The Tactical Traveler for 2000
December 20 Briefing for Business Travelers
How to find lower fares next year; the 2001 outlook for the dollar's value against the yen and the euro; a look at next year's crop of aviation regulators; and handicapping the chances (and the timing) of a United-US Airways merger.
December 14 Briefing for Business Travelers
More questions about America West; two low-fare carriers fly into Pittsburgh; British Airways slashes service at London/Gatwick; McDonald's jumps into the hotel business; Amtrak finally launches its high-speed Acela Express rail service (sort of); and international airlines plan a raft of new flights.
December 7 Briefing for Business Travelers
San Francisco opens its $1 billion International Terminal; fare sales at America's alternate airlines; Amtrak launches a frequent-rider program; Legend Airlines goes bust; Howard Johnson goes back to the future in Boston; and Hyatt cuts rates for the last two weeks of the month.
November 30 Briefing for Business Travelers
A strategy for surviving the snow season; our weekly look at America's low-fare and alternate carriers; Korea prepares a super airport at Inchon; a great guide to airport transportation; Delta's chief executive has an epiphany on airfares; and hotel deals in overpriced, overcrowded New York.
November 16 Briefing for Business Travelers
More service woes at United; our weekly look at North America's alternate airlines; Diners Club creates a new charge card; labor strife threatens Delta and Northwest; TWA and America West forge a code-share deal; and a bundle of great deals around the world.
November 9 Briefing for Business Travelers
Shopping the "Christmas markets" throughout Europe; turning frequent-travel points and miles into presents; a good reason to skip that in-flight meal this holiday season; where the strong U.S. dollar makes travel a great gift; and hotels cut their rates for the holiday season.
November 2 Briefing for Business Travelers
Test-driving a 2001 vehicle from a car-rental firm; our weekly look at the nation's low-fare carriers; Osaka's $17 billion airport is sinking into the sea; a great hotel find in San Francisco; Air France considers moving short-haul flyers to high-speed railroads; and a trenchant observation about the cost of a club sandwich on the road.
October 26 Briefing for Business Travelers
The government's suit against Northwest's ownership interest in Continental is about to go to trial; our weekly update on America's alternative carriers; disgruntled Delta Skymiles members post a website; United's phony 'recovery'; and great airfare deals that require quick action.
October 19 Briefing for Business Travelers
Northwest rolls out Internet boarding passes; our weekly update on America's low-fare carriers; Salt Lake City begins ticket sales for the 2002 Winter Olympics; airlines abandon Kuala Lumpur's new airport; United settles with some stranded passengers; and your summer horror story could win you a Caribbean cruise.
October 12 Briefing for Business Travelers
United pays the financial price for its dreary service; our weekly update on alternative and low-fare carriers; a web site to research on-time performance; American and USAirways end their frequent-flyer deal; America West continues to tank; American rebuilds in San Jose and TWA contracts in New York; and South African Airways puts African travel on sale.
October 5 Briefing for Business Travelers
Airlines raise business-travel fares again; how the other half travels on business; United and Continental plan nonstops to Hong Kong from New York; the Australian dollar and the Euro tank against the Almighty Dollar; and TWA makes us an offer we might not be able to refuse.
September 28 Briefing for Business Travelers
A strike alert at United's Denver hub; discount carriers expand their flight schedules; some reservations about making on-line restaurant reservations; a spate of lawsuits aimed at the airlines; new travel freebies from Avis Europe, Delta and Continental; and TWA offers a first-class fare sale on transcontinental flights.
September 21 Briefing for Business Travelers
Australia will slash prices to court post-Olympic visitors; our weekly look at Americas discount carriers; the Almighty Dollar gets even stronger in Europe; airlines make a raft of international flight changes; and British Midland announces introductory fares on its new trans-Atlantic flights.
September 14 Briefing for Business Travelers
Airlines slap fuel surcharges on business fares, then launch a leisure-fare sale; our weekly look at alternate and discount carriers; ground disruptions at Kennedy, Newark and Los Angeles airports; a website for Muslim business travelers; and a long-overdue update of business class at Northwest and KLM.
