Issue #93  --  May 11, 2000

<< U P F R O N T >>

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Wanted: Your Mileage Story
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Mileage maniacs, here's an opportunity to get the recognition you deserve...

We received the following query from the Washington Post which we hereby pass along to you, readers of The FrequentFlier Crier:

Hi, we are doing a piece at the Washington Post travel section on unusual ways to collect frequent flyer miles (Yes, the pudding man is our hero!).

Just wondering if you have any ideas that go beyond credit cards, car rentals and such.

Andrea
Washington Post
sachsa@washpost.com

I suggested to Andrea that some of our readers have undoubtedly performed all manner of mileage-generating miracles and recommended that we include her question in this newsletter. She agreed on both counts.

So, if you have a mileage-earning anecdote which would be appropriate for Andrea's story, please e-mail it to her directly at the above e-mail address. You should include a phone number in case she has any follow-up questions.

Who knows... you might be the next Pudding Guy (or Gal)!

<< M I L E S >>

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Shifting Tides of Global Alliances
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We don't normally bother to comment on rumors in The Crier, but this one is just too intriguing, and of too much potential consequence, to let it pass without comment.

A French newspaper, Les Echos, reports that British Airways may be on the verge of severing ties with the Oneworld alliance group (of which BA and American are the "anchor" members) in order to join a rival global alliance spearheaded by Delta and Air France.

If true, this would amount to a huge setback for Oneworld, already suffering the loss of Canadian International in the wake of their acquisition by Air Canada, a Star Alliance member. And conversely, the addition of BA to the Delta-Air France group would immediately catapult what has so far been a second-tier effort into the ranks of the alliance leaders.

You may also have heard that last week, KLM and Alitalia parted ways in a dispute over access to Italy's Milan airports. While Northwest has assured us that they will continue operating code-share flights with Alitalia, it's unlikely given the split with KLM that Alitalia will take its place as a full partner in the Northwest-KLM Wings alliance.

In any case, between what we know and what is rumored, there are some substantial changes actually and potentially affecting the major global alliances. And while these partner gyrations may seem arcane, they could eventually have a significant impact on your opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles.

We'll be putting up more information about the alliances, and the place they occupy in mileage-earning strategy, in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned...

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New AAdvantage Hotel Partner: Nikko Hotels
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Effective immediately, AAdvantage members can earn 500 miles per stay at any participating Nikko hotel.

Nikko Hotels is a luxury hotel chain owned and operated by JAL Hotels, a subsidiary of Japan Airlines. Nikko has a total of 44 hotels in Europe, North America and throughout the Asia/Pacific region. In addition, JAL Hotels operates JAL City Hotels, a seven-unit chain of mid-priced hotels for business travelers in Japan, as well as independent hotel properties.

As part of the new arrangement with American, guests at JAL City Hotels will be credited with 200 AAdvantage miles for qualifying stays

>> More <<
o American
o Nikko

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Hyatt Bonuses for Multiple Stays
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From June 1 through August 31, 2000, members of Hyatt's Gold Passport program will earn 5,000 bonus points or 3,000 bonus miles per stay starting with your third stay.

If you choose Gold Passport points for stays, you can earn a maximum of 25,000 bonus points valid toward free nights at Hyatt. Or, if you choose to earn airline miles, you can receive a maximum of 15,000 bonus miles in a variety of airline programs.

In order to receive either bonus, you must sign up (see link below).

In addition to the bonuses, Hyatt will upgrade Gold-level members to Platinum status after 3 stays during the promotion period.

>> More <<
Hyatt

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Discount, ClickMiles for First MotherNature.com Buy
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ClickRewards members can save $10 and earn 300 ClickMiles for their next purchase at MotherNature.com, if you're a first time purchaser.

MotherNature.com is an online vendor of vitamins, supplements, bath & body products, organic coffee, and natural foods.

Offer expires May 22, 2000.

>> More <<
ClickRewards

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OnePass Bonuses for New Latin America Routes
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Continental is offering OnePass bonus miles for travel on new Latin America flights, as follows:

> Aguascalientes, Mexico
  Via Houston begins 6/14/00. Earn double miles 6/14/00 - 8/14/00 (promo code 50018)

> Puebla, Mexico
  Via Houston began 5/2/00. Earn double miles 5/2/00 - 7/2/00 (promo code 50019)

> Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
  Via New York begins 6/14/00. Earn double miles 6/14/00 - 8/14/00 (promo code 50024)

> Santa Cruz, Bolivia
  Via Houston or New York with a stop in Lima, Peru, begins 6/14/00. Earn 2,500 bonus miles each way 6/14/00 - 8/14/00 (promo code 50026)

> Santiago, Chile
  Via Houston with a stop in Lima, Peru, begins 6/14/00. Earn 2,500 bonus miles each way 6/14/00 - 8/14/00 (promo code 50025)

In order to receive the bonus miles, you must register the promotion code associated with the offer.

