HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rna@leland.Stanford.EDU (Robert Ashcroft)
Subject: Re: AMEX and cashing checks overseas
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 92 18:19:38 GMT

In article <1992Apr12.115316.7131@cs.cornell.edu> murthy@cs.cornell.edu (Chet Murthy) writes:
>Hmmm... One of the things I like most about AMEX is that they are all over 
>the world, with offices which you can call to find out information
>about things.  It's nice - they speak English, and they are willing
>to take a little time to tell you what's going on with something
>really perplexing, like, say, opening a bank account in ... FRANCE!
>(Oh, Horror or horrors! but that's another story...)
>

You can also receive your mail at AMEX offices overseas, or at least
you used to be able to do so.

RNA


Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: yy@cbnews.cb.att.com (alan.j.lapenn)
Subject: Re: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 10:43:46 GMT
Summary: Kids Cry

In article <92106.145510ASAHC@CUNYVM.BITNET>, ASAHC@CUNYVM.BITNET (Asher Samuels) writes:
> My idea is that, whenever there's a crying kid, one free alcoholic drink
> should be served to everyone in earshot.
> I know that onTower, with all the kids, etc.  the only way I survive is to brin
>  along a flask of Jack Daniels.

Kids cry, being a parent it's our worst nightmare. There is nothing you can do 
about it. If it makes you feel any better we have all annoyed someone by crying
sometime in our life ( I do it constantly at work :-) :-) :-) , it works great )

-- 
Alan LaPenn      att!mvuxd!yy          .signature not found!
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: jfriedl@tubby.mach.cs.cmu.edu (Jeffrey E. F. Friedl)
Subject: Re: Is It Legal ??
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 92 04:00:44 GMT
Organization: Carnegie Mellon / Omron Corporation
Reply-To: jfriedl@cs.cmu.edu

cmdavis@sdcc3.ucsd.edu (Christopher Davis) writes:
|> In article <1992Apr16.203944.14440@PA.dec.com> klee@wsl.dec.com writes:
|> >In the U.S., it is probably fraud (a serious crime) to use a ticket sold for
|> >the sole use of another person.  On domestic flights, they don't (usually)
|> >check ID, so they aren't likely to catch you.  On international flights,
|> >however, they always check ID (passports).
|> 
|> Does the airline really check the passport along with the ticket?
|> I seem to recall customs checking the passport and having no
|> interest in the ticket, and the airline checking the ticket and
|> having no interest in the passport.  Has anyone here tried using
|> someone else's ticket internationally, and did you get called on it?

My understanding is that if an airline ships (uh, planes) you to a
country, and you're not allowed in the country (i.e. no passport,
improper visa, etc.), it's the airline's responsibilty to take you back.

Since they (understandably) don't feel like giving a free return trip
(who's to say you have a return ticket or even any money), they want to
make sure you've got what you need to get where you're going.

My passport has been checked every time I was to originate in one country
and end up in another.  I guess it's OK not to have a passport if you
you can prove you're American or Canadian, and are going from one country
to the other, though.


I once showed up at the ticket counter and, while standing in line,
realized I'd forgotten my passport for a trip home.  Can you say OOPS!
For some (lucky) reason I had decided to get the the airport early, and
so had 59 whole minutes to get to my apt, grab the passport, and get back.

Unfortunately, it was a 30 minute one-way trip _without_traffic_,
and it was now 7AM (nasty rush-hour traffic of Pittsburgh to now deal with).

I made it.
Many people pissed at speeding reckless taxi driver.
Taxi driver got BIG tip. (-:
Aircraft closed doors and pushed back as soon as I sat down.
Got to Dullus 10 minutes early (pilot used to drive taxi? :-)

Anyway, if I hadn't noticed while standing in line, I'd have been *real*
glad the agent noticed it in Pittsburgh, rather than Dullus or San Fran.
(or Osaka where I was going, for that matter).

	*jeff*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey Eric Francis Friedl   jfriedl@cs.cmu.edu -or- jfriedl@omron.co.jp
Omron Corporation, Section RZE, Shimokaiinji, Nagaokakyo Kyoto 617, Japan
Visiting researcher to the Mach Project, Carnegie Mellon University
CMU phones: 412-268-8187 (office) 412-682-5645 (apartment)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: kawai@Csli.Stanford.EDU (goh kawai - n6uok)
Subject: Re: Fares to Japan
Organization: speech research and technology, sri international
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 07:07:05 GMT

John Vann (johnvann@phoenix.princeton.edu) asks:

>I was wondering if anybody knows how to go about getting cheap flights
>to Japan.  I have a summer job in Tokyo and need to travel in early June
>and mid/late August.  

