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

December 21, 2004

Six Accused in Ohio Car Rental Scam
Six people are accused of running a multimillion-dollar car rental scam, swindling a major Cincinnati car dealer, Ford Motor Co., Fifth Third Bank and rental customers including the Cincinnati Police Department. A Hamilton County grand jury indicted four men and two women Monday on 24 counts that alleged that the group dialed back odometers on rental cars to get maximum resale value and inflated damage charges as part of an insurance scam. Warrants have been issued for all six. "More than two years of time and effort went into this investigation," said Sharonville Police Lt. Franklin Federle. "A lot of people lost money. It was important to track down where the money went, how much money was taken and what it was used for." (Cincinnati Enquirer) Posted 5:35 a.m.
• Charged With Bank and Insurance Fraud (WCPO)
• Experienced a Scam? Visit Ripoffreport.com

I've been told the inflated claims on insurance are pretty common in the car rental industry. This may be just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

LAX Opens 'Cell Phone' Parking Lot
A 24-hour "cell phone waiting lot" for motorists who are picking up passengers opened near Los Angeles International Airport Monday, in time for a holiday season expected to draw 2.8 million travelers to the airport. The 79-space lot at 9011 Airport Blvd. is about five minutes away from the Central Terminal Area and easily accessible from La Tijera, Sepulveda, Manchester and Century boulevards. The new lot is the first of three scheduled to open at LAX by summer. "A number of motorists have asked for convenient waiting areas in close proximity to the airport, where they can await a call on their cell phones," said Kim Day, executive director of the agency that runs the airport. (NBC4) Posted 5:45 a.m.

Court Sides With Disabled Passenger
Disabled travellers won a major court victory today when three appeal judges ruled that both an airline and airport authority are responsible for providing a wheelchair service. The case was taken to the Court of Appeal by budget airline Ryanair after it was ordered to pay damages to a disabled man charged for using a wheelchair at Stansted Airport in Essex. (Scotsman) Posted 5:50 a.m.

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Keeping the Faith
One of the great privileges of flying is observing and respecting the various cultures that come your way. On the airplane you might notice a man with a black top hat, long curls extending from his sideburns, and a fairly long beard. Nine times out of ten, he is Jewish, or more specifically, a Hasidic Jew. I was scheduled to work on a flight to Munich one September evening when I got pulled off, and rescheduled for a Tel Aviv flight. A Jewish group had requested a male flight attendant, and on that particular flight there were none. (Travelcomment.com) Posted 5:55 a.m.

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Expedia Will Be Spun Off By IAC
IAC/InterActiveCorp, the Internet and television commerce company controlled by Barry Diller, will spin off its travel business, which owns Expedia.com and Hotels.com, as sales growth from the Internet slows. IAC investors will receive "proportionate" stock in a new publicly traded company called Expedia, IAC said in a PR Newswire statement today. Diller, 62, will remain chairman and chief executive officer of New York-based IAC and also serve as chairman of Expedia. (Bloomberg) Posted 6:05 a.m.

No 'Best Offer' For US Airways Mechanics
US Airways continued to press toward an agreement with the aircraft mechanics' and bag handlers' union Monday, rather than simply put its "best offer" on the table, as the labor group called for last week. The bankrupt airline wants $263 million in wage and benefit cuts from the workers. They are represented by the International Association of Machinists, which is the last holdout to a concessionary labor pact. (Tribune Review) Posted 6:10 a.m.

Ready For Spaceflight? He is
If you are one of the 400 or so who have booked a seat on Virgin Atlantic's flight VS250 to Shanghai on Christmas Day, your captain will be a suave 38-year-old childhood friend of Vinnie Jones called Alex Tai. And if you are one of the first four or so pioneering space tourists who have booked a seat on Virgin Galactic's first flight into space in 2007 or 2008, your captain will also be the former teenage air cadet from suburban Hertfordshire. (Guardian) Posted 6:15 a.m.

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