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The calculation of delay is according to the time of arrival at the
destination.  Airlines can offer you a travel voucher (for a free
US domestic round-trip ticket) in lieu of cash, but must give you the
cash if that's what you want. Airlines like bumped volunteers because
free travel vouchers cost them less than the cash compensation they're
required to offer involuntarily bumped passengers. Approximately 1 in
10,000 passengers is bumped involuntarily. (If the involuntarily
bumped passengers are put on a flight which brings them to their
destination within an hour of the original flight time, the airline
has met its requirement.) Anything more is strictly the policy of the
airline, which is stated in its Conditions of Carriage statement. (To
obtain this statement, get it either from your travel agent or by
writing to the customer affairs office of your airline. Be sure to ask
for the full copy of the conditions; otherwise they'll give you just a
three page summary of the limitations of liability sections.) Note
that these rules do NOT apply to delayed passengers in general, just
to involuntarily bumped passengers.

According to a 1994 Supreme Court ruling, passengers who are denied
boarding can sue the airline for compensatory damages, but not punitive
damages. So in most cases you are better off accepting the
compensation offered by the airlines.

Note that if you don't show up at the gate 15 minutes before
departure, the airline can involuntarily bump you and not owe you
anything. 

There are no rules governing compensation for volunteers -- airlines
can offer as little or as much as it takes to bid you off the flight.
   Delta restricts reservations using volunteer bumped vouchers 
   to two days in advance.

Re-booking: Most volunteers are routinely booked on another flight
within a few hours, but re-routing isn't a legal requirement. Before
giving up your seat, ask when the next flight leaves, whether you'll
have a confirmed or standby reservation and (if the flight is with
another carrier) whether you'll have to pay additional fare.
Negotiating: Most airline managers can escalate compensation offers in
an attempt to get enough volunteers. So you might get a better deal by
simply asking for one. American Airlines, which has the lowest rate of
involuntary bumpees in the industry, tends to be the most generous
with compensation for volunteers.

Sometimes, when all of the airline's flights are full, they will
reroute you on another airline. However, if you are flying on a free
ticket (e.g., frequent flyer ticket, previous bump ticket), they may
not be willing to endorse your ticket over to the other airline. (It
doesn't hurt to ask.) So they'll have to send you out on another
flight later that day. If this happens and "inconveniences" you (i.e.,
you have to wait another hour or so), you may be able to weasel
something else out of the airline -- a roll of quarters for the
pinball machine, use of their club facilities, first class
accomodations on the later flight, meal voucher, or something.

If you volunteer and they don't need to bump you, you don't lose your
seat. If you volunteer, they need you, and you change your mind, you
may lose your seat, and wind up in a random seat. That is, of course,
if the airline decides to accommodate you. Once you've volunteered and
they've accepted your offer, you can't really reneg on it.

If you are bumped on an international flight, the airline will reroute
you but generally not offer you any extra compensation. Involuntary
reroutings may involve upgrading your class of service (at no extra
cost to you) or putting you on a different carrier to your destination
at the same or higher class of service. If rerouting you requires an
overnight stay, the airline will provide you with vouchers for hotel
rooms and meals. But you won't get any free tickets, and writing a
letter of complaint to the airline probably won't get you anything.
(The only case where complaining will get you something is if you paid
for a first class ticket, and they rerouted you on a lower class of
service. If this occurs, ask the airline to refund the difference in
fares.) If you're traveling international and don't want to be bumped,
buy a first class ticket. Airlines rarely bump first class passengers.

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Subject: [1-18] Special Travel Dates/Fare Sales/Fare Wars

This section describes several recent categories of fare sales.

When one airline announces a sale or promotion, many other airlines will match
it. But they may not match it in all markets. Some circumstances in
which the other airlines might not match the fare sale in a given
market include:

   + When the original airline's sale is for a flight that involves a
     connection and the other airlines provide non-stop service.

   + When the market isn't a competitive market. For example, when the
     airline holds a virtual monopoly on a particular airport (e.g.,
     USAir in Pittsburgh). They may match the fare for flights through
     the hub, but not for flights originating at the hub.

   + When the airline's bookings are already strong for the period 
     covered by the sale, and they don't feel the need to compete.

Not all the airlines that match a sale will necessarily impose the
same restrictions. So it may pay to shop around.

