|
Did
You Know?
You may be turned down
for renting a vehicle for any of the following reasons.
Best to call ahead instead of being turned away at the
counter!
Involved in 2 or more
accidents in recent history
Charged with driving under
influence of alcohol or drugs in the past
3 years
Failed to report an accident
Reported driving without
insurance
**Per Consumer Reports
Travel Letter, "airline alliances go by different
names, but their goal is the same: to dominate a market
and drive up prices".
Unique
Hawaiian Holiday Idea!
Take
your family on a heartwarming, sun-filled holiday. Habitat
for Humanity of North Idaho has partnered with the Hawaiian
island of Kauai’s affiliate to make a great vacation.
Set sail on American Hawaii Cruises 7 day deluxe, 4
island, 5 port cruise October 28. Ask us about the unique
tax benefits of taking this cruise. The reduced price
for this sailing is only $1,899 or $1,099 for children,
including air and all meals. Call us for details.
There
is a similar trip on the brand new Princess Cruise Line
Ocean Princess that sails to Alaska July 22 or August
2. Call Debra at 888 771-8717.
You
can now file a grievance or complaint with Northwest
Airlines by emailing them at cusrel@nwa.com. They are
required to respond within 48 hours. Far better than
the 90 day wait after receipt of a letter. Delta has
promised to respond within 30 days.
Tidbits
and Area Briefs
United
Airlines Mileage Plus participants who lost miles due
to expiration can get the miles reinstated by taking
either two paid domestic round-trips or one international.
Northwest
Airlines introduced new airfare that save 40% off full
coach fares. It will be a saving only for those who
do not stay a Saturday night and those who are not mandated
to take a multi-stop schedule if it is lower in price.
A
Hyatt Regency is coming to downtown Seattle. The new
hotel will be built adjacent to Rainier Tower.
All
of the domestic air carriers imposed a $20 per round-trip
fuel surcharge. On a $78 round-trip ticket to Seattle
that is a shrouded 25- percent price increase.
Delta
Airlines Skymiles program will award you with 5,000
bonus miles if you fly 1 more segment this year than
last. First, you must call 888 558-3358 to register.
Ask for Code 3991.
The
car rental agencies increased their prices by adding
a "Concession Recovery Fee" to all on airport
rentals. Essentially, it is to offset the high rents
they pay for being on airport.
Car
rental companies will not allow you to rent using debit
cards, although you can settle your bill after the rental
with debit cards. If you plan on renting, make sure
you have available an actual credit card.
Roughly
one-half of the Alaska Airlines aircraft that operate
from Spokane are MD 80’s.
Save
from paying for hotel fax charges by using internet
based fax services. These companies assign users a free
personal fax number to receive incoming faxes. These
are routed via a graphic file attachment to your email
address. See
www.callwave.com
or
www.efax.com.
Air
carriers are now promising that air tickets purchased
by credit cards will be refunded within 7 days, instead
of the waiting the historical 90 days.
Idea!
Instead
of carrying heavy presentation materials on the road
or to shows, travelers are now emailing their documents
to the local Kinko’s or copy shop to have ready
when they arrive in that city. This proves less expensive
then making last minute copies at the hotel as well.
Lost
Bag Limit Increases
The
airline liability limit for lost or damaged baggage
will double from $1,250 to $2,500. That means airlines
cannot offer compensation lower than $2,500, but can
pay more than that amount.
Travel
Smart with the Pharmacy Program
If
you run out, or have lost a prescription, you can call
Kmart at 800 866-0086 and they will help you with your
refill. If you initially bought the drug at Kmart it
will contact your doctor for another prescription and
then contact the Kmart closest to where you are and
have it set up.
Complain.com
or Travel Problems.com
American
entrepreneurial spirit at its best! These two sites
will take your problem and handle it for free (but sell
your name to a mailing address) or will handle the problem
for you for $20! An entire cottage industry is being
built from airline passenger complaints.
Hotel
Companies Begin Charging for Net Usage
Sheraton,
Westin, W Hotels and Hilton have begun limiting phone
usage to 800 numbers. The hoteliers have thresholds
ranging from 30 minutes free to 60 minutes free. The
additional cost after that is up to 10 cents per minute.
Be sure to ask!
Asian
Dining Tips
If
dining in Japan, where you are seated is very important,
and the best should always be offered to your guest.
The seat that is furthest from the door is the most
prestigious.
Chinese
colleagues will tap the table. This is not rude or signifies
impatience; rather it’s a sign of gratitude for
a replenished teacup.
Wait
until everyone is seated before moving your napkin to
your lap. Always rest your silverware when you drink
or are talking with other table guests.
More
Room on United!
United
Airlines is increasing legroom five more inches in the
first 6 to 11 rows in economy class. These seats are
available to Premier members and those purchasing full
fare economy class tickets.
Airline
Affinity Credit Card Contacts
Alaska
Airlines, Visa or MasterCard 800 442-6680
Redeem on Alaska, Northwest, American, TWA, British
Air, etc.
American
Airlines, MasterCard 800 359-4444
Redeem on American, Alaska, British, Hawaiian, etc.
American
Express Membership Rewards Green Card 877 237 2069
Redeem on Delta, Southwest, US Air and numerous international
carriers
American
Express Membership Rewards Platinum Card 800 525 3350
Redeem on Delta, Southwest, US Air and numerous international
carriers
Delta
Skymiles American Express 877 376-1239
Redeem on Delta Airlines only
Diner’s
Club 888 923-4637
Redeem on most every carrier including United, Delta,
Northwest, etc.
Northwest
Worldperks Visa 800 360-2900
Redeem on Northwest, Alaska, Continental, Air New Zealand,
etc.
United
Mileage Plus MasterCard or Visa 800 472-0702
Redeem on United only.
Return
to Newsletters Page
|