>> More <<
Continental

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Doing Well by Doing Good, FFP-Wise
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As they become available from the airlines, we have been reporting on the airlines' frequent flyer program data--number of awards issued/used, breakdown of award types, year-over-year changes, percentage of seat capacity allocated for awards, etc.

In addition to reporting the numbers, we've been calling on the airlines to standardize their reporting to allow consumers to make meaningful comparisons among competing programs. And we've been calling on consumers to include the FFP data in their evaluation and choice of airline.

Deconstructing the latest United press release, we see signs of movement in that direction.

We already reported United's numbers (see http://frequentflier.com/ffc-0420.htm), so we won't repeat ourselves here. What was interesting in the news release issued this week, and cause for hope, was United's chest-thumping proclamation that they are the world leader in issuing frequent flyer awards. Quoting from their news release:

"United is the airline industry's customer reward and recognition champion," said Graham Atkinson, senior vice president of marketing. "As a result of a number of enhancements and our use of new technologies, today it is easier than ever to redeem Mileage Plus miles. Nearly one in eleven miles flown on United in 1999 was on an award ticket."

Of course, as the world's largest airline, United would be expected to give away more awards than their smaller competitors. Still, we are encouraged to see United beginning a media campaign which could ultimately raise the level of competition on the FFP front.

Case in point... United's claim that 8.7% of their traffic consisted of customers traveling on frequent flyer program awards is telling. First, it's a significant percentage, and clearly an indicator of their commitment to their FFP members. Second, it's a percentage which can be used to make comparisons among airlines. (Or could be, when the airlines agree to report based on calendar versus fiscal year, used versus issued awards, include versus exclude upgrade awards, and otherwise squeeze the semantic disparities out of their respective reports.)

United also, in a swipe at arch-rival American, complimented itself on its restraint in only removing a single row of economy-class seats. The implication: American, by removing more economy-class seats (and trumping United in the legroom race) was effectively penalizing its frequent flyer program members, who would find award seats harder to come by. (Indeed, this is an issue we first raised when American announced their plan to increase legroom in coach.)

Obviously it's too soon to tell whether American or United's seating initiative will provide the most good for the most consumers, factoring in comfort, ticket pricing and award-seat availability. What's encouraging is that battles are being waged on the FFP and comfort fronts. And when United, American and the rest bring their best efforts to bear on one-upping their competitors, consumers win the war.

>> More <<
United

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

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Deal Alert from SmarterLiving.com
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Two hot deals from SmarterLiving.com...

>> 20% Discount on International Travel

Delta is offering a 20 percent discount on fares to 9 different international destinations for customers who book tickets online. Travel is valid through Thursday, June 15. Tickets must be purchased by Saturday, May 13.

For more details, go here.

>> America West Deals Out Las Vegas Fares, Starting at $68 R/T

America West wants you to have more to take to the table.

Between now and midnight CST on Sunday, May 14, they are offering reduced fares to and from Las Vegas starting at $68 round-trip. Travel is valid between May 15 and September 30.

Fares are available online only.

For more details, go here.

<< B U S I N E S S T R A V E L T I P S >>

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What to Bring and How to Bring It
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The following is part of a continuing series of business travel tips from Chris McGinnis's "The Unofficial Business Traveler's Pocket Guide--165 Tips Even the Best Business Travelers May Not Know."

>> Toilet Kit Suggestions

If you are a regular traveler, have a toilet kit permanently packed with your usual items for use on the road only. This keeps you from having to reassemble your kit each time you take a trip.

Buy a set of small, plastic, travel-sized bottles (available at many drugstores) for packing your potions and lotions. Don't fill them to the top as changes in aircraft cabin pressure cause leaks. Pack all liquids that might leak together in a resealable bag. Be sure aerosols (shaving cream, mousse, hairspray) have their plastic protective tops attached.

Always pack your toilet kit in your carry-on bag. You never know what might happen to a bag in the belly of the plane. Otherwise, keep a bottle of aspirin or any prescription drugs you might lose, and store it in your carry-on bag. (The same goes for contact lens solution and lens storage case.)

Chris McGinnis
Travel Skills Group
http://www.travelskills.com

<< I N D U S T R Y U P D A T E >>

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Continental Tops Survey
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This week, results of the Frequent Flyer magazine/J.D. Power and Associates 2000 Domestic Airline Customer Satisfaction Study were released.

Continental was ranked first for both long-haul flights (over 500 miles in length) and short-haul flights.

The four most important factors determining overall customer satisfaction with the airline industry are: on-time performance (25%); the airport check-in process (11%); courtesy of flight attendants (11%); and seating area and comfort (11%).

The study also found that frequent flyers have turned to the Internet as a source of information about their travel plans, with 25 percent going online for travel details. This represents a 56 percent increase over the number of frequent flyers who reported using the Internet for travel related purposes, as reported in the 1999 study. The most common reasons for accessing the Internet are to obtain schedule and fare information. Online frequent flyers are also prone to use the Internet to purchase tickets -- 51 percent report having purchased their ticket online.