September 7 Briefing for Business Travelers
TWA's latest survival plan; our weekly update on low-fare airlines; Marriott rolls out a new old hotel brand; Detroit/Metro and Dallas/Fort Worth airports begin new construction projects; and an elegant Sydney hotel readies its post-Olympics promotion.
August 31 Briefing for Business Travelers
Some good news for United flyers; fare sales at the nation's alternate carriers; a website that transforms miles into cash; America West runs afoul of safety regulators and Olympic Airlines must pay for an in-flight asthma death; and a flight pass valid for unlimited travel in Europe.
August 24 Briefing for Business Travelers
The Transportation Secretary parties while the air system burns; our weekly update on alternate and low-fare carriers; the NTSB issues its report on TWA Flight 800; Sydney Airport's pre-Olympics jitters; the swank new rooms at a venerable London hotel; and we go back to the brink of a strike at Air Canada.
August 17 Briefing for Business Travelers
The plummeting euro means bargains for U.S. travelers; our weekly report on low-fare carriers; British Airways unveils its new fourth class on the web; how the 'Southwest Effect' works; Australia's fare war; and business-travel tidbits of note.
August 10 Briefing for Business Travelers
Another miserable week to be a United customer; a new weekly feature on low-fare and alternate airlines; buying tickets on the Web for next months Olympic Games; KLM changes the rules on checked bags; and the truth about Amtraks new Acela high-speed train.
August 3 Briefing for Business Travelers
Canada calls in a hockey referee to handle passenger complaints; Oakland airport grows as an alternative to San Francisco; straight talk about Concorde; flights to South America disappear; dealing with United's declining service; and a weekend coupon deal from Comair.
July 27 Briefing for Business Travelers
Ground woes to match the flight delays at Newark Airport; websites dedicated to TWA Flight 800; information on in-flight use of mobile phones; Air Canada ejects an 88-year-old woman from a flight; and several superb summer hotel deals.
July 20 Briefing for Business Travelers
Tracking flight delays on the web; news about important new routes; Air Canada avoids a strike; two new New York hotels open; the political sell out in Philadelphia; and Finnair deals on European travel via Helsinki.
July 13 Briefing for Business Travelers
United's service declines dramatically; a raft of worldwide airport developments; major changes at Hertz and Courtyard by Marriott; a new international calling plan from AT&T Wireless, and a premium-class deal from LanChile.
July 6 Briefing for Business Travelers
Prepare for long airport delays this summer; a website offers gasoline-economy tips; more on a possible Air Canada pilots strike; a follow-up on Sprint and mobile-phone service; and electronic-ticket discounts from Swissair and Sabena.
June 29 Briefing for Business Travelers
Avoiding the crush at airport parking lots; the new SkyTeam website; another strike threat at Air Canada; how the proposed United-US Airways merger could allow three airlines to control 78 percent of the traffic; and hotel deals in Paris and Hong Kong.
June 22 Briefing for Business Travelers
Maximizing the value of your frequent-flyer miles; Southwest shuffles off to Buffalo and prices plummet; an abusive crew throws a football player off a flight; and a superlative summer weekend deal at a new New York hotel.
June 21 Briefing for Business Travelers
Alaska launches West Coast summer sale; United cuts prices on Hawaii vacations booked online; operations return to normal at Heathrow airport; ground disruptions at Newark International; Northwest changes fees for WorldClubs airport-lounge network; Starwood Preferred Guest, Hyatt Gold Passport eliminate blackout dates for hotel rewards; United and Air Canada begin issuing joint E-tickets; Australia adds Goods and Services taxes on domestic flights; and more.
June 14 Briefing for Business Travelers
America Wests Internet-only sale to the Rockies and other quick-hit discounts; United reschedules at SFO; Staples debuts at Newark International; Northwest to offer coupons for delayed luggage; Starwood tweaks Preferred Guest awards; poll says majority of business travelers are satisfied with overall flying experience; Continental and JetBlue add routes; the Leaning Tower of Pisa will reopen in 2001; Grand Canyon National Park Web site debuts; Londons Millennium Bridge opensthen closes; and more.
June 8 Briefing for Business Travelers
Hotels are dealing on the Fourth of July; Australia's wacky new tax-back deal; more depressing facts about a potential United-US Airways merger; Hilton opens two new hotels in room-starved New York; Continental adds flights from Cleveland to Dallas/Love; and much more.
