Issue #111  --  Sep. 14, 2000

<< O N S I T E >>

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FrequentFlier Forum Topics
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As always, there's plenty of activity on the Forum...

Hal initiated an extended discussion of online rewards site TrocaMania. Natalie has summarized the points offerings of various online rewards programs (including TrocaMania). Diana wants to know about award-seat inventory management. Ronald, as always, has suggestions--this about special TWA offers and a Hilton sweepstakes.

Do you have questions? Do you have answers? Post them to the Forum!

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The FrequentFlier Forum

<< M I L E S >>

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Delta Doubles Miles for Zurich Flights
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Travel on Delta Air Lines between the U.S. and Zurich from September 15 to December 15, 2000, and earn double SkyMiles for the international portion of the trip.

The portions of the trip between the U.S. and Zurich must be via nonstop Atlanta or New York JFK flights.

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Delta

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FlightFund Adds Hotel Partner
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America West has added Grupo Posadas to FlightFund as its newest hotel partner.

FlightFund members now earn 1,000 miles for qualifying stays at Caesar Park Hotels in Brazil and Argentina, and Fiesta Americana Hotels in Mexico, and 500 miles for qualifying stays at Fiesta Inn Hotels in Mexico. To promote the tie-up, FlightFund members earn double miles from now through December 31, 2000.

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America West

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Bonus Miles, Special Fare for Boston-Montreal Flights
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American Eagle is celebrating its new Boston-Montreal service with double AAdvantage miles through December 15, and a special introductory round-trip fare of $198, excluding taxes and other fees.

The introductory fare is non-refundable and requires a 14-day advance purchase and a Saturday night stay. Tickets must be purchased by Oct.
13 and all travel must be completed by Oct. 31.

To earn bonus miles, members must register prior to travel, either online or by calling 1-800-882-8880 and then pressing 1 # * 26. When prompted, enter promotion code RJYUL.

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AAdvantage E-Mails Account Statements
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As reported here in June, American promised to allow AAdvantage members to receive account statements via e-mail instead of via the USPS.

They began delivering on that promise this week, with their first wave of e-mail statements.

If you're an AAdvantage member, and have no pressing need for a paper statement, choose the e-mail option on AA.com. And save a tree!

US Airways, the first to offer e-mail statements, has signed up 500,000 Dividend Miles members since launching the service in April.

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American

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Partner Alert -- Air Liberté
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Effective August 27, 2000, members who purchase and fly on eligible Air Liberté flights will continue to accrue mileage; however, those miles will no longer count toward elite-status qualification. All award travel on Air Liberté using a British Airways award must be completed by March 31, 2001.

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American

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Earn ClickRewards Bonuses at Old Navy, Fossils
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Earn 100 Bonus ClickMiles for your first purchase at oldnavy.com and Fossil.com. And earn 1 ClickMile for every dollar you spend at either e-tailer.

You must click through from the ClickRewards site to receive ClickMiles for Old Navy and Fossil purchases.

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ClickRewards

<< 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...

>> Five Airlines Post Fall Fare Sales

United, American, Northwest, TWA, and US Airways have released fare sales for travel from now through December 14. Purchase tickets by Friday, September 22.

For more details, go here.

>> Air France Offers Sale on European Travel

Fly from the U.S. to more than 20 European destinations on Air France, with round-trip fares starting at $318. Travel is valid for departure from November 1 to March 15, 2001.

For more details, go here.

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

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Mexicana Flight Attendants Threaten Strike
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If you're scheduled to fly on Mexicana anytime soon, you should pay close attention to negotiations currently underway between the airline's management and flight attendants.

If no accord is reached, the flight attendants could walk out as early as midnight Friday, resulting in delays and cancellations at a minimum, and possibly wholesale suspension of service.

Earlier this summer, Aeromexico attendants declared a strike, but the Mexican government prohibited them from stopping work.

At this point, Mexicana's website has no strike update, so your best bet would be to contact their reservations center at 1-800-354-2562 (U.S. or Canada only).

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Mexicana

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

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Surviving the Airport
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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."

>> Flight Delays

It's important to know that in their contracts of carriage, the airlines make no guarantees that they will get you to your destination on time, no matter what the reason. The only time you can expect any remuneration from an airline for not getting you to your destination on time is when you are involuntarily bumped.

Your first stop in a delay should be to head to the nearest pay phone and find out why the flight is delayed. Ask the gate agents. call the other airlines (don't waste your money, use their 800 numbers); see if their flights are experiencing similar delays. Look around at other gates. Are their flights leaving on time?

Next week: Rule 240

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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Taxing FFP Miles
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(If you have covered this before, I missed it.) Anyway...how 'bout an article on the dirty little secret that airline partners are now taxing FF miles? I recently was charged by Avis and MCI for bonus miles awarded to me.

I complained to MCI, and they sent a letter stating that the IRS requires taxing of such miles. This is outrageous! First, I do not recall this being announced to FF members. Second, how does the IRS put a value on a mile? A mile put toward a $100 fare does not have the same value as a mile put toward a $500 fare! Who is the magical mystical person who decides the taxable value?

I believe all FF members need to boycott the partners' extra miles. It seems that the airlines put a lot of time, effort and money into setting up the partner mileage awards, so that they can tout their partners to unsuspecting FF members.

Maybe one of your readers is an energetic attorney who would like to pursue a class-action suit about this. Why not? People sue at the drop of a hat nowadays, and this practice is VERY deceptive.

 - Bruce

[Editor's note - We have mentioned the excise tax before, and will again. For now, frequent travelers should be aware that some suppliers are passing along the tax expense, in whole or in part, to customers.]

<< 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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Reported comments to reservations agents...

I once had someone ask if we flew into Long Beach. When I said that we did, he asked if that would be to the Long Beach Airport. "No sir," I answered, "we just sorta fly in real low and flip you out over the bus station."

[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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Silly2000
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Not to be confused with Sydney 2000, Silly2000 is, well, meant to be confused with Sydney 2000. It's the anti-Sydney 2000 site, dedicated to lampooning anything and everything related to the summer Olympics about to begin Down Under.

In case you haven't been monitoring media coverage of Olympics preparations, the event's hosts are wildly ambivalent about the prospect of being in the international limelight. And that ambivalence is cogently communicated by Silly2000. Here's a sample from the "How to Treat Tourists" section:

"Due to the poor state of the Australian dollar, persons from America, Europe and pretty well anywhere else in Sydney during the Olympics will be artificially wealthy in Australia compared to their homes. They should be charged accordingly."

This is funny stuff, and provides a rare glimpse of the Aussies' cynicism towards the games, tourists and (gasp!) a volleyball stadium on Bondi Beach.

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Silly2000

Until next week...