HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: harihara@methacrylate.ecn.purdue.edu (Deepak Hariharan)
Subject: rebating commission
Followup-To: poster
Keywords: commission
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 01:55:52 GMT

Are there any reputable agencies with discount air tickets.
As I understand it using the NY Times travel section can 
be quite risky.  Is there any way to minimise the risks.
I am particularly interested in the US-India sector which
I know is one of the worst sectors as far as air fares
are concerned.  I have heard of something called
Travellers Advantage who rebate 10% of the fare after
the travel is completed.  How do they do that.  The 
commission on domestic tickets is usually around 6-7%.
On international tickets it may make sense because the 
discount (official not consolidator) is between 11 and
16%.  Do reputable agencies like Thomas Cook 
discount tickets. (I know part of this is FAQ material).

Can someone please enlighten.  Since Delhi is the only
network accessible through internet, does using them 
help in any way.

Thanks

Deepak
harihara@ecn.purdue.edu 
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: jpenovic@encore.com (Jan Penovich)
Subject: Another Freq. Flyer question.
Reply-To: jpenovic@encore.com
Organization: Encore Computer Corp., Fort Lauderdale FL
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 20:43:18 GMT

This may sound dumb, can you rack up freq. flyer mileage on
a flight that you paid for with a FF certificate?

********************************************************************
TTFN,    ___           *   jpenovic@encore.com
      / /   /  /\   /  *   
     / /___/  /  \ /   *   
/___/ /   /  /    /    *   
                       *   Encore Computer Corp., Ft. Lauderdale, FL
*********************************************************************
From: AXLEROD@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu (Harvey Axlerod)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Student, educator rates
Date: 12 Jan 93 15:06:29 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo


   A true story and a moral:
 
   The other day, in the Albany (NY) airport, I struck up a conversation with
the lady behind the Mohawk Airlines counter. There was a big sign on the
counter advertising $99/each way tickets on Mohawk. (Mohawk is a Syracuse
based regional airline serving Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, White
Plains, Boston, Hartford and Philadelphia.) So I jokingly asked if I could get
a student ticket. (I am 47 and look it.) No, said she, but how about an
educator ticket for $129/each way. Any two points in the system. No round trip
required. No weekend restrictions. Fully refundable.
 
    Later I asked my travel agent to verify this rate. IT'S NOT ON THE
RESERVATION SYSTEM (Easy-Sabre??) In any event, it probably pays to ask for
such rates, and ask someone from the airlines reservation people, not a dummy
at the airport. It's worth a try.
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Harvey Axlerod                   Voice:    716-645-3570
University at Buffalo            FAX:      716-645-3734
University Computing Services    BITNET :  axLErod@ubvm
224 Computing Center             Internet: axLErod@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu
Buffalo, New York 14260
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: ajeans@hplred.HPL.HP.COM (Albert Jeans)
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 15:47:33 GMT
Subject: Re: Traveling to Japan
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo Alto, CA
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air

A couple of good guides are Gateway to Japan (published by Kodansha?) a tall
red paperback, and the Frommer's guides (especially the one on Tokyo if you're
flying into there).
From: tobias@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Tobias)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: UA Round the World Dropped
Date: 6 Jan 93 13:55:18 GMT
Reply-To: tobias@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Tobias)
Distribution: na
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.travel.air, kls@ohare.Chicago.COM (Karl Swartz) writes:
>these oceans *neither* division's pilots can fly it.  United seems
>to have an inordinate amount of labor trouble with the pilots, though
>nothing like Northwest in the days when it was known as Cobra Air
>because it would strike at anything.

    Northwest used to make out like a bandit when it came to using the
airlines' strike fund (used to compensate airlines that were struck by
the unions). Each airline contributed to the kitty, and Northwest got
back far more than they put in.
    Does this fund still exist?

				      Steve
From: baert@fnalni.fnal.gov
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Travel Bargins... Whats the deal???
Date: 11 Jan 93 16:54:20 GMT
Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Lab
NNTP-Posting-Host: fnalni.fnal.gov

On cable TV's Travel Channel, they run this show called "Travel Bargins",
Which offers Airline tickets with what seem to be rather low fairs. 

