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

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September 9, 2004

Ivan 'The Terrible' Grinds Caribbean
The most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean region in a decade has laid waste to the island of Grenada, it emerged today. The storm inflicted most of its damage on Tuesday, but the havoc created by the 125mph winds, which cut communication lines, meant the extent of the destruction was not known until now. 90% of homes on the island, which has a population of 100,000, were damaged, and an unknown number of convicts set free after a 17th-century stone prison was destroyed. Guardian | Posted 6:30 a.m.
• Now Category 5, Ivan Aims For Florida (NWS)
• Next Up For Killer Storm: Jamaica (Reuters)

Obviously, if you're planning to visit the Caribbean or Florida, this would be a good time to consider canceling.

Delta Will Cut 7,000 Jobs
Delta Air Lines will cut up to 7,000 jobs, reduce pay for other workers and close its Dallas hub as part of an effort to slash nearly $3 billion more in annual costs and chart a course toward financial recovery. Delta Chief Executive Gerald Grinstein rolled out the Atlanta airline's much-awaited turnaround plan Wednesday at a meeting with 300 managers that was broadcast over the Internet. He cast the plan as a forward-thinking effort to create "the right airline for this new era" and touted service improvements and smoother scheduling that are supposed to accompany the cutbacks. Atlanta Journal Constitution | Posted 6:35 a.m.

Travel Agent Sentenced to Prison
Former CW Travel Inc. Manager Rebecca Calimer Price was sentenced Wednesday to serve five years in prison for stealing more than $23,000 from some of her clients in late 1999 and early 2000. Price, 30, of 32 E. Baltimore St. in Greencastle, Pa., was sentenced by Washington County Circuit Judge Donald E. Beachley on five counts of felony theft. He suspended 11 years of a 16-year prison sentence. Price was convicted in July of stealing more than $23,000 from some of her clients by having them make checks payable to her for either defunct airplane tickets or for payments on trips that didn't happen, including a senior citizens' group cruise to the Caribbean and a group trip to a NASCAR race. Herald-Mail | Posted 6:45 a.m.

AirTran: Blame Losses on Hurricanes - AirTran Airways expects to post a rare loss in the third quarter, following the recent hurricane activity in Florida and high fuel costs. "The two recent hurricanes that struck the state of Florida, along with forecasts of a possible new storm, have had and will continue to have a major near-term economic impact on the state with the affected area encompassing about 51 percent of our normal traffic flows," The airline said in a release. Biz Journal | Posted 7 a.m.

US Airways Bankruptcy Imminent - US Airways, which is seeking $800 million a year in labor concessions to regain profitability, is still negotiating with union leaders while quietly preparing for bankruptcy. It has retained Arnold & Porter, a high-powered Washington, D.C., law firm, as legal counsel. It also is continuing to get advice from the Seabury Group, a New York-based investment bank that it has kept on the payroll since its first bankruptcy filing, two years ago. Observer | Posted 7:05 a.m.

Continental Pulls a 'Fee, Too!' - Continental Airlines today joined a string of major carriers in charging service fees for airline tickets booked at reservations centers or airport ticket counters in the United States. Effective immediately, customers who buy tickets at Continental's U.S. reservations centers will pay an extra $5, and a $10 fee will be added to tickets bought at ticket counters. No fees will be charged for buying tickets on the airline's Web site or at airport self-service kiosks. AP | Posted 7:10 a.m.

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• Off the Record ... What happens when you've prepaid for your rental car, but the agent still wants to swipe your card? It's just in case of an accident, she promises you. But when you get home, you discover your card was charged to the tune of $605, for insurance that you didn't order. That's the problem facing one Avis customer in a just-posted troubleshooter column. Posted 11:15 a.m. | Send us your comments.

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