Where are you flying from, and where are you going to?  Do you have
exact dates when you would like to fly?  

I only have information between the west coast and Tokyo and Osaka.  I
do have some info on fares from Hawaii to Japan, but not the
rock-bottom cheap fares.  

If you're going to Japan in early June, planes won't be that crowded,
but fares will be up because it's summer vacation.  Depending exactly
when you're coming back to the U.S., flights may not only be crowded
but very expensive unless you reserve in advance.  There's a week of
vacation in Japan that makes everyone rush to the airport.

I'm afraid I can only give you general info as far as prices are
concerned, especially if you're leaving from Princeton.  If you are
planning to fly from San Fransisco, please send me email and I'll mail
you a list of cheaper travel agencies.

----------------- speech technology and research, sri, menlo park, california
--- Goh Kawai --- work:(415)859-2231   fax:(415)859-5984   home:(415)323-7214
----------------- internet: kawai@speech.sri.com      radio: n6uok and jk1zyp

Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: rna@leland.Stanford.EDU (Robert Ashcroft)
Subject: Re: USair
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 92 06:19:27 GMT

In article <29ECD9FF.9511@ics.uci.edu> davida@ics.uci.edu (David Andersen) writes:
>
>Allegheny was actually the merger of two  or three smaller airlines.  Then
>later they changed the name to USAir.  Shortly after that they announced
>the purchase of Piedmont and then PSA.  Both mergers took place within
>18 months of each other.
>

Uh, not shortly.  There were at least a few years in between.

>>I thought Western was purchased by TWA?  Delta picked up several of the
>>AA and US gate slots.
>>
>That is incorrect.

So are you :-)

>Delta bought Western
>             Eastern's Shuttle Routes

No!  Delta bought Pan Am's Shuttle.  Trump bought Eastern's shuttle and
Trump is shortly to become the USAir shuttle.


>Texas Air bought Eastern
>                 Continental which bought Frontier
>                                          People's Express
>                 New York Air

Not strictly true either.  New York Air was _created_ by Texas Air, even
before Texas Air took Continental into Chapter 11.  New York Air only ever
existed as a subsidiary of Texas Air.

Also, _Texas Air_ bought People Express and the remains of Frontier (it
had collapsed), then merged them into Continental.

>Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the following are also true:
>  Air Canada acquired CPAir

OK, I'll correct you.  CPAir bought a Eastern Provincial and a couple of
other small Canadian carriers.  Then PWA (Pacific Western Airlines) bought
CPAir and formed Canadian Airlines International (though I heard that the
CPAir management was the surviving management).  Air Canada had nothing
to do with it.

For details, see my article in The Economist of September 1987 
(can't remember exact issue :-)

RNA
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: marcush@leland.Stanford.EDU (Marcus Edward Hennecke)
Subject: Re: Tell you something..
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 92 06:13:47 GMT

In article <1992Apr7.162523.12042@gn.ecn.purdue.edu> mechalas@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (John P. Mechalas) writes:
>In article <13849@star.cs.vu.nl> bert@cs.vu.nl (Menting BL) writes:
>>Hmm, anybody does know that travelling by air is very bad for the
>>environment (one flight is as bad as a whole year travel by car)
>>unless your a bird..
>
>What's your source?  The by-products of jet fuel are much less harmful than
>those of internal-combustion engines...most exhaust gasses are H20 with some
>CO2 and a trace amounts of other gases (I'd have to check my propulsion data
>afor more details).  Also, aircraft engines combust at extremely *lean*
>mixtures, except during takeoff and landings.

Of course, a plane can transport a lot more people than a car. Also,
the engines of a plane are a lot more efficient than the engine of a
car. However, planes usually travel in a region of the atmosphere
which is considered rather sensitive to pollution. It might very well
be that planes do a lot of damage that just may not be visible yet. On
the other hand, the chemistry of the atmosphere at those heights is
pretty complicated and we just begin to understand what is going on up
there. Therefore, it is very hard to determine how much damage is
really done by a flight. I doubt that the statement `one flight is as
bad as a whole year travel by car' is even close to being accurate.
This is not saying that flights are good for the environment. We just
don't know how bad they really are.