Fare sales are most likely during the early fall (mid-September
through mid-November), when airlines begin to worry about their
fourth-quarter financial performance. Other good times are late summer
and early spring. There are currently about 8 major fare sales a year,
and you can expect that airlines will start acting like department
stores with sales every month or two. When an airline gets
the jump on its competitors with the announcement of a fare sale --
even if by just half a day -- it gets a significant edge in terms of
the number of reservations.

The greatest discounts are usually on the most expensive routes.
Markets where prices are already low due to competition tend to have
lower discounts.

Fare Wars:

   Except for the original airfare war during the summer of 1993,
   media use of the term 'Fare War' for fare sales is a misnomer. To
   some extent airlines try to stir up consumer excitement by using the
   term. 

   The most common kind of fare sale has the following characteristics:
      +  midweek flights (departure on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday)
         or other offpeak times (e.g., Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving)
      +  UP TO 50% off round-trip tickets (most discounts
         substantially less, around 10% to 15%)
      +  Saturday night stay, 14-day advance purchase
      +  limited purchasing window (1-2 weeks); travel completed
         during a large travel window (2 months)
      +  restricted to competitive routes
      +  limited number of seats available
      +  nonrefundable

   Some popular times for air fare sales:
      +  Just after Labor Day, for travel between late September and
         mid December, with blackout dates around the holidays.
      +  From mid-July to late July for early fall travel. 
         (e.g., Continental July 17, 1994)
      +  Early August for fall travel. (e.g., America West on 3-AUG-94
         and Continental on 19-AUG-94)
      +  Winter, from early December through mid-February, with blackout days
         around Christmas and New Years. (e.g., Continental on 25-NOV-94)

One-way Sales:

   These sales offer one-way fares for up to 50% off of the usual
   fare. Since round-trip fares are already 50% off the price of the
   equivalent pair of one-way tickets, such sales do not affect the
   consumer much (but do generate consumer sales anyway due to the
   excitement of a "Fare War!!!").

   Southwest routinely offers $25 fares (per non-stop flight segment) on
   flights that leave after 7pm local time on Monday nights, September 12
   through December 26, 1994. The restrictions eliminate many of the
   airline's flights, but it is still a good deal if your schedule and
   destination happens to meet the restrictions. The promotion is part of
   Southwest's sponsorship of ABC's Monday night football.

Two-For-One Sales:

   Two-for-one sales, also known as companion fares ("Friend Flies
   Free" or "Add a Pal for a Penny"), offer passengers
   traveling together two tickets for the price of one. However, the
   seats are usually limited, and may not apply to the cheapest coach
   class tickets. So for folks who were traveling in pairs anyway, the
   discounts come closer to 25% off than the "up to 50% off"
   advertised by the airlines, when you take everything into account.
   (Sure, you're saving 50% off the price of the ticket, but if you were
   buying a single ticket, you'd get a cheaper ticket.) Both passengers
   must travel together on all legs of the itinerary. There must also
   be two passengers -- you can't claim a free ticket for a fictitious
   friend just to have an empty seat next to you.
   
Nadir Days Fare Sales:

   There are several days of the year when air travel hits rock bottom,
   like December 25, January 1, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and the 4th of July.
   Airlines can't simply reduce their operations on these days, because
   of scheduling difficulties. A flight from San Jose to Boston must
   still fly on schedule, even if there are no passengers on board,
   because that plane must be in Boston the next day when the normal load
   resumes.

   An empty seat doesn't earn the airline any money. So several airlines
   have started special one-day fare sales on peak-minimum days. For
   example, a round trip ticket from Pittsburgh to Boston on the Sunday
   before the 4th of July cost only $100. The catch was that you had to fly
   out after noon on Saturday and return by midnight Sunday.

Whiteout Fare Sales:

   In an unusual twist, Delta cut fares about 30-40% on some of the least
   popular travel days around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.
   Travel (both departure and return flights) must occur on November 17,
   21, 24, or 25; December 15, 19, 20, 28; or January 4, 5 or 6. The
   tickets are non-refundable and apply only to the 48 contiguous states. 
   Although Delta initially included the usual 14-day advance purchase and a
   November 10, 1994 deadline to buy tickets, USAir and Continental have waived
   those restrictions. (Note that the more popular travel days, such as
   the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, have been excluded.) For
   example, a round trip ticket from Pittsburgh to Boston flying on 11/21
   and 11/25 costs $137, compare to the usual $200-$250.

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Subject: [1-19] Moving Up the Return Flight

Departure dates on non-changeable tickers are inviolable -- you can't
change them without running into major obstacles. Return flights,
however, are sometimes a bit more flexible. You probably can't change
them before the departure, but sometimes you can change them afterwards.

