THIS WEEK'S JOHNNY JET 7/15/2002
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JOHNNY JET'S
HANDY TRAVEL TOOL BAR
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WHERE'S
JOHNNY JET
?
Didn't have a chance to read
last week's newsletter? Click here!
KEY:
BOLD
= PICTURE,
HYPER LINK
= WEBSITE
As I was saying....
My Dad
picked
me up
at JFK and we drove an hour to Connecticut. Instead
of driving right to his condo we went to
my brother's house for some late afternoon fun. My
brother lives on the water, and between he and his
neighbor, Billy, I think they have every possible water
toy available. When I saw everyone out on the boats
and playing in the water, I quickly took off my airplane
clothe and slipped on my bathing suit. My Dad and
I jumped in a
dinghy
and rowed as quickly as we could to get where all of the action
was. I felt like a little kid because
when I saw they had one of those cool
trampoline rafts
I couldn't wait to jump on it. It was a little disappointing
because I couldn't get a whole lot of lift but I guess it wasn't
made for someone 200 pounds. Regardless, it was a
gorgeous day and we spent hours just
hanging out
with everyone and getting
some exercise
in at the same time.
The best way to describe the weather
is the 3 H's; Hot, Humid, and Hazy! You know... a typical
Southern New England
summer
. Literally, it was 95 everyday I was there and
if you didn't have AC, you didn't sleep well. It was
so hot out
that we spent everyday on the water and
in
it
!
I can't remember the last time the
Long
Island Sound
felt so warm. I would have guessed the water temperature
to be 83 degrees, but the local newspaper said it was 78.
Still, I haven't felt water that warm since Cabo,
it really was like a bath.
I also cooled off by having a scoop of my favorite ice
cream , chocolate with peanut butter cookie dough, from
Brendan's 101 every afternoon.
On Sunday, my good buddy,
Joe Lewis from L.A.,
came out
to visit and you can bet when Joe Lewis comes into town there's
going to be nothing
butt
trouble
.
We
took him out to Cockenoe Island on Frank's boat and
tied up to a few other
buddies
we know. It was practically repeat from
the day before, all
we
did was spend the whole day lounging and playing in the sun.
For entertainment, we had the trampoline, the
inner tube
, and my Dad!
Since my Dad has been accident prone the last few years, we made him put on a life preserver . We also played a few pranks on him like cutting the line loose to the trampoline raft and pretending to let him sail out into the sunset alone. He was a good sport and was definitely everyone's favorite person of the day. He told more jokes and stories about his courtroom tactics then I can remember. He had everyone in .stitches
If
you asked my Dad what his highlight was, he might answer finding
some clams
at the end of the day when the tide went down.
He was so
happy
that Frank and I decided to take him clamming the
next day. He was pretty funny! While walking
to the boat, he was singing," A clamming we will
go! A clamming we will go..."
He found
all kinds of clams , including this
Razor
Clam
. He kept talking about how he was going to make the best
clam spaghetti but when we got back to shore I pointed
this sign
out to him. It turned out that the sign was just for
the harbor and not where we unearthed them. Big Frank
rushed home and did something he hasn't done in a while: Cook!
We not only clammed, we fished too. There were so many baby blues and snappers out that we caught one on almost every cast, from the boat and from the shore . My Dad was so excited he couldn't even wait until we skinned them! Note: We didn't kill any fish, we actually let them go after the pictures were taken. On the other hand the mollusks that my Dad caught weren't so lucky!
Other highlights included hanging out with my sister, Georgette, and my brother-in law, Cam. The big news from them is that they both just quit their jobs and are now driving a Good Humor truck cross country. I'm only kidding, they just jumped in the truck for the picture while we were having dinner at their house.
It was a great week in Southern Connecticut hanging out with my family and I'm looking forward to my next trip back there.
READER AIR-eMAIL
=============================================
LOVE your newsletter! Saves me SO MUCH time
each week as I stay on top of airline issues. Cheers!
