotels in the U.S.

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Join the US Air Club to Earn 5,000 Bonus Miles
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Dividend Miles members who sign up for 1- or 3-year memberships in the US Airways Club airport lounge program will earn 5,000 bonus miles.

Enroll at http://www.usairways.com/club or any US Airways Club location using promotion code CLB22.

S T E A L S & D E A L S

Deal Alert from SmarterLiving.com
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This week's hot deals from SmarterLiving.com...

Caribbean fares from Continental from $299
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Continental has released sale fares that make a spring or summer trip to the Caribbean appealing.

Travel to most destinations, including Aruba, Jamaica, St. Maarten, and the Bahamas, is valid through June 16. From June 12 through July 15, you can also take advantage of sale fares to Aruba or the Cayman Islands (via Houston), or to Trinidad and Tobago (via New York (Newark)). Book tickets online only, at least 7 days before departure, and by Monday, March 31.

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JetBlue's new service to/from San Diego
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If you're flying cross-country, JetBlue's leather seats and personal seatback televisions make it an attractive choice. With the airline's new service between New York (JFK) and San Diego that starts on June 26, you have another opportunity to try the airline out on a long flight. Introductory fares start at $238 roundtrip, for travel through Sept. 30.

JetBlue has also extended its sale fares that apply throughout its system, including to/from destinations in Florida, New York, and Washington, D.C. American has released matching sale fares on many routes.

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

This Week's E-mail Bag
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"This is in response to a reader's complaint about Hilton's "depreciation" of VIP vacation redemption.

"I called Hilton today and they said if one requests the 6-day Hawaii VIP vacation before May 15, they'll send you the certificate (using 100,000 pts) and it's good for one year. You don't have to go to Hawaii by May 31, 2003. The deadline is for redemption of pts into a certificate, not the actual trip. Since you can always return the unused certificate for the original pts anyway, it makes sense to get the certificate now. You have one year to take advantage of the offer."

- George

"This is in response to David and his quest for the Hilton Hawaii VIP 100k points redemption for six nights. It is my understanding that if he can get his 100k in by May 31 and request the certificate by that date it will be good for a year. I would recommend that he buy EE or I bonds rather than paying for the points. He can use his Hilton Amex to purchase EE or I bonds at a $1 = 3 HH pt. You can purchase bonds on line: http://www.savingsbonds.gov/ols/olshome.htm."

- Steve

"Last week, I received an e-mail from British Air that they are significantly changing their ff program effective 7/1/03. Non-full fare coach only will earn 25% of the actual miles flown.

"This effectively eliminates most benefit from being a frequent flyer with British, and the only way people are going to fly them is if their prices are significantly lower.

"I didn't see anything about this, and thought everybody should know what BA is doing to their program."

- Seth

[Editor's note - Look for more on the BA changes in a future issue.]

S W E E P S & F R E E B I E S

Win 1 Million AAdvantage Miles
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Enter the Travelocity sweepstakes by Mar. 31 to win 1 of 2 grand prizes: 1 million AAdvantage miles.

Sweepstakes is open to residents of the 48 contiguous United States, excluding Rhode Island, New York and Florida, 21 years of age or older as of March 3, 2003, with Internet access and an e-mail account at the time of entry. Limit: 10 entries per person.

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Until next week...