Issue #99  --  June 22, 2000

<< U P F R O N T >>

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Win 50,000 Frequent Flyer Miles!
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The countdown continues toward Issue 100...

As you know if you're a regular reader, we're marking the occasion with the "100 Criers" prize drawing: Every subscriber in our database on the day we publish Issue #100, June 29, will be automatically entered to win one of 54 prizes from 14 companies, including--

o 50,000 American AAdvantage miles from American Airlines
o 25,000 ClickMiles from ClickRewards
o Copies of "Fly Free As Easy As 1-2-3" by David Crandall
o 50,000 Delta SkyMiles from Delta Air Lines
o Eliteflyer luggage tags
o 50,000 greenpoints from S&H greenpoints
o Two nights stay at any Hilton HHonors hotel in the continental U.S.
o Subscriptions to InsideFlyer Magazine; FlyerTalk T-shirts and luggage tags; and Frequent Flyer coffee mugs from InsideFlyer
o Cool hats and T-shirts from JohnnyJet.com
o "Diving in Malaysia" books from Malaysia Airlines
o Free 1-week GSM phone rental from Planetfone
o Subscriptions to "Travel Holiday" magazine donated by SmarterLiving
o 25,000 SmartMiles from SmartMile
o Autographed copies of "The Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel" by Joel Widzer

We will notify winners by e-mail following the drawing on June 29. Prize winners must respond to the award notification within 7 days or their prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner selected. However, in consideration of our on-the-road subscribers, IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS TO E-MAIL during the 1-week period during which we will be notifying winners, June 30 - July 7, send an e-mail to mailto:drawing@frequentflier.com with the following information--

o The e-mail address at which you receive this newsletter
o Your name, mailing address and phone number

After the drawing, we'll compare the winners list to the out-of-town list, and anyone on both lists will be protected. (We have received well over 100 e-mail addresses so far, proving that Crier readers are truly frequent travelers.)

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Prize Drawing

<< M I L E S >>

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Purchase SkyMiles for Hawaii Awards
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Delta has expanded its Mileage Purchase option to include travel to Hawaii.

SkyMiles members with mileage balances near an award threshold may now purchase additional miles for award travel to and from Hawaii. With this addition, the Mileage Purchase option is now available for SkyMiles awards for travel within or between the 50 United States and Canada. The new mileage-purchase options are as follows:

o Hawaii SkyMiles Award--Coach Class D112 (30,000 miles)
   Miles Eligible for Purchase: 1,000-5,000 miles

o Hawaii SkyChoice Award--First Class D312 (60,000 miles)
  Miles Eligible for Purchase: 1,000-20,000 miles

Miles may be purchased in increments of 1,000 for $25 per 1,000 miles, plus applicable transportation taxes and fees. The Mileage Purchase option is available to members who have a U.S. or Canadian address on their SkyMiles account. Depending on the award redeemed, members can purchase up to 20,000 miles.

To purchase miles members may call the SkyMiles OneSource number at 1-800-325-3999, or contact a Delta Reservations sales representative at the telephone number listed on the back of their SkyMiles membership card.

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Delta

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Eat Your Way to Free Travel with FlightFund
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America west has added dining-for-miles to its FlightFund program.

FlightFund Dining allows members to earn up to 10 frequent flyer miles for every qualified dollar spent on all food, beverages, tax and tip for their first visit each month to any of over 4,500 participating restaurants nationwide. A maximum of 6,000 points per visit can be earned.

There is no cost to enroll in FlightFund Dining. Members can call 1-877-272-8355 and register up to three credit or debit cards to use when paying their dining bill. Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Car credit cards or Visa and MasterCard debit cards qualify. The program is completely discreet and does not require a separate identification card.

Participating restaurants are located in major cities all across the U.S., including Phoenix; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; New York; Chicago; and Los Angeles.

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America West

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Lufthansa Ticket Auction: Going, Going, Gone
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Lufthansa will hold its first live auction exclusively for U.S. and Canadian members of the carrier's frequent flyer program, Miles & More, on June 27 and 28 at www.lufthansa-usa.com.

Miles & More members who reside in the U.S. and Canada can use their miles to place real-time bids on single or pairs of round-trip economy and business class tickets for departures from the U.S. to European destinations including Barcelona, Athens, Milan, and Berlin.

Eligible bidders can consult the auction schedule in advance for travel details and bidding times. When the auction opens, bidders login using their Miles & More card number and PIN number or pre-selected Infoflyway user I.D. Bidding proceeds in increments of 500, 1,000 or 1,500 miles and will not exceed the published mileage needed for each flight. Winners will be announced online and contacted by phone and e-mail.