For example, suppose you're flying to a conference that takes place
mid-week, but have to buy tickets that include a Saturday night stay.
Paying for an extra one or two day stay in a hotel (or student
housing) is cheaper than paying a full-price midweek fare.  So you
need to pick a Saturday night, either the one before the conference or
the one after. To take advantage of the flexibility on return flights,
book the flight to include the Saturday night *after* the conference.
On the night before you want to leave, call the airline and tell them
you'd like to return early. If they have space available, they'll let
you return early (possibly with a $35 change fee). For example, if you
want to fly out on Friday, call them Thursday night. This isn't flying
standby, because they'll actually give you a reservation for the
earlier return.

Some travel agents use a similar trick to obtain inexpensive tickets
for their business customers. They'll issue a ticket with a Saturday
night stay at the discount rate, and provide the passenger with a
sticker to put on the return ticket after the outbound ticket has been
removed. The sticker reflects the earlier return flight. The travel
agent also changes the return date on the reservation after the
outbound ticket has been used. Since this is a slightly shady
practice, any other changes in the itinerary must also be made through
the travel agent, not the airline. Not all travel agents are willing
to do this, and then only for expensive tickets and their best
customers.

If you want to try moving up the departure date, go to the airport a
few hours before departure and ask. If they have room, they may let
you on. You will have more success asking at the gate; airport
ticketing/checkin agents tend to be sticklers for the rules.
If you ask before the day of departure, or try to get it
changed by calling the toll free number, the answer will almost
certainly be no (or involve additional fees). 

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Subject: [1-20] Hidden City Fares

A hidden city fare occurs when a flight from point A to point B
happens to make a connection in point C and is cheaper than a direct
flight from point A to point C. This is a quirk of the way in which
airlines price their routes, which has little to do with the distance
flown. The prices are driven by market conditions. Prices drop when
there is a lot of competition on a route. The flight from A to B might
be a very busy route, with several airlines serving that market, while
the A-C and C-B routes might be not as busy. Usually such hidden city
fares occur when A and C aren't hubs for the carrier in question, but
B is, and B is dominated by the airline. So the airline routes you
through B, but charges you less than if you were to purchase two
round-trip tickets..

Theoretically, you could buy a ticket from A to B, get off at
point C, and throw away the B to C portion, saving some money, if
point C was your ultimate destination.  Airlines frown on this
practice, and taking advantage of a hidden city fare is explicitly
forbidden by their rules. If you happen to skip a leg of your flight
(e.g., logged as a no-show on the airline's computer), the airline has
the right to cancel all subsequent legs, and will do so to discourage
folks from using hidden-city fares. So the only case in which you can
"safely" take advantage of a hidden-city fare is when you're taking a
one-way flight. If you buy a round-trip ticket from A to B through C,
skip the C to B leg, and try to board the return flight at B or C,
you'll find that your reservation has been cancelled and you'll be
required to buy a new ticket at the full-price one-way fare.

You also can't take advantage of a hidden city fare if you've checked any
baggage, as your baggage will be sent through to your ultimate
destination. 

Airlines have started to really crack down on the use of hidden city
fares. They can not only cancel subsequent flights on their own lines,
but also recommend cancellation of subsequent flights on other
carriers. They've programmed their airline reservation systems to
watch out for hidden-city reservations, flagging potential violations
in the passenger's record, and in some cases will automatically cancel
all subsequent legs if one leg is skipped. Even if the reservation
system doesn't automatically cancel the subsequent legs, the agent at
check-in will see the warning flag and will be very suspicious of any
skipped legs.

Some airlines (e.g., Delta) have a practice of checking you in for all
outbound flights at the point of origin. But this doesn't make them any
more susceptible to folks who use hidden city fares, because if you
don't show up for the return flight at B, they'll still cancel all
your remaining legs. Also, sometimes the boarding passes are marked
"check-in required".

Hidden city fares happen most often when the connecting point is
dominated by one airline (the carrier of your flight) and the ultimate
destination is a competitive market. 

If you happen to catch an earlier flight than your scheduled one, be
sure to reconfirm your subsequent flight segments. Any departure from
your ticketed reservation can potentially cause your itinerary to be
flagged as a hidden-city violation (e.g., "NOSH" for no-show), if the
gate agent didn't record the earlier flight properly.

