Issue #118  --  Nov. 2, 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 is searching for miles-for-banking opportunities. Ted wants advice on using his TWA Aviators miles. Gary has 3292 OnePass miles, and is wondering what he can do with them. (Chet recommends building up to 5000 miles and exchanging them for HHonors points. We would suggest MilePoint as another option.) And Linda wants to earn more AAdvantage miles.

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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MilePoint Launches
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We reported in a recent issue of The Crier that MilePoint.com was scheduled to launch "by the end of October." It did... but barely.

According to MilePoint's founder Mark Lacek, the website went live at 16 minutes before midnight, on October 31. And there were the predictable technical glitches.

But all's well now, and more than 500,000 miles have already been redeemed for discounts on merchandise. Big names on the rather short participating-merchant list so far include Amazon.com and SkyMall. After January 1 next year, the list should increase substantially.

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MilePoint.com

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Bid Your SkyMiles for Awards
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Delta SkyMiles members can now bid on the following 6 new travel packages offered in the most recent SkyMiles quarterly "More for Your Miles" auction:

 - First class tickets and 4-night stay at the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City. Minimum bid: 125,000 miles.

 - Business class tickets for 2 and 6 nights in Moscow. Minimum bid: 125,000 miles.

 - Tickets for 2 to the Dan Jansen Celebrity Golf Classic in Milwaukee. Minimum bid: 100,000 miles.

 - Business class tickets for 2 and 3 nights at the Hilton Lyon, France. Minimum bid: 100,000 miles.

 - First class tickets and a 5-night stay for 2 in Orlando. Minimum bid: 75,000 miles.

 - Business class tickets to attend the Ace Hardware Golf Shootout benefiting the Children's Miracle Network at the Ko Olina Golf Club and tickets to the NFL Pro Bowl, in Hawaii. Minimum bid: 125,000 miles.

You can bid toll-free via phone to 1-877-BID-MILES (1-877-243-6453), by toll-free fax to 1-800-821-1819, via e-mail to deltabids@delta.com or in-flight by dialing *B-I-D toll-free via Airfone while flying over the 48 contiguous states and southern Canada. Members must have the bid amount in their account at the time of bidding. Closing for bids is midnight December 10, 2000 and winners will be notified around December 22, 2000.

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Delta

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Hilton Card Goes Platinum
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Hilton has added a second American Express-issued credit card linked to the HHonors frequent-guest program, the Hilton HHonors Platinum Credit Card.

As with the current HHonors card, the Platinum version has no annual fee, rewards cardholders with 7500 HHonors bonus points after the first charge, and entitles users to complimentary HHonors Silver VIP status for the first year of card membership.

Unlike the regular card, which awards 2, the Platinum card awards users with 3 Hilton HHonors bonus points for every eligible dollar of spending using the card. And for charges at over 2,000 Hilton HHonors hotels worldwide, the Platinum awards 5 Hilton HHonors bonus points per dollar, versus 3 for the non-Platinum card.

The new Hilton HHonors Platinum Credit Card is available immediately. To get more information about the Card or to apply, call 1-800-THE CARD or visit http://www.americanexpress.com.

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Earn More Miles-for-Breakfast
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Kellogg's is extending its current miles-for-cereal promotion to include Nutri-Grain breakfast bars.

The current promotion rewards AAdvantage members with 100 miles when they buy specially marked packages of Healthy Choice, Kellogg's All Bran, Complete Wheat Bran Flakes, Complete Oat Bran Flakes, Just Right, Mini Wheats, Cracklin' Oat Bran and Product 19.

As with the cereals, look for specially marked boxes of Nutri-Grain bars. Each box has 1 coupon, worth 100 AAdvantage miles. Every time you accumulate 5 coupons, send them in to receive 500 miles.

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Marriott PointSavers: Awards for Less
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Marriott Rewards is offering hotel-stay awards for less.

Fall PointSavers are available from October 15 - December 31, 2000, at many Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard and other hotels covered by the Marriott Rewards umbrella. Check the below web link for specifics.

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Marriott Rewards

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Earn ClickMiles at CatalogCity.com
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ClickRewards members can earn 1 ClickMile for every dollar spent at CatalogCity.com - billed as "the largest online shopping mall," and comprising a range of online merchants including Neiman Marcus, J. Jill, Paul Frederick, Chef's Catalog, Frontgate and Bombay.