My question: Anybody have any expierience with them? What's the deal?
	     What are the restrictions? We all know there's no such
	     this as something for nothing......


					Mark Baert
					baert@fnal.fnal.gov
Xref: sparky rec.travel.air:6434 rec.travel:17634
From: wes@vax2.concordia.ca (Wes Schyngera)
Subject: Sinus Pressure--help!
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Concordia University
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 14:54:00 GMT

On a recent flight, the change in pressure (on descent) caused
such incredible pain in my sinus cavities that I almost cried! My
eardrums felt like they were going to explode and my eyes like they
were going to pop right out! Could some seasoned air traveller out
there PLEASE suggest a remedy (chew gum? take a Sinutab?)--I'm
really dreading flying again because of this. Please send responses
by e-mail as I don't monitor this group.
Thanks,

-----
Wes Schyngera
Concordia University
wes@vax2.concordia.ca
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: perry@lheavx.gsfc.nasa.gov (Brendan Perry)
Subject: Going to Frankfurt, how to get around there
Followup-To: rec.travel.air
Organization: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 16:18:51 GMT

Greetings,

I'm thinking of going to Frankfurt within the next 2 months
because USAir has tickets for $288 R/T from BWI or Dulles.
For anyone interested, the offer was $288 to Frankfurt or
Paris, $248 to London Gatwick, add $10 from JFK or Newark.

My questions are:

1) Is this as good a rate as I'm likely to see for a while?
   (I went on AirHitch to Amsterdam in August for $340 R/T and
    thought that was good), plus the dollar bought 1.42 DM in
    August, now it buys 1.62. Is it going to get better, so 
    what I wouldn't save in airfare later I'd make up in the
    exchange rate? 

2) Where should I go from Frankfurt. My thoughts are any of
   Berlin, Prague or Munich. I'll be there 8-9 days total and
   plan on at least 2 in Frankfurt, but not necessarily.

3) Given the above, what are the best ways to get to my second
   destination, i.e. rail, how much to each, how easy, should I 
   buy some kind of pass before I leave or when I get there, how
   easy will it be to get into the 'Czech Republic', etc.

4) I'll probably get 'The Real Guide' or 'Let's Go' (I have Let's
   Go Europe already), but are there suggestions as to where to
   stay? I'm really leaning towards Prague, then Berlin, then
   Munich.

My particulars are that I'm 27, no longer a student (drat!) and am
travelling with one other person, and I'm kind of doing this on a
lark since the fare is so cheap.

Your advise and comments will be greatly appreciated, thanks in 
advance.

Brendan
From: pang@cse.ucsc.edu (Alex Pang)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Smoking Airlines (was Re: Best seats on a 747-200 ?)
Date: 12 Jan 1993 21:02:23 GMT
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz (CE/CIS Boards)
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: arapaho.ucsc.edu


just got back from a trip from san francisco - taipei - manila
on china air lines.  the entire flight was non-smoking!!!

it was kind of fun to watch the smokers squirm in their seats
for a change.  one guy kept sniffing his cigarette along its
length ...
From: boubez@tastesgreat.rutgers.edu (Toufic Boubez)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Flights to Canary Islands
Keywords: Airlines, stopovers, cheap flights
Date: 6 Jan 93 16:34:53 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

Hi there. My wife & I are considering a trip to the Canary Islands. Does
anybody have any tips on how to get the best fares? We can leave either
from the NY/NJ area or from Montreal. We'd like to leave in early to mid
April. Is it better to fly to Madrid, say, and then take an independant
flight to the Canaries, or to book a complete flight? Would it be cheaper
to stopover somewhere else, like Morocco for example, and then fly to the
Islands? What about family fares, FF programs (I have one with NW) ? Any
info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

toufic

            R 2 4      Toufic Boubez
            |_|_|      boubez@cesl.rutgers.edu
            | | |      Computational Engineering Systems Lab
            1 3 5      CAIP Center, Rutgers University, NJ
  
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM (Karl Swartz)
Subject: Re: UA Round the World Dropped
Organization: Chicago Software Works
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 12:25:41 GMT

In article <1992Dec18.134740.2836@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> dmarble@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Duane F Marble) writes:
>The paper this morning notes that the proposed round the world service
>by United will not be established due to problems with the pilots union.