Marcus Hennecke
marcush@leland.stanford.edu
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: horne-scott@CS.YALE.EDU (Scott Horne)
Subject: Airplane etiquette (Re: here's a stab at a FAQ post -- comments/additions solicited)
Organization: Computer "Science" Dept, Yale University
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 06:40:00 GMT

In article <1992Apr11.033944.18218@odin.corp.sgi.com>, autry@sgi.com (Larry Autry) writes:
<
<Some notes about airline etiquette?  It's hard to cover everything, but
<here are some of my favorites.

Don't forget to tell people that "Disabled passengers and those travelling
with small children are invited to come forward" does not mean "Stampede
for the gate".  (I wonder why the airlines don't *make* people wait their
turns.)  Also, *please* don't stand in the aisle (mucking with carry-on bags
and the like) while people are still getting on the 'plane.  (This goes
doubly for those of you in Row 2 who selfishly hop on the 'plane while
Rows 30 and back are still being called.)  Sit down and hold your bags in
your lap for two minutes.

And once the 'plane has landed, get your things together.  Don't stand around
twiddling your thumbs until the people in front of you start to move.

And if you have a baby, take a pacifier.  If there's anything I don't need,
it's four hours of "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"

<The time honored; if I'm sitting in the middle, am I still entitled to 
<at least one armrest.

Yes, and probably two.

					--Scott

-- 
Scott Horne                               ...!{harvard,cmcl2,decvax}!yale!horne
horne@cs.Yale.edu      SnailMail:  Box 7196 Yale Station, New Haven, CT   06520
203 436-1848                Residence:  Rm 1848 Silliman College, New Haven, CT
ZANG4 HAN4 YI4 JIA1 / GONG4 JIAN4 ZHONG1HUA2!
From: max@hitl.washington.edu (Max Minkoff)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: If I'd only known... (was: Re: AMEX Coupon Transferability)
Date: 8 Apr 92 18:09:51 GMT
Organization: HIT-men


Here's some first hand experience, only a few hours old at that, with
trying to transfer AMEX student vouchers.  

This happened this very morning: 

My name is Max Michael
Minkoff.  Both my first and middle names are potential female names, so
we didn't worry _too_ much when my girlfriend decided to use one of my
vouchers to fly east for a week.  We did what we figured was necessary -
I bought the tickets at the counter, using my AMEX card and showing my
picture ID, then gave her the tickets, my AMEX card, and another
non-picture ID of mine.

Well, to make a long story short, they ID'd her _again_ at the _gate_!!
She did everything she could to convince them, but finally they called
AMEX and found out that Max Michael Minkoff is male.  Nixed!!  So she
had to buy a ticket there and then, lose the $189 I'd just charged for 
those tickets, lose the voucher, and lose 3 hours waiting for the next
flight.  It was ugly.

So, my recommendation is, don't try doing this with Continental, unless 
you've got $189 to risk, plus the cost for day-of-flight airfare.
Luckily, the ticket agent messed up and gave us the 21-day advance fare,
but that was still a hefty $549.

If only we'd known...

In article <1992Apr8.044502.3594@leland.Stanford.EDU> tkw@leland.Stanford.EDU (Todd Whitehurst) writes:

   But if I were going to
   use someone else's student coupon, I would probably do it on
   USAir instead of Continental at this point.


A littled bummed...

Max

------------------------------- ----<-@ -------------------------------
Max Minkoff                                  Believe it if you need it,
max@hitl.washington.edu                If you don't, just pass it on...
Human Interface Technology Lab                      
University of Washington - Seattle, WA
From: davida@bonnie.ics.uci.edu (David Andersen)
Subject: Re: Delta 30 day Standby Airpass
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Reply-To: davida@ics.uci.edu (David Andersen)
Organization: Univ. of Calif., Irvine, Info. & Computer Sci. Dept.
Date: 14 Apr 92 06:57:34 GMT

In article <1992Apr13.205322.1@max.u.washington.edu> gad@max.u.washington.edu writes:
>In article <1992Apr14.011134.23104@trl.oz.au>, wallace@titan.trl.OZ.AU (Glenn Wallace) writes:
>> A friend and I are travelling to the US in July, and we want to use a
>> Delta 30 day standby air pass to get around.
>>
>> Has anyone had any experience with these?
>>
>> How long are we likely to wait at airports for vacant seats, as we are
>> "standby passengers"?
> Not much if you don't insist on taking a Friday night/Monday morning busy
> business route.

Try to fly into/through the hub cities.  If you miss a flight, the next
one will be coming by shortly.  Delta's primary hub is in Atlanta, Georgia.
They have a significant presence in Los Angeles (not REALLY a hub, but
they do have an entire terminal to themselves).