June 7 Briefing for Business Travelers
Web rental car deals; CityPass discounts for seven major cities; whats new and notable in New York, Toronto and Dallas; vacation bargains and perks; and more.
June 1 Briefing for Business Travelers
Follow the bouncing euro to discounts in Europe; watch for even more delays at Chicago/O'Hare; Amex expands its free-companion ticket program; OAG folds Frequent Flyer magazine; Runzheimer predicts a 7 percent rise in business-travel costs next year; watching the KLM-Alitalia alliance unravel on the Web; and much more.
May 31 Briefing for Business Travelers
Flat-rate cell-phone calling plans cut the cord on high hotel guestroom fees; BizTravel Guarantee ensures quality of service for select airlines; Zion National Park bans private autos; Mojave National Preserve bids farewell to "world's loneliest phone booth"; America's Best Beaches; worker shortages at top theme parks threaten visitor service; and more.
May 25 Briefing for Business Travelers
Tracking the traveler's favorite airports worldwide; Philadelphia gets more hotel options ahead of the Republican Convention; the safety of Qantas, the "never crashes" airline, is questioned; a free-stay-on-the-way program from Austrian Airlines; and more.
May 24 Briefing for Business Travelers
Unprecedented Europe bargains thanks to a plunging Euro; Continental and American airlines add long-haul flights; off-season discounts in the Caribbean; Oberammergau passion play tour packages; and more.
May 18 Briefing for Business Travelers
Tracking the nation's dissatisfaction with airlines; United is cancelling hundreds of flights a week; America West sinks to the bottom of the Transportation Department's ratings; airfares jump as much as $30 roundtrip; Northwest discounts award seats by 1,000 miles if you book on the web; and much more.
May 17 Briefing for Business Travelers
Domestic airlines raise prices; short-term fare deals from AirTran and jetBlue; Kimpton launches Boutique Lodging International Web site; United cancels flights citing pilots dispute; Delta adds larger overhead storage bins in B-757 and MD-88 aircraft; Air Canada appoints a customer service ombudsman; Heritage Trail opens on St. Croix; Sabenas summer family sale; Hertz slashes 10 percent off AAAs discounted rate for "specialty" vehicles; and more.
May 11 Briefing for Business Travelers
The computer as front-seat rental-car driver; using cellphones as an alternative to hotel-room phones; global intelligence from a new Web site; how business travel changes our taste buds; US Airways offers its first international first-class seats on the new Airbus A330; and much more.
May 10 Briefing for Business Travelers
The extras make some full-fare rooms and air tickets more palatable; earn Northwest bonus miles with online vacation bookings; airlines post online-only fare sales; Indianapolis 500 and British Open packages; Continental and TWA add California flights; travel packages for the June opening of Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany; and more.
May 4 Briefing for Business Travelers
Beating the Silicon Valley travel blues; sleeping on The Street in New York; Tower Air folds and strands customers around the world; United Airlines scrimps on fuel on its Australia flights; Sabena offers $62 companion fares in business class; and more.
May 3 Briefing for Business Travelers
New hotels and flights help fill demand in Silicon Valley; online hotel locators identify properties with high-speed Internet access; Marriott Rewards launches Elite Membership; Wyndham Hotels debuts By Requestv recognition program; USAirways offers Dividend Miles statements via email; Canadian Airlines exits the Canadian version of American Express Membership Rewards; and more.
April 27 Briefing for Business Travelers
The code-share shell game in Africa; American Airlines launches flights at Dallas/Love to harass Legend Airlines; Marriott Rewards launches elite levels; how to find hotels with high-speed Internet access; a calm oasis in South Florida; and much more.
April 26 Briefing for Business Travelers
The big loophole in a National Parks Pass; CountryWatch.com is a must bookmark Web site for news, stats and political and economic information on 191 countries; the airport report; Cuba cruises offer legal entry to the forbidden island; and more.
April 20 Briefing for Business Travelers
The fine print can trip up your trip; Legend Airlines finally launches from Dallas Love Field; Qantas will fly its own aircraft to Canada; the Delta-Air France alliance wants Aeroflot and Korean Air; the Transportation begins reporting on flight cancellations; cruising to the British Open; and much more.