Sunday's Los Angeles Times notes that the dispute with ALPA only
affects the new portion of the round-the-world offering, namely the
Hong Kong - Delhi - London portion.  The other segments are already
in operation and have been for some time.

My guess is that there's some silly-ass bickering about whether
pilots from the Atlantic or the Pacific divisions fly this portion,
perhaps with the pilots insisting that since India is on neither of
these oceans *neither* division's pilots can fly it.  United seems
to have an inordinate amount of labor trouble with the pilots, though
nothing like Northwest in the days when it was known as Cobra Air
because it would strike at anything.

Back to the LA Times article, there was a distinct impression that
the service would be re-offered once the dispute is worked out, even
though a United spokesperson wouldn't comment one way or another.
Seeing as how United has had the route authority for seven years and
only now has tried to use it (it came with the acquisition of Pan Am's
Pacific Division in February, 1986) waiting a bit longer doesn't seem
terribly troublesome.

BTW, United says Delhi, the LA Times says New Delhi.  Which one would
be preferred when referring to the airport or air travel in general?
(Yes, I know they are different cities, at least according to my map.)

-- 
Karl Swartz	|INet	kls@ditka.chicago.com		
1-415/854-3409	|UUCP	uunet!decwrl!ditka!kls
		|Snail	2144 Sand Hill Rd., Menlo Park CA 94025, USA
 Send sci.aeronautics.airliners submissions to airliners@chicago.com
From: narula@annapurna.wpd.sgi.com (Anurag Narula)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: United Milage plus coupons question
Date: 8 Jan 93 21:17:00 GMT
Organization: Silicon Graphics Inc.

I have two United MP coupons (each worth 5000 aaward miles), and my wife has one. Unfortunately they expire on 1/31/93 and we are unable to use them before that date.
Is there anything we can do to save these award miles.

-- 

=============================================================================
	Anurag Narula		narula@wpd.sgi.com		(415)390-1136
My reputation precedes me, otherwise I would be late for all my appointments.
=============================================================================
From: jordan@IMSI.COM (Jordan Hayes)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: Upgrades
Date: 11 Jan 93 22:25:15 GMT
Organization: Investment Management Services Inc., NYC

Daniel J. Jablonski <djablon@athena.mit.edu> writes:

	> My question is: do any other US airlines have similar upgrade
	> policies for frequent fliers?

	I'm a Delta Frequent Flyer member (not medallion).  They offer
	paid upgrades off of unrestricted (B06) fares.

TWA's Gold Card (30k actual miles, same as Delta Medallion, though DL
has a higher minimum mileage, so on short flights Delta gets you there
faster) gives you *unlimited* *free* upgrades on *any fare class*
(subject to availablilty).  Plus you can upgrade your companion.

DL upgrades are limited (Medallion can only get up to 20 year), cost
miles (2.5k for Medallion, 10k for non-), and can only be used on B06
(or BR06) fares (example fare: r/t JFK-SFO == $1360) ... in particular,
they cannot be used on a "non-refundable" fare which is what most fares
are these days.

-----

Answer to original question: no, I don't think there are any other
airlines that have as generous of an upgrade plan as TWA.  I am
TWA/Gold, Delta Medallion, and United Premier.

/jordan
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: djablon@athena.mit.edu (Daniel J. Jablonski)
Subject: Re: Flight times and the Jet Stream
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Distribution: na 
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 18:56:47 GMT

In article <1993Jan7.175214.5077@newshost.lanl.gov> mwj@beta.lanl.gov (William Johnson) writes:

>I suppose it is plausible that meanderings of the jet stream could result in
>unusually potent headwinds -- certainly I've heard this lament on flights
>myself.  Still, I am somewhat suspicious of this explanation.  Does anybody
>know what the *real* consequences of a wandering jet stream for air travel
>are?  How much can the jet stream slow a plane down?  How much of the delay
>is already hidden in the flight schedules?  (Observe that westbound flights
>over North American always are listed as taking a bit longer than eastbound
>ones.)  And how much is just the airline making excuses for poor performance?