>>
>> (and no, we won't be travelling on 4th July etc...)
>>
>> How good is Delta (safety/service/food/legroom wise) ?
>>
> Safety - good but not the best, service - one of the best

For safety, almost all of the carriers are the same.  The leg room in
some flights is less pleasing (they acquired a lot of L-1011's from
Western air lines).  The service on Delta is FAR FAR better than the
service on Northwest.  Northwest (read: NorthWORST) is damn close to
a Continental Cattle-Car.

>> What are the best times of the days to get seats?
>>
>> The price for overseas travellers is US$449, which is damn good value
>> for 30 days unlimited trips. We have a copy of the conditions and there
>> are no catches, OTHER THAN the fact you are on standby.
>>
>> NorthWest have a similar deal, same price. Is this better or not?
>>
>  It really depends on where you plan to go. Northwest has a better on-time
>  record but Delta's service is superior to NW's. Delta has more flights
>  in the South-East (Hubs in DFW, SLC, LAX, Atlanta, Cincinati) NW has more
>  flights  in the Midwest (Hubs in MSP, Detroit, Memphis) Best thing to do
>  is look where you want to go and then check the airlines domestic system
>  timetable.
>> We have visions of waiting days in airport lounges....!
>>
>  Not to worry!
>> Flying between cities will maximise the places we can see in our time in
>> the US. I know these questions may sound silly, but bear in mind that
>> the Australian airline industy/system is *nothing* like the US.
>>
I flew Ansett about 4 years ago (prior to deregulation down there?), and
it was interesting.   The food was almost identifiable.

Are these tickets good to Hawaii or are they for domestic travel only?

Who do you buy them from?

David Andersen
UC Irvine

--
David Andersen (Yo! that's an E---not an O!)
From: citroen@binoc.bih.harvard.edu (Micky Citroen)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: Bumps
Date: 9 Apr 92 16:21:57 GMT
Reply-To: citroen@binoc.bih.harvard.edu (Micky Citroen)
Followup-To: rec.travel.air
Organization: Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston Mass., USA


All this talk about bumps is very interesting! Just two questions:

How do you find out there is a possibility to bump?
How and where and who do you tell you are volunteering to be bumped?

Thanx, Micky.
From: mitja@hera.Berkeley.EDU (Mitja Baumhackl)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: AMEX coupons, longest flight
Date: 7 Apr 92 16:30:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: agate.rsimdINNb0i
Organization: University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: hera.berkeley.edu
Originator: mitja@hera.Berkeley.EDU

To get the AMEX coupons, you need to apply for an AMEX card as a student.
They have a special short form that they distribute at colleges...but
you might try calling AMEX.  The yearly fee is $55 but if you fly at least
once, you make up for it.

Don't try transfering the coupons.  It's a major hassle and it's not
worth it.  Besides, one of the coupons is good for two people to fly together
at $189/each.  (across the country).

Current AMEX tickets are for travel on Continental.  Continental is currently
in bankruptcy, which explains the low regular fares.  The inflight service
is pretty sparse.

Another note:  Continental is the "sister" airline of former Eastern.
Eastern tried to bust its union members, so some of us have qualms about
flying an airline in the same company (or at least have liberal guilt).

The new Amex tickets are only good for a six night stay.  That made it
extremely difficult to get tickets for the winter break of Xmas-New Year's.

TIP:  Since you can't reserve the tickets more than 14 days in advance,
call in for ticket reservations at exactly 12:00am Eastern Standard Time.
Since I live in California, I called at 9pm for my tickets and although
I still couldn't get a direct flight, it worked.

This is the type of itinerary I got during a peak period with cheap tix:

San Francisco to Denver to Newark, NJ
and on the return:
Newark to Kansas City (2 hour layover) to Denver (3 hour layover + 2 hour
delay) to San Francisco.

I returned on New Year's Eve and was supposed to arrive at 10:30pm.  Got in
instead at 12:30 am.  There was no celebration on the flight, no drinks
Instead "This is the captain, we're coming in for a landing soon, oh, it's
12:07, happy new year".  Whoopee.