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Miles & More Auction

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Delta Discounts LAX-Boston Awards
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SkyMiles members traveling on the new, nonstop service between Boston and Los Angeles can take advantage of the following reduced mileage awards between July 1 and September 30:

o D915 Coach Class -- Standard Mileage, 25,000; Reduced Mileage, 20,000

o D925 BusinessElite -- Standard Mileage, 40,000; Reduced Mileage, 30,000

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Delta

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Virgin Extends Handspring Offer
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Virgin Atlantic announces is extending its flying club frequent flyer promotion with Handspring through September 30, 2000.

When passengers fly roundtrip once in Upper Class or twice in Premium Economy from any of Virgin Atlantic's 10 gateways, they will receive a free Handspring VisorDeluxe, complete with leather case and cradle. Passengers can even select the color -- blue, ice or graphite.

If they fly Virgin Atlantic a second time in Upper Class or a third time in Premium Economy, flying club members receive a free Springboard modem as an accessory to their Handspring Visor Deluxe.

First-time flyers must call Virgin Atlantic reservations at 877/747-0123 and mention the Handspring Offer to register and join flying club. Existing members must call flying club at 800/365-9500 to register for the offer. One Handspring Visor Deluxe is available per customer.

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Virgin Handspring Offer

<< 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...

>> Fly Coast to Coast on US Airways for $298 R/T

US Airways is offering a sale on cross-country travel. Fly from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, or Seattle to the East Coast for just $298 R/T. Tickets are only available online and must be purchased by Monday, June 26.

For more details, go here.

>> A 'Final Call' on Summer Travel to Europe

British Airways has released its "Final Call" sale on travel to Europe, with round-trip fares starting at $498. Travel is valid between now and August 31, and tickets must be purchased by Wednesday, June 28.

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."

>> Ten Ways to Know You Have too Many Carry-Ons
According to Southwest Airlines, you know you have too many carry-ons when...

1. Other customers keep asking, "So, where are you moving?"
2. It takes you longer to load your bags than it would to charter your own airplane.
3. You actually packed the kitchen sink.
4. You need two cars to get to the airport.
5. Your carry-on bags are bigger than you are.
6. You are told your carry-ons alone exceed the baggage weight for the entire plane.
7. You can't walk down the aisle without knocking out other passengers.
8. Your luggage takes up the entire side of the plane.
9. You have more bags than arms.
10. It takes you longer to get your bags off the plane than it does for checked luggage to arrive at baggage claim.

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

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

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Seating Rant (continued)
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I agree with Marcus as well. I made arrangements several months in advance for my flight to New Zealand so I would always have an aisle seat. I had a hip replacement a few years back and having an aisle seat is necessary, I can't be climbing in and out of the seats even if passengers are good enough to get up.

The first leg of my trip was fine, but on the return trip I had to change my reservations after I got there for my flight because they had given me window seats.

Also, I had made arrangements for help with my baggage if I needed as I can't walk to far, and carry my lugage, sometimes all 3 bags. American told me no problem, we will have someone available to you. At each connecting flight I made sure that person was available, and before I got off the plane everyone assured me there was a person waiting for me.

However, when I got to the end of each of my flights I had to search for the helper, they usually had a wheelchair for me, which I didn't really need and didn't ask for, and most of the time there was no one to help me to my flight whatsoever with my bags.

Now I realise my being so young, I am 27, I might have been missed. But I do believe that American and the rest of it's affiliates could have done a better job of taking care of me, and should have had a better system for their helpers to find me. When all was said and done, I think the only transition that helped me up to and beyond my expectations was at an airport I would not have expected such good service at. That airport was JFK. :-)

Thank you for listening.

 - Nissa

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Hilton Rant (continued)
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Since writing last weeks rant about what a mess the Hilton phone system was, I finally got through. To be fair, Lynn, the CSR on the phone, was extremely apologetic, and took care of all my problems over the phone. Within 5 minutes of hanging up, my account was updated to my satisfaction. I can see now why it takes people so long to get through on the 800 HHonors phone lines - Lynn spent 30 minutes with me fixing my problems. All is forgiven.

 - Jon

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Though you may be a happy camper with Hilton once again, you may want to consider changing hotel-program alliances. I am a long-time Hilton HHonors member. Although my experience during my Hilton stays have been pleasant, I find that the HHonors number and the Customer Service Center can offer pitiful customer service.

More often than not, I have faced excruciating waits on the phone, as well as other difficulties. This spring, while trying to place a reservation at the Pittsburgh Hilton I had to make four separate phone calls to set things straight. Each time I called, the operator determined that the reservation was not made, or not made correctly, or the computer system broke down. I spoke to a supervisor who was apologetic and said he would send me a confirmable upgrade to compensate me for all the problems I faced. I never received it. I finally called their corporate office and spoke with T.O. and later with C.H. [names converted to initials by the Editor]. On both of these calls they apologized for the inaction of the agents before and said they would send me the promised upgrade certificate. No certificate arrived.

