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

March 23, 2004

Airline Loans Probed By Government
Three U.S. airlines confirmed that they have received government subpoenas that reportedly are part of a U.S. Treasury Department investigation into the board that provides federal loan guarantees to domestic carriers. Spokesmen for US Airways, United Airlines and America West say they had received subpoenas and are cooperating fully, but they declined to elaborate. According to reports that first appeared in The New York Times on Saturday, Treasury Department investigators have asked several major airlines to turn over records of their dealings with the Air Transportation Stabilization Board in 2002 and 2003. Treasury Department officials declined to discuss the issue Monday. AP | Posted 6 a.m.
-- Times: Under pressure, US Airways to announce plan

• I've always maintained that government loans will only postpone the inevitable. The reason these legacy carriers are failing is that they are inefficient. It isn't higher fuel costs, war worries, SARS or the soft economy. The American taxpayer stands to lose a lot of money from this misguided federal aid. Send us your comments.

Travel Agents Indicted For Sex Tours
Two operators of a New York travel agency have been indicted for organizing "sex tours" to Southeast Asia, the first such case involving a United States-based company, the state attorney general has said. The trips arranged by Big Apple Oriental Tours were allegedly a way to solicit customers for prostitution rings in the Philippines and Thailand. "These defendants claimed to be operating a traditional travel agency. It is far from that," Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said Monday. He said the travel agency's actions "led to the systematic exploitation and suppression of young women." AP | Posted 6:20 a.m.
<-- AP: Sex travel agencies are being targeted

Poll: Travelers Hate Houston Most
Which cities in the do people love to hate the most? Travelers gave Houston high scores for its museums, but say the city has room for improvement when it comes to getting around, people watching, holidays and romance. These results will be reported in the April issue of Travel + Leisure magazine, which reveals additional survey results from the America Online/Travel + Leisure "America's Favorite Cities" survey. Travel + Leisure Magazine and the AOL Travel Channel asked more than 500,000 AOL members their opinions on 25 popular travel destinations. The comprehensive and irreverent "America's Favorite Cities" poll asked for people's opinions on various travel-related topics ranging from transportation and safety to nightlife, friendliness and attractiveness of residents. Business Wire | Posted 6:30 a.m.
<-- DMN: Dallas/Fort Worth dropped from annual poll

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• And finally ... there's some speculation that tomorrow's US Airways announcement will include the resignation of David Siegel, the airline's embattled chief executive. He stands to make a bundle of golden-parachute money by jumping now. But should he really go? The employees want him out, but I'm not convinced that his departure will slow US Airways' downward spiral. What's it going to take? A miracle. Posted 6:40 a.m. | Send us your comments.

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