If you're the dishonest type and are going to lie about actually
having taken the skipped segments, at least have the intelligence to
remove the ticket and boarding pass (keeping the stub of the boarding
pass) from the ticket packet. [I once saw a couple try this stunt in
New York, and the gate agent caught them at it. The wife had removed
her ticket and boarding pass; the husband hadn't. The husband claimed
that the gate agent at the hidden city had forgotten to remove the
ticket. The gate agent didn't let them on the flight because the
computer showed that they had missed TWO segments of their flight --
from the hidden city to their ultimate destination and back. In
addition, the gate agent had been on duty the last time they passed
through, and didn't remember seeing them board. The agent's supervisor
concurred.]

If you know in advance that you want to skip a segment of your flight
(e.g., you're flying from A to C via B, but want to get off in C,
visit with some friends, then drive up to B to visit some more friends
and return home), tell this to the travel agent when you buy the
ticket. They can make a note about it in the record so that your
return flight won't be automatically cancelled when you miss the B to
C leg.

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Subject: [1-21] Buying Someone Else's Nonrefundable Ticket

Many people, when they can't use their nonrefundable ticket (or the
return leg of a round trip ticket), try to sell their tickets through
classified advertisements. This can be a source of cheap air tickets.
However, you'll be traveling under someone else's name, and the
airlines frown on this practice. If they catch you doing this, you'll
be forced to pay full fare for the return flight (typically twice the
face value of the round-trip ticket), and the airline will cancel all
your frequent traveler miles and all the frequent flyer miles of the
person who originally bought the ticket. They may also terminate your
membership in their frequent flyer program. Their contract is with the
person named on the ticket, not with you. If the tickets are actually
stolen tickets, they will definitely catch you.  Many airlines offer a
bounty to employees who confiscate such tickets.

Most airlines only check IDs on full flights or on fares that require
a special ID, such as a student ID. But more are checking IDs on
randomly selected tickets in an effort to discourage this practice.
All carriers reserve the right to require identification and to refuse
transportation if identification cannot be provided. For example
Northwest prints the following warning on the inside flap of the
ticket jacket:

  "Photo identification is required for all passengers.  Boarding may
   be denied and ticket confiscated if passenger's identification does
   not match the name on the ticket."

If the person named on the ticket checks in for you at the baggage
check-in counter, you'll probably run into trouble on the return trip.
If the airline catches you, you'll have to pay for a full fare one-way
ticket, which will negate any savings (and probably cost you more than
a round-trip would have). Plus, many airlines now check IDs on
boarding at the gate, to discourage this practice.

If the airplane should crash and you die, the airline won't have your
real name (which can affect life insurance policies), and this is just
plain unethical.  Moreover, your legal rights are extended only to the
person named on the ticket (or their estate), so in the event of a
loss or claim against the carrier, you will have no legal recourse
whatsoever.  

But given that the airline pricing strategies try to game
the consumer market, some consumers feel they are entitled to game the
system right back. I NEITHER ADVISE NOR CONDONE USING THIS PRACTICE AS
A MEANS OF OBTAINING CHEAP AIR TRAVEL. This practice constitutes
fraud, and hence is illegal.

One thing, however, cannot be stressed enough: Never purchase such a
ticket for international travel. If the name on your ticket does not
match the name on your passport, you can get into a lot of trouble,
not just with the airline, but with Immigration, Customs, and the
police at your destination. The airlines are required to check your
travel documents before you are allowed to board the aircraft, so they
will compare the name on your ticket with the name on your passport.
Many countries require airlines to return passengers to their country
of origin (at airline expense) if the passenger is denied entrance
into the country. So airlines have some incentive to be careful.  If,
by some fluke, they don't catch you, Immigration and Customs will also
inspect your travel documents. They also tend to compare the name on
the passport with the name on the bags. When they catch you, the
consequences can be a lot more serious than having to pay for a
full-fare ticket.  Since traveling under false documents is often a
crime under the laws of the destination country, you will be subject
to the courts and punishments of the destination country, and there
will be little your embassy can do to help you.

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Subject: [1-22] Discount Airlines

Regional airlines have started eating into the larger airlines by
offering discount travel on short and medium haul flights in high
demand routes. Advance purchase fares during off-peak hours on these
carriers can be dirt cheap. This section describes some of these carriers.

Note that some discount airlines are not full participants in the
computerized reservation systems, so you may have to call the airline
direct to purchase tickets. If you're connecting with another airline,
you may have to transfer your luggage yourself to the other carrier.
But if you can fit into their limited schedules, you can save a bundle.