The study is based on 6,079 flight evaluations from a representative national sample of frequent flyers.

       Frequent Flyer Magazine/J.D. Power and Associates
            2000 Airline Customer Satisfaction Study

            FACTORS DRIVING OVERALL SATISFACTION
         (% Contribution To Overall Satisfaction)

           On-Time Performance 25%
           Airport Check-in 11%
           Flight Attendants 11%
           Seating Area 11%
           Gate Factors 10%
           Aircraft Interior 9%
           Flight Availability/Scheduling 9%
           Frequent Flyer Programs 7%
           Food Service 7%

              OVERALL SATISFACTION INDEX SCORES

                            Long Haul
              Continental                        123
              TWA                                121
              Southwest                          108
              United                             100
              Industry Average                   100

        Finishing below industry average in long haul flights, in alphabetical order, are: America West, American, Delta, Northwest, US Airways

                            Short Haul
              Continental                        122
              TWA                                117
              Southwest                          107
              Industry Average                   100

        Finishing below industry average in short haul flights, in alphabetical order, are: America West, American, Delta, Northwest, US Airways, United

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

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Renting a Car at DFW
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[Editor's Note - The following submission is rather longer than we'd usually reprint without editing. We're running it in its entirety because 1) generally, we encourage dialogue between travel consumers and travel providers, and we receive much more input from the former than from the latter; and 2) more specifically, Kevin makes some good points.]

We'd like to submit the attached in response to "Jay" in your April 20 (#90) issue:

In response to Jay's letter concerning the new rental car facility at the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport, I would like to clarify a few points as well as highlight improvements the facility has brought to rental car customers.

Rental Center Distance
While the distance from terminal to rental car center is greater, the overall bus ride takes about the same time from most terminals due to "bus only" service roads in and out of the new rental center. On Thursdays and Fridays, which are particularly heavy return days, the speed of service for rental return customers has dramatically improved.

Bus Service
Common rental car center buses are scheduled to arrive at customer pick-up points every five minutes. There have been a few unusual delays as the kinks are worked out with the new system. A rental car Bus Committee has been created and it is working closely with the bus service contractor to correct problem areas. The unfortunate 55-minute "curb to car" delay Jay experienced was an anomaly, as the bulk of rental car customers typically move through the rental car process in 15-20 minutes.

Vehicle Return
The rental car industry does recommend that customers return their cars at least one hour before their scheduled flight departures, since the rental return process and bus ride normally takes 15-20 minutes. Most airlines suggest that customers check-in an hour prior to departure as well, to ensure they enjoy a smooth travel experience.

Fees
The charge for the new rental car facility is currently $3.00 per rental day, which is being used to pay off the bonds that financed both the facility and bus fleet. While it is a fixed charge for the first 18 months, it may decrease over time as rental transactions increase.

Highlights of the new rental car center

* The facility can hold nearly 5,000 cars or approximately five times the capacity of the old "North/South" rental centers.
* Most of the rental car spaces are covered from the elements, including all of the ready car spaces. Renting customers are able to stay under cover from the terminal curb to the rental car exit, and most returning customers are under cover from the return area all the way to the gate.
* The two-story design of the structure eliminates rental/return cross traffic. Customers no longer have to wait for passengers to exit the bus before they can board.
* The facility also offers concession areas and state-of-the-art flight information displays.
* There are now 11 participating on-airport car rental companies, compared to just four prior to the new facility opening.
* New roadways have greatly reduced traffic congestion, which in turn decreases time spent in the rental/return process.
* In response to customer feedback, the airport is developing additional signage to better lead rental car customers in and out the center.
* The entire common bus fleet (low floor, transit-style) is brand new.

We continue to work closely with the bus service contractors and the DFW Airport Authority to correct problem areas and we are confident they will be resolved.

In short, the car rental industry is proud of the DFW Rental Car Center, and we feel the level of service offered to customers is a vast improvement over the former system.

As an aside, travelers can expect to pay approximately forty dollars for a cab ride to downtown Dallas, so car rental continues to be an efficient use of one's travel dollars.

Sincerely,
Kevin Hutchens
General Manager
Budget Rent a Car Corporation
Dallas, Texas

<< F R E Q U E N T F L I E R F U N N I E S >>

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True (Funny) Travel Stories
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One caller was sure that the agent was being difficult when she asked for the departure city. "Here," answered the caller.

"All right, departing from 'here' and you'll be traveling to what city?"

Now sure that she was being made fun of, the passenger replied, "There."

Without the slightest hesitation, the agent intoned, "Will that be round trip or one way from Here to There?"

[FrequentFlier Funnies are true stories told by pilots, reservations agents and other travel industry professionals, from William Joric's "Air Sick Humor." The book can be purchased at the FrequentFlier Bookstore at http://frequentflier.com/ffp-books.htm]

Until next week...