I flew roundtrip BOS-DFW-IAH IAH-DFW-BOS over christmas break, and the flight
from BOS-DFW was an hour and two minutes longer than the DFW-BOS flight.
There was no circling, and once we started our descent, it seemed that we 
approached rather quickly.  Both flights were on MD-88 aircraft, although the
return trip DFW-BOS (the faster one) was HEAVIER.

--Dan
From: yan-dicky@cs.yale.edu (Dicky Yan)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Senior Citizens
Date: 10 Jan 1993 02:23:52 -0500
Organization: Yale University Computer Science Dept., New Haven, CT 06520-2158
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: salmon.zoo2.cs.yale.edu

I have a few questions.

* Do airlines offer discounts for senior citizens? If yes which of them
  and what are the small prints and regulations?

* I know that Northwest has a program for seniors. I have helped my
  parents to join the program. The brochures  mentioned that there are some
  10% discount vouchers for the seniors in the program. Has anyone ever
  tried using it? Is it any good?


Any help would be appreciated. 

Dicky.
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: nigel@kathunk.phaedrav.on.ca (Nigel M Burnett)
Subject: Buy 1, get 2nd free AC coupon
Organization: as little as possible
Distribution: canada
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 02:36:23 GMT


As part of an Air Canada promotion, I have a reward certificate
that I'll probably never use.  If you buy a full fare economy,
business, or 1st class ticket from Montreal/Toronto and Los
Angeles/San Francisco, you get a second ticket of the same class
free.

Catches:  It expires 1993 May 31 and it looks like the ticket
will have to be in my name.  This probably makes it pretty tricky 
to pre-clear US customs and immigration in Toronto (same in Montreal??)

If you know a way to circumvent this, I'll sell the coupon to the
highest bidder.  Otherwise it's landfill.

Cheers
Nigel

-- 
The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of
a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.  His own
good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant.   John Stuart Mill

Nigel Burnett: 78 Normandy Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4L 3K3 416-690-1834
Send e-mail to nigel@kathunk.phaedrav.on.ca or try uunet.ca!kink!kathunk!nigel
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: henry@ADS.COM (Henry Mensch)
Subject: Re: Best seats on a 747-200 ?
Organization: Advanced Decision Systems; a div of Booz, Allen & Hamilton
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 23:39:30 GMT

philip@mentorg.com (Philip Peake) wrote: 
->The Club class seats upstairs on BA flights are inferior (no foot rest).
->Luggage stowage is also inferior - a side compartment replacing the
->(nice, big) overhead compartments.

i think this is an advantage, and it is the only time i will take a
window seat instead of an aisle seat ... i can have my carryons handy
without having to get out of my seat.

--
# henry mensch / booz, allen & hamilton, inc.  / <henry@ads.com>
# "fight the real enemy."  -- sinead o'connor, and many others.
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: GR743@uacsc2.albany.edu (Greg Rickes)
Subject: SkyBus ??
Organization: University at Albany, Albany NY 12222
Date: Mon, 04 Jan 93 11:25:03 EST

While in Florida I saw an ad for a low-cost air
service between Newark and Orlando/Sanford Cent
Florida airport called Skybus. It was described
as a scheduled charter, and was very much in
the People Express mold: $99 one way fare, extra
charge for reserved seat, luggage checked and
refreshments. Flights used MD80 or 737. Anyone
know more about this ?  I'll post the phone
number if there's any interest.
 
Greg Rickes
 
 
 
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air,rec.travel
From: jog@kpc.com (Rajeev Jog)
Subject: Re: UA Round the World Dropped
Organization: Kubota Pacific Computers Inc.
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 19:06:15 GMT

kls@ohare.Chicago.COM (Karl Swartz) writes:

>BTW, United says Delhi, the LA Times says New Delhi.  Which one would
>be preferred when referring to the airport or air travel in general?
>(Yes, I know they are different cities, at least according to my map.)

They are different cities in terms of municipal jurisdictions, but they
are geographically contiguous.  Most people are likely to refer to the
whole thing as Delhi, even though they are referring to parts that fall
in New Delhi, such as the airport and the official capital city of
India.  I believe the airport code is NDL.