April 19 Briefing for Business Travelers
Airlines unveil family travel discount programs for U.S. and Canadian flights; some kids are now adults as Disneyland ups admission fees; Northwest and British Airways cut fares for adoptive parents; airline route changes; book after hours to save on these packages; and more.
April 12 Briefing for Business Travelers
Web-only hotel and airfare deals; Legend Airlines launches flights from Dallas/Love Field; airlines add international flights; Hong Kong hotels cut rates for spring; a new 90-minute multi-media cruise in Boston; Virgin Atlantic launches first-ever flights between Las Vegas and London; a $1 million prize in a Lake Powell fishing contest; and more.
April 6 Briefing for Business Travelers
Air Canada and Canadian bulk up to the United States; the gear you need for Cybertraveling; the raw data on road, rail and air safety; US Airways gets the okay to fly from Pittsburgh to London; Vietnam is back on the world art maps; and more.
April 5 Briefing for Business Travelers
Weekend hotel promotions slash the price of rooms in high-cost cities; the Great White North is a bargain for business and leisure travelers; safety on the go: highways are better, skies are a bit more dangerous; the stars and sky headline in the Mauna Kea Summit & Star Adventure tour; politics fuel a decline in Austrias foreign tourism; and more.
March 30 Briefing for Business Travelers
The in-flight space race gets nasty; how to profit from the fallout of the US Airways settlement; how we know the "experts" ain't; DFW creates a consolidated rental-car center and terminal shuttle; the Star Alliance creates an around-the-world fare; and more.
March 29 Briefing for Business Travelers
Low fares for spring travel to Canada; surf the Web now for tickets to the Sydney Olympic Summer Games; a consolidated rental-car center opens at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport; the FAA orders inspections of older Boeing 737s; Delta launches New York-Zurich service; Continental wants the first nonstop New York-Cayman Island flights; the AAA issues fuel-conservation guidelines; Jet Skis are banned at some federal parks, recreation areas and seashores; and more.
March 23 Briefing for Business Travelers
Will US Airways shut down: Iridium bites the cyberdust; 400 percent turnover of security screeners; another round of fare hikes and surcharges; post-crash scrutiny at Alaska Airlines; and more.
March 22 Briefing for Business Travelers
Why you should never buy airline tickets on the weekends; how to find Internet fare bargains; prepare for a USAirways strike; jetBlue launches flights to Tampa; TWA and America West link frequent flyer plans; skyrocketing gas prices wont deter spring travel; Hertz European SuperValue rates; and more.
March 16 Briefing for Business Travelers
The US Airways negotiations go down to the wire; Virgin Atlantic raises the ante on airport lounges; the Promus brands join Hilton HHonors next month; the BBC won't be allowed to broadcast the Lockerbie trial; hot hotel deals in Hong Kong; and more.
March 15 Briefing for Business Travelers
Airlines target Web-savvy flyers with deals and discounts; USAirways flight attendants are set to strike; Europe packages on the cheap and high on the hog; Hilton expands HHonors frequency program; Newark Airport had the most delays in 1999; the Four Points hotel at LAX debuts; and more.
March 9 Briefing for Business Travelers
Continental is adding mid-cabin lavatories on its long-haul Boeing 737s; How to fine the equivalent of airport clubs in the city; the government per diems are now on the web; top-notch lodging for less in South America; the bag man by the bay; rare lodging deals in New York; and much more.
March 8 Briefing for Business Travelers
Car rental firms slash one-way daily car-rental rates from Florida to almost anywhere; Terry Trippler breaks airfare news and information; new international terminal set to open in San Francisco; Virgin Atlantic rewards premium-class flyers with free PDAs; airlines rush to add new flights to Hawaii; and more.
March 2 Briefing for Business Travelers
Coming down to the wire on a US Airways Strike; entertainment on the fly; the euro is plunging against the dollar; Tower Air tumbles into Chapter 11; another airline fare increase fails; Virgin Atlantic is giving away personal digital assistants; and more.
March 1 Briefing for Business Travelers
Hertz Freedom Rates include daily and weekly rental discounts; USAirways and flight attendants reach an impasse in contract negotiations; room-starved New York City gets two new hotels; New Orleans warns visitors to keep their clothes on; its almost time for Washington, DCs Annual Cherry Blossom Festival; and more.
