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

November 23, 2004

Experts Avoid Holiday Travel Trauma
A white SUV zooms up to an empty curb. Gail Tassell, dressed in chic but comfortable knit jersey, steps out of the passenger side. It's 9:30 a.m. at the world's busiest airport, but there's hardly anyone to be seen at this entrance, a little-used door to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport's lower level. At the security checkpoint, Tassell goes straight to the "fast lane" where there's not a soul in line and flashes her Delta Crown Room membership card to go through. About an hour later, she settles in for the flight with a good book and her own travel pillow. Tassell's smooth trip may seem like a frequent-flier fantasy — especially this week, the most stressful time of the year to fly. (AJC) Posted 6:35 a.m.
• Outlook For Holiday Travel: Stressful (Union-Tribune)
• Tips For Survival: Arrive Early, Be Cool (Sentinel)

Hang in there. This week will be over before you know it.

Audits of Mileage Accounts on the Rise
Audits of frequent flier mileage accounts are increasing. That is because more airlines are either on the verge of bankruptcy or are already flying under Chapter 11 protection and are trying to whittle away their liabilities. With close to 10 trillion unredeemed frequent-flier miles among the nation's carriers, rewards programs have quietly become a target. "To make their liability as small as possible, airlines are auditing more mileage accounts and enforcing their frequent-flier mileage program rules more strictly," said Ted Wright, an Atlanta consultant and former brand manager for Delta. (The New York Times) Posted 6:45 a.m.

New TSA Rules Mean Longer Lines
Thanksgiving travelers might face long security lines at Logan and other airports, as a rush of travelers is expected to collide with new security rules recently implemented by the Transportation Security Administration. Since September, the agency has been requiring passengers to remove layers of bulky clothing like heavy sweaters, sweat shirts, and even suit jackets during preflight screenings because they might conceal weapons or explosives. Previously, only coats were required to be removed. The TSA toughened its screening methods because of intelligence gathered about possible terror threats and in the wake of suspected terrorist bombings that downed two commercial airliners in Russia this summer, said George N. Naccara, federal security director at Logan. (Globe) Posted 6:50 a.m.

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Plane Superstitious - Some people need to physically touch the outside of the airplane before boarding. Others won't travel unless the flight number has one or a combination of certain digits. Through the years I have witnessed many flight superstitions but never quite as interesting as a passenger named Nick. Nick was a middle-aged man, but had always been afraid to fly. His job required him to do some extensive traveling, so he devised a plan. He did some extensive research and concluded that out of all the seats on the airplane, and out of all the air disasters where some passengers survived, seat 34C was the safest. (Travelcomment.com)

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Airline Strike Threat Looms For Thanksgiving - The war drums are hastening at US Airways in anticipation of next week's hearings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to reject union contracts. Over the weekend, flight attendants groups at two other airlines -- Southwest, represented by the Transportation Workers Union; and American Airlines, which has its own union -- said they would honor any nationwide strike called over the termination of collective bargaining agreements. The mounting strike threats come on top of reported work slowdowns at Philadelphia International Airport that could signal problems for Thanksgiving travelers. (Tribune Review) Posted 7 a.m.

Smell Forces Hotel to Close - Having lost most of its repeat customers because of the odor from the city's nearby wastewater treatment plant, the Quality Inn is being forced to permanently close its doors, said owner George Jappaya. The hotel's conference and banquet halls will remain open to fulfill commitments until the end of the month. Come mid-December though, the entire facility on Pinckney Road just north of I-96 is scheduled to be demolished. (Detroit News) Posted 7:05 a.m.

Does Enterprise 'Ding' Customers? Why, Yes - "The same thing happened to me!" came a loud chorus of feedback from more than a dozen readers after the Oct. 5 column about Antonia Balazs's ding-or-damage dispute with Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Their point was nearly unanimous: Balazs's problem -- that Enterprise tried to charge her $300 after finding "three small scuffs" on her rental car's rear bumper when she returned the vehicle -- was not an isolated incident. (Washington Post) Posted 7:10 a.m.

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