The 1-mile-per-dollar offer is good through November 14. Thereafter, earning rates vary.

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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...

>> Nationwide Sales on Holiday Travel

Northwest Airlines has released a sale on holiday travel to select cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Travel is valid between November 20 and January 7, 2001. Most major U.S. airlines have released matching holiday sales.

For more details, go here.

>> Fall and Winter Savings to/from Florida

Delta is offering savings on travel between select U.S. cities and destinations in Florida for travel through February 5, 2001. Purchase tickets by Monday, November 6. Most major U.S. airlines have matched this sale.

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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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."

>> Should You Volunteer?

The DOT requires airlines to ask for volunteers before denying booked passengers waiting for seats--what's known as voluntary bumping. Volunteers are entitled to whatever the airline offers them--usually a free roundtrip. However, many airlines offer only space-available or standby free tickets as their first offer to volunteers. These are difficult to use and cost the airline nothing to offer, so before you volunteer, make sure you are getting a confirmed, or "positive space" roundtrip ticket. Also, find out when or if the airline is going to book you on the next available flight out.

When ticket agents have to sweeten the pot to get volunteers, they are empowered to give cash, travel vouchers, and meal vouchers. Sometimes you can get free long-distance phone calls or a pass to the airline's airport club to wait for your next flight.

Another good time to consult your OAG (or the big airport flight monitors that list all flights) is when gate agents begin to ask for volunteers. If you find several other flights to your destination departing immediately after yours, volunteer, get your free ticket or other compensation, then ask to get booked on the next flight out.

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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Hotwire?
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Surprised you didn't list Hotwire.com as a Site to See!

 - Dana

[Better late than never... see below.]

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

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Hotwire!
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While not on the same scale as that generated by Priceline, the buzz surrounding the development and launch of Hotwire has been pretty intense. And for that reason alone, it's something our readers should be aware of.

It has to be said upfront that we haven't had a chance to actually book travel on Hotwire yet. But unlike Priceline, where you can't get prices without providing a credit card number and committing in advance to buy if your bid is accepted, Hotwire allows consumers to check prices without making a purchase.

So as a quick test, I checked fares for a mid-week roundtrip from Los Angeles to New Orleans on Hotwire and several other online travel sites. The results:

                             Lowest Fare       Airline
  Lowestfare.com               $410                TWA
  Travelocity                  $420           Vanguard
  Hotwire                      $580                  ?
  Expedia                      $663              Delta

So, in this case at least, I was able to get a lower fare than Hotwire's AND have the peace of mind (or not) of knowing which airline I would be flying, schedule, aircraft type, etc.

As you would expect of discounted airline tickets, there are restrictions. Hotwire does a good job of displaying them prominently, and early in the booking process:

"Airline tickets cannot be cancelled, refunded, exchanged or transferred to other individuals. Credit will not be given for any unused tickets, and cannot be used toward any future purchases. Change fees are not an option.

"You won't know the airline and specific flight times until after you make a purchase, but we do guarantee that your ticket will be on one of our major airline partners.

"Tickets purchased through Hotwire are not eligible for frequent flyer miles. Seat assignments will be made at the airport on the day of departure. Upgrades and standbys are not available."

The Holy Grail, of course, is one site which provides the best price, day in and day out. Based on our admittedly limited experience with Hotwire, they are not that site. And for the foreseeable future, we don't expect any single site to dependably, consistently deliver on the "lowest fare" promise.

On the horizon: Orbitz, yet another contender in the discounted ticket space. With 28 airlines participating, Orbitz will launch in Spring 2001.

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Hotwire

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Consumer Reports Rates Online Travel Agents
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Coincidentally, Consumer Reports' most recent issue includes an article on online travel agencies. While they do not include Hotwire in their evaluation, their conclusions are consistent with ours.

"Our research suggests that these web sites work best as tools for searching out low fares and viable options. For best results, book through the web only after consulting with other sites; the airlines themselves (many offer exclusive deals on their own branded sites); or a travel agency that discloses any potential biases of its own."

Amen.

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Consumer Reports Online

Until next week...