February 24 Briefing for Business Travelers
Check both fares on code-share flights before booking; Magellan's moves to the Web; the world turns upside down on per-diem costs; America West suffers another operational meltdown; Lufthansa grounds part of its fleet and long delays result; and April in Sportsland.
February 23 Briefing for Business Travelers
USAirways launches a rare East Coast Shuttle sale; Rail Europes Spring Special cuts fares on Eurostar bookings; Austrian Airlines drops Vienna code-share with Delta Air Lines; the St. Regis Grand debuts in Rome; parks and party packages around the world; visit the Mir Space Station for $20 million; and more.
February 17 Briefing for Business Travelers
The worst airports in Europe for on-time operations; aviation news for information junkies; Northwest and Sun Country woo the high-yield business traveler; TWA brings back triple miles; the BBC demands the right to air the Lockerbie trial; and an only-on-Sunday rate in New York.
February 16 Briefing for Business Travelers
Airfare sales keep on coming; airlines upgrade their Web sites with some impressive results; Northwest Airlines adds BizFlex fares; Sun Country Airlines offers OneFare flat-rate discounts; the London Eye "observation" wheel will open in March; and more.
February 10 Briefing for Business Travelers
Watch the airlines roll the fuel surcharges into base fares; room service by any other name; competition comes East in Canada; a 6 a.m. flight on the East Coast Shuttle; Hertz adds Jaguars to the luxury fleet; and a notable Daytona 500 package.
February 9 Briefing for Business Travelers
How to negotiate the best hotel discounts; go behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City; American Airlines adds legroom to coach seats; British Airways adds World Traveller Plus seating on long-haul flights; winter travel packages all over the globe; the DOTs Air Travel Consumer Report offers a wealth of information on the state of travel; and more.
February 3 Briefing for Business Travelers
The dollar is almighty again in Europe; Alaska Airlines does a great job communicating in the Flight 261 crash; British Airways introduces a fourth class across the Atlantic; a Valentine's Day present from SAS; and a special fare Down Under.
February 2 Briefing for Business Travelers
Northwest takes on Delta in a domestic fare war; United discounts Hawaii fares via internet-only bookings; Diamond Head is no longer free to visitors; airline accidents increased in the 1990s; travelers lose in the battle over Heathrow access; France and Spain vie to be the most visited destination; and more.
January 26 Briefing for Business Travelers
Time to revive our winter-weather travel regimen; more academics want to know about us; the winter bargains to Europe may extend into the spring; the "misery" at US Airways; and Worcester, Massachusetts, gets more service, a boon for New England travelers to hate Boston/Logan.
January 25 Briefing for Business Travelers
How to avoid airline fuel surcharges; two new newsletters offer a glimpse of life in travels fast line; admission rates rise at Orlando theme parks; Venice now charges for public toilets; Allegiant Air is approved for scheduled service; and more.
January 20 Briefing for Business Travelers
European fare wars expand; where to find great vegetarian meals; how airline alliances change their route maps--and our travel patterns; a follow-up on recent news reports; and putting on the Ritz with less dough.
January 19 Briefing for Business Travelers
US Airways launches a private fare sale to Florida; Amtrak upgrades its Web site, offers weekly Rail Sale discounts; Hertz adds Jaguar XJ8 and S-Type vehicles to its luxury lineup; President Clinton names three unique areas in the west as National Monuments; and more.
January 13 Briefing for Business Travelers
The second Battle of Britain this year begins with more $99 fares to London; the worldwide airline trade association admits there's a global fare revolt; Southwest Airlines is coming to Albany, New York; Staples will open at a second airport; and much more.
January 12 Briefing for Business Travelers
London airfares hit rock bottom at $99 one-way; where to find the best online deals from hotel consolidators; Philadelphias National Liberty Museum set to open; new flights from Austrian Airlines, Delta and Southwest; Disney expands via new resort properties in Orlando; and more.
January 6 Briefing for Business Travelers
Are fuel surcharges on airfares in the offing?; British Airways doubles its carry-on allowances; KLM launches a discount carrier called buzz; the world's most dangerous places for business travel; and much more.
Copyright © 1993-2010 by Joe Brancatelli. All rights reserved.