Many discount airlines also provide "ticketless travel", where you
receive a receipt and a confirmation number instead of a ticket, just
like with rental cars. This reduces the amount of paper the airlines
must ship around.

The low-cost travel may also involve an elimination of many of the
frills common on larger airlines, such as meal service. Instead, you
may just get peanuts, or no food at all. 

These discount airlines are expanding rapidly and are adding new
cities all the time.

MarkAir:

   MarkAir was founded in 1947 as Interior Airways, carrying cargo
   within the state of Alaska. In 1984 they took on the name MarkAir
   and began carrying passengers as a regional carrier. Beginning in
   November of 1991, they started a major expansion to the lower 48
   states, and now offer jet (737) service to 16 cities in the lower 48
   states and 13 cities in the State of Alaska. Through MarkAir Express,
   their commuter service, they provide transportation to 144 Alaskan
   communities. Their service is low cost, with peanuts and drinks as
   the main sustenance. Snacks meals are available only on longer haul
   flights. Reservations 1-800-MARKAIR.

Southwest:

   Need to write a description.
   800-IFLY-SWA (800-435-9792) or 800-531-5601.
   Flights to 41 cities in 19 states.

Others include:

   American Trans Air 			800-382-5892, 800-225-2995
   Flights between AZ, CA, FL, NY, Chicago and Indianapolis.
   Serves different cities during different times of the year. During
   the summer they have flights to Europe and Israel; in the winter,
   they have flights to the Carribean. Some of these operate as
   charter flights and some as regularly scheduled flights.

   Carnival Airlines 			800-437-2110, 800-8-AIR-FUN
   Flights to FL, LA, and the Caribbean from the Northeast.

   Jet Train                            800-FLY-4-YOU
   Their daily route is
      Pittsburgh - New York (Newark)  7:45 am -  9:05 am
      New York (Newark) - Orlando     9:45 am - 12:20 pm
      Orlando - New York (Newark)     1:20 pm -  3:55 pm
      New York (Newark) - Pittsburgh  4:35 pm -  5:55 pm

   Kiwi International 			800-538-5494, 908-353-3232
   Flights between Chicago, Atlanta, Newark, and FL.

   Midway Airlines 			800-446-4392
   Flights from Chicago's Midway Airport to eastern cities.

   National Airlines			800-949-9400
   Flights from Atlanta.

   Reno Air  				800-736-6247
   Flights between AZ, CA, OR, NV, and WA.

   Tower Air 				800-221-2500
                                        800-34TOWER (800-348-6937)
   Flights between NY and Miami, LA, and San Francisco.

   ValuJet  				800-825-8538 (404-994-8258)
   Flights via Atlanta to Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana,
   Georgia, and Washington DC (Dulles). 

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Subject: [1-23] Tour Desks

Airline "tour" desks (e.g., Flyaway Vacations on American) are
excellent sources of good fares on relatively short notice. For
example, "bulk" or unpublished fares are available with as little as
four days notice (and a $15 late booking fee if the reservation is
made less than 14 days prior to arrival) to many popular destinations.

The only catch is that a minimum land package must be booked; after
all, it is a "tour" package. But for some destinations (e.g., Hawaii
from the west coast), that's only a minimum two-day rental car. Other
embarkation points require a three-day minimum hotel stay, but the
rates are very attractive.  

Other cities require a two-day minimum hotel stay, but this can be in
connection with the Holiday Inn voucher program (runs as little as $79
per room per night depending on the hotel category). The passenger
must book a "tour room" directly with a participating Holiday Inn --
and the airline rarely checks if the passenger actually made the
reservations. Also, the vouchers do not have to be used in connection
with a flight, and can be used anytime within a year from the date of
the trip.

To combat fraud, such as folks cancelling the car rental and applying
for a refund, the land segment is usually non-refundable. Bulk fares
are also often blacked out during holidays, but this can vary by the
destination. 

In essence, a tour package combines airfare with a minimum hotel stay
and/or car rental. Requirements vary with the destination and
embarkation point, but if you can meet the requirements, you may find
yourself saving some money.

These tour packages can be particularly useful to business folks who
don't want to stay over a Saturday night. The savings on the flight
can more than make up the cost of the hotel stay, especially when
compared with the cost of a last-minute non-supersaver fare.

Many airlines are starting to outsource their tour calls to
contractors, as they aren't very profitable to the airlines. How this
will affect the availability of such deals is unknown.

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;;; *EOF*

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