-- 
Rajeev Jog
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kubota Pacific Computer Inc.                                   +1 408 727 8100
2630 Walsh Avenue, Santa Clara, CA. 95051-0905, USA.               jog@kpc.com
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
From: staggers@cup.hp.com (Ken Staggers)
Subject: Re: Traveling to Japan
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 20:50:20 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8.1]

sdr57@cas.org wrote:

: I hope to be going to Japan sometime this fall, and I would
: appreciate advice on airlines and information on things a
: first-time traveller to Japan should know about airports,
: etc. (I may also go to Hong Kong if my schedule permits -
: my friends are urging this on me - so information on this
: would also be appreciated.)

Remember that Narita has a departure tax/fee before you can leave Narita.
It was about 2000 yen if I remember correctly.

--Ken
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air,rec.travel
From: Dalcio.Dacol@launchpad.unc.edu (Dalcio Dacol)
Subject: Re: Setting expectations (again)
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 14:47:38 GMT

In article <C0qw8J.Muo@apollo.hp.com> nelson_p@apollo.hp.com (Peter Nelson) writes:

>   On our recent trip to Huahine, Bora Bora, and Moorea
>   ("Tahiti") we had a good time except that the hotels
>   we stayed in (Sofitels) were truly awful by the standards
>   of fine international hotels, especially at their prices:
>   $200 - $300+ a night.    Yet all our guide books raved
>   about them and in many tour companies' price guides they
>   were always in the best (and most expensive) categories
>   in the islands.
>
>   My question is:  Could we have gotten our expectations set better?  
>
>   What's the right philosophy to have once you're in that
>   situation?   How do you keep from becoming an Ugly American,
>   ranting and raving at the hotel management?  How do you
>   keep from muttering and cursing as you smear DEET (mosquito
>   repellant) over every inch of your body and trying to sleep
>   on top of sweat-soaked, sandy, same-sheets-as-yesterday 
>   and thinking "I'm paying $250 a night for this?!"
>
>   Some guests, especially the Europeans, who were just as 
>   scratching and bitten-up and bleary-eyed the next morning 
>   as we were, nonetheless seemed to have a better attitude.  
>   How do they do this?  
>
	Maybe they weren't paying $250 a night ...


--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: tobias@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Tobias)
Newsgroups: rec.travel.air
Subject: Re: Flight times and the Jet Stream
Date: 7 Jan 93 19:57:27 GMT
Reply-To: tobias@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Tobias)
Distribution: na
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In rec.travel.air, mwj@beta.lanl.gov (William Johnson) writes:
>are?  How much can the jet stream slow a plane down?  How much of the delay
>is already hidden in the flight schedules?  (Observe that westbound flights
>over North American always are listed as taking a bit longer than eastbound
>ones.)  And how much is just the airline making excuses for poor performance?

    Eastbound flights in the Northern Hemisphere, mid-latitudes are
normally faster because the prevailing winds are generally out of the
west. For the same reason, westbound flights take longer. If you have
an airspeed of 500 knots (a knot is a nautical mile = 1.15 statute miles),
with a tailwind of 80 knots, your groundspeed is 580 knots. Flying
into a headwind of 80 knots reduces your groundspeed to 420 knots. Quite
a difference. Average prevailing winds aloft are built into the schedule.
Anything way below or above average is not. Of course, very strong tail
winds would no doubt be cancelled out by the pilot reducing power to
conserve fuel. There's no great benefit in arriving too early. Can cause
all kinds of problems with gate availability, passengers misconnecting
with people picking them up (i.e. they hang around waiting for their
ride), etc. Plus the airline saves money on fuel the longer they can
fly with a tailwind. It's very possible that the flight you took could
have run into a very strong headwind. Also, ATC might not have been
able to clear the plane for a higher/lower altitude with weaker headwinds
(or else other altitudes were no better). Pilots will often try to pick
routings to take advantage of tail winds or at least weaker headwinds
but this is not always possible. As I recall, in the cheap fuel days,
jets flew at higher power settings and it was sometimes possible to
have groundspeeds of 850+mph if really strong tailwinds were present.
I think the jets now fly at least 50mph slower due to high fuel costs
than when jets were first introduced. The old Convair 880 (and 990)
come to mind as especially fast jet airliners.
						   Steve