Cut to Starwood Preferred Guest. What a delightful contrast in customer service philosophy! Your call is instantly answered (only once did an answering system pick up my call and the wait was less than 30 seconds) and rarely are you put on hold. There seems to be a qualitative difference in their commitment to serving their customers. For platinum-level customers, Starwood also has a new program offering Concierge services, an even more personalized approach to customer service. (By the way, Starwood has no blackout dates or capacity controls on awards. I know I have had a difficult time actually redeeming Hilton points). So, call Starwood and ask them if they will place you in their platinum program.

 - Lauren

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I dedicated myself to Hilton due to the wide variety of properties and earning opportunities. I must agree with the customer service rant. Not only is there no toll-free number to call for HHonors customer service (even for elite members!!), but one does indeed hold for what seems an eternity. Unfortunately, I've had two incidents where the "double dip" miles didn't post, and after holding for 20 minutes each time, being assured the problem would be corrected....it's two months now and still no results.

My second rant with Hilton is their CS reps' lack of product knowledge. I went to book a VIP ONLY reward, and more than one CS rep had no clue what I was talking about. Moreover, when I was able to book none of the offers were available for a year out. Again, what's the point of being elite?

Third.....WATCH HILTON AND THEIR VIP "BENEFITS". On the website, it is stated that Gold VIP's, for example, should be given an automatic upgrade to Executive Level at US Properties where available, and access to the Towers/Exec Lounge. whether or not exec level rooms are available. Outside the US, the promise is pretty much the same, but no guarantee of lounge access. I visited the London Hilton (their flagship) and was initially denied access to the lounge, even though I was on an executive floor. Their reasoning was that it was reserved for Diamond members, and that the HHonors rules didn't apply to London properties. This is not stated on the website or in their official rules. I was granted access after asking them to check me out of their hotel as quickly as they had checked me in.

Hilton is not the least bit accountable to their members. Until something is done, I caution people about dedicating themselves to this company. In Truth, I think Starwood has a much better program overall.

 - Steve

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

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American Adds "More Room" to 500th Aircraft
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American has completed conversion of the 500th aircraft outfitted with more economy-class legroom.

The 500th aircraft, a Super 80 with two rows of coach seats removed to produce the roomier cabin, will roll off a special maintenance line at American's Tulsa maintenance base today. The plane will operate Friday afternoon at 5:45 p.m. from Chicago O'Hare continuing to Syracuse at 8:44 p.m. Nearly 87 percent of American's domestic fleet now features the "More Room" seating arrangement

American's entire two-class domestic fleet of nearly 600 jets will be completed by October. Shortly thereafter the airline will begin to reconfigure the coach cabins on all its nearly 100 three-class international aircraft. The carrier will finish that work by early next year.

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American

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The Name Game: Orbitz and SkyTeam
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Two new terms were introduced into the travel-industry lexicon within the past week or so.

>> Orbitz
Until last week, it was known as T2--the upcoming multi-airline travel distribution site that has travel agencies quaking and the Department of Justice investigating. Henceforth T2 has been christened Orbitz.

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Orbitz

>> SkyTeam
There's Star Alliance, Oneworld, Wings, Qualiflyer, and...

What we used to refer to as the Delta-Air France alliance this week got its name: SkyTeam. In addition to Delta and Air France, the group currently includes Aeromexico and Korean Air. Look for ad campaigns across multiple media promoting the new brand.

Also look for a million-mile sweepstakes beginning July 19 through October 15, 2000.

(Wonder whose idea 'SkyTeam' was? Hint: think SkyMiles, SkyRewards, SkyWish.)

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SkyTeam

<< 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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A woman was distressed when the reservations agent exlained that she would not be permitted to bring her 5 Himalayan Show Cats on board the flight with her. (There's a limit of one pet per passenger.) She explained that this particular breed of cat has very flat nasal passages and she was concerned that they wouldn't be able to breathe properly. The agent's suggestion? Amtrak

[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]

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

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RealAdventures.com
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Burned out as I am on too many business-trips-from-hell, I'm anything but an expert when it comes to adventure travel.

If I were to expand my horizons to include non-business travel (as I'm often encouraged to do by well-meaning friends), the RealAdventures.com website is where I'd begin the journey.

RealAdventures.com provides a single on-line directory that consolidates
thousands of tour operators. RealAdventures.com has created an adventure travel and vacation planning search engine. Choose destination characteristics and the site delivers a list of packages which meet your requirements.

Looking for something exotic but cheap, I found a 1-week stay in Goa, India, for $130, including 2 vegetarian meals per day and instruction in various local arts and crafts. Accommodations are provided by a local family, with classes (if you choose to take them) run by local artists and craftspeople.

One quibble: the site loaded very slowly on the several occasions I accessed it. But maybe that's just part of the adventure.

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RealAdventures.com

Until next week...