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E L L I O T T' S TRAVEL NOTES
Travel news, opinion and analysis

April 5, 2004

Continental Settles Discrimination Issue
 The government announced a settlement Friday with Continental Airlines over allegations the carrier discriminated after against travelers believed to have been of Arab, Middle Eastern or Southeast Asian descent. The Transportation Department started getting complaints about a number Continental flights in the weeks after the attacks, said spokesman Bill Mosley. He said four passengers complained that they were removed from flights because of their ethnic background or national origin. Other complaints were lodged with Continental, though Mosley would not say how many. The department said its investigation found that Continental acted in a manner inconsistent with federal laws barring discrimination. AP | Posted 6 a.m.
-- Houston Chronicle: United, American also charged

• Of course, discrimination of any kind is wrong. But as I pointed out in a recent article, the fact that a passenger is singled out may have nothing to do with race or ethnicity. It may be your luggage. Send us your comments.

In the Air, On the Cheap
The first indication that it was going to be an unusual airline experience was when the grandmotherly voiced agent who took my call at JetBlue Airways signed off by saying, "Honey, you are so worth it." I expect a certain amount of attitude from airline employees, somewhere between sullen and downright surly. But respectful, efficient, friendly? It had been a long time since I had applied those adjectives to airline service. That may be changing. JetBlue, which started in 2000, has attracted a loyal clientele by combining two seemingly contradictory philosophies: the low fares and single-class seating pioneered by Southwest plus frills and personality aplenty - the airline is relaxed and hip. Following the lead of JetBlue, Delta started Song in April 2003, and United inaugurated Ted in February. Long Beach Press-Telegram | Posted 6:20 a.m.
<-- LA Times: Flying the frugal skies can be fun

Your Rental Car Could be Tracked
If you care about your privacy or your pocketbook, ask whether your rental car has electronic tracking equipment and what it's used for. The answers may surprise you — if you can get them. Since I last wrote about this issue in 2002, more rental cars have been fitted with such systems, which can instantly relay information on your car's speed, route and position to the rental company. This is done by wireless devices and Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers that pinpoint location. Rental companies say they use the devices mainly to track stolen vehicles. Los Angeles Times | Posted 6:30 a.m.
<-- NYT: Rental cars keep tabs on drivers

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• And finally ... Welcome to travel blogging: MSNBC has just launched its travel blog. It focuses on travel bargains, and is a pretty interesting read. Posted 6:45 a.m. | Send us your comments.

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