(But I met my sweetie on the flight in Kansas City and she had the same
lousy itinerary, being a student also)...We're flying to France in October.
(awwwwwwwwww)

----------------------------
mitja@hera.berkeley.edu
not endorsed by UC Berkeley
From: gad@max.u.washington.edu
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: Delta Frequent Flier Mileage
Date: 14 Apr 92 22:19:05 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.202049.8273@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>, punisher@gawain.cif.rochester.edu (What a charmer!) writes:
> I recently started flying on Delta's Business Express
> and decided to join their frequent flyer club.  According
> to the details I got, I get 1000 miles for every BEX flight I
> take.  Is this in addition to the miles the flight actually takes?
> Or is is a set 1000 for BEX flight?
 Just 1000 as the minimum, more if you actually fly more.
> 
> Thanks.
> 	Pete
> 
> By the way, does anyone have a clue as to how many miles
> 	it will take before I can get something from Delta?  I
> 	was joking with my uncle (who flies AA, united, or Delta
> 	at least once a month) that I would probably need a million
> 	miles before I got a freebie.  He said that was about right, 
> 	and that I MIGHT get to go as far as Rochester, NY. to NYC!!!
  Listen to your uncle (40,000 for domestic, 50,000 for Hawaii, 70,000 for Europe
From: dbr@ocf.berkeley.edu (Daniel Rosler)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: More about BUMPS
Date: 8 Apr 1992 06:34:28 GMT
Organization: U. C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
NNTP-Posting-Host: lightning.berkeley.edu

In article <ru0upINNhfv@agate.berkeley.edu> 
spanzer@enzyme.berkeley.edu (Scott Panzer) writes:

>I would be interested in hearing other people's experiences with getting
>bumped:

How about the opposite.  About 5 years ago I arrived for a TWA flight 20 min
before departure.  The agent at the gate told me I had been bumped because
"their policy is to bump those who show up within 20 min. of the flight."
I reminded her that *in fact* their policy holds within 15 min. and I expected
to get a seat on the flight.  She looked at her monitor for a minute, then
gave me a seat in first class.

Coast to coast -- first class -- $119, not bad.

-- 

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Rosler                       Internet: dbr@ocf.berkeley.edu
Because you never get a third chance to make a second impression.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: sasjw3@lemngrs.unx.sas.com (Jade Walker)
Subject: Re: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
    <92106.145510ASAHC@CUNYVM.BITNET> 
    <1992Apr16.104346.20711@cbnews.cb.att.com>
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 14:53:54 GMT
Distribution: usa
Originator: sasjw3@lemngrs.unx.sas.com
X-Bytes: 827

In article <1992Apr16.104346.20711@cbnews.cb.att.com>, yy@cbnews.cb.att.com (alan.j.lapenn) writes:
|>
|> Kids cry, being a parent it's our worst nightmare. There is nothing you can do
|> about it. If it makes you feel any better we have all annoyed someone by crying
|> sometime in our life ( I do it constantly at work :-) :-) :-) , it works great )
|>

I agree with Alan. Crying babies don't bother me (and I'm not even
a parent) -- in most of the cases they've been overstimulated to the
point of no return, and they can't help it.

Now, if you're talking about a 3-to-4 year old
child who screams full-blast because the seat belt "hurts" or about
a parent changing a baby in the seat next to you during dinner,
that's another matter...
-- 
Jade Walker                sasjw3@unx.sas.com
SAS Institute Inc.         Cary, NC
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: ae01045
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: AMEX coupons - how transferrable are they?
Date: 7 Apr 92 15:40:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: vx.7APR199210403470
Organization: University of Minnesota CIS
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Apr7.133902.27985@unx.sas.com>, sashyh@barfly.unx.sas.com (Heidi Harring) writes...
>In article <1992Apr7.020013.27660@u.washington.edu>, treon@milton.u.washington.edu (Treon Verdery) writes:
>>well, I got the $189 coupons from AMEX.  They have my name written
> 
>How does one get ahold of said coupons?  Apply for an AMEX card & get them as
>comp tickets?  or buy them from AMEX?
> 
>Please post details.
>Thanks,
>-- 
>*************************************************************************
>Heidi Harring    \ SAS Institute \ "'Ven de rockets go up, who cares vear
>sashyh@unx.sas.com\ SAS Campus Dr.\ dey come down?  Zat is not my depart-
>(919)677-8000 x6767\ Cary, NC 27513\ ment!' says Wernher von Braun." T.L.
>*************************************************************************

Heidi,

this coupons are only for students who get the CARD. It was much nicer 
in the past: 99$ RT everywhere in the States with NWA. Now you are
restricted to max. 6 nights and it has to be over a Saturday night. And
then the prices vary by zones. If you fly over the Mississippi it is
189$ otherwise 139$ (plus 10$ in summer).

Peter
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air