Devin Marks
=============================================
Your site and your newsletter are the best
- I signed up two more subscribers from our office
for it just today! Thanks for keeping it real.
~ L. A. Vess
=============================================
One has to wonder whether there still exists a “service ethic” or
a “spirit to serve”. Carrying the title of “road warrior’
certainly is not the most glamorous way to earn a living although it does
afford one the opportunity to “see the world” and experience what the
service industry has to offer. Earlier this week I experienced
something that is unheard-of in today’s day and age and is very much against
the norm. It is unfortunate that I write from the perspective of
one that is extremely passionate about the hospitality industry and has
served the public for the past 10+ years. I wish I could say that
this experience was the norm of the service industry, but the interaction
I had with one service employee was quite abnormal. The gentleman’s
name was Richard. This individual had more enthusiasm than the youths
half his age. He was quick to share that he had been serving the
public for over 30 years. As a traveler for the past 2+ years, 5 days
a week, a welcome smile makes a world of difference at the end of a long
week. Richard’s passion to take care of the general public was evidenced
by literally running to grab an extra chair for one of his “VIPs” or take
that one extra minute to cater to one’s simplest needs. Richard considers
anyone walking into his section one of his own, “VIPs”. Richard can’t
be found in a five star restaurant or hotel but carries an admirable level
of passion as a server at the Cleveland airport (PS Bar), concourse “A” I
might add. On many occasions I have difficulty remembering what hotel
room I have stayed in due to a different hotel I have to stay in each evening.
Yet, Richard’s name and location stick in my mind. I inquired as
to why he keeps coming back day after day, year after year (for 33 years)
and it is met with the most simplest response, “I love people”. This
may appear as an overplayed catch phrase used by many in the business,
yet Richard exhibited a level of sincerity that no one would ever question.
A couple other folks in the restaurant seemed startled by Richard’s ambition.
Once they were able to truly appreciate the experience, all had to comment
about the exemplary service ethic this gentleman had. It isn’t often
that anyone would take the time to recognize one individual that has an
influence on the world, however Richard’s story is certainly worth noting.
If you ever have an opportunity to pass through Cleveland airport, I suggest
you take a couple of minutes to experience Richard’s passion to service.
A funny place, next to gate A6, to experience some of the best service in
the country, yet some of the best I have ever experienced. This comes
from an executive of one of the largest hotel companies in the world.
Richard summed the trials and tribulations of the world in a few brief words
on my way out, “don’t worry and be happy and by the way, I hope to see you
again next time you are in Cleveland.” Take a moment, it is worth
it!! ~ Adam T
=============================================
Do you allow the public to ride on the
blimps? If so, where can I get more info,
or how to purchase tickets?
Thanks for the question. We have a whole
section on blimps. It's under
Adventure/Outside
=============================================
NEW BOOK: Wise Girl
by Jamie-Lynn Sigler Star of “The Sopranos”.
=============================================
I know you want a COOL T-Shirt
or Hat.
Click Here for more Details
.
Next Week:
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WHAT'S NEW IN
JOHNNY JET
Travel Celebrity Q&A:
With Business Travel Writer: Jaclyn Perlstein
GOOD TO KNOW!
Bankruptcy, Liquidation Imperil Frequent Flyer
Miles
What's a Worried Mileage Miser to Do?
August 27 - With US Airways in bankruptcy and United poised to follow, millions
of consumers are sweating the fate of billions of unused frequent flyer
miles.
United's Mileage Plus program has 41 million members, whose accumulated
miles were redeemable for 11.1 million free tickets at the start of 2002.
And US Airways' Dividend Miles program's 22 million members had 6.8 million
awards due them.
The question on the minds of many jittery frequent flyer program members:
What should I do about my miles?
Some options...
Use 'Em or (Maybe) Lose 'Em
Unlike most checking accounts, which are protected by the FDIC, or purchased
air tickets, which are often honored on a space-available basis by a failed
airline's competitors, there is no built-in protection for frequent flyer
miles or award tickets. So if the airline which operates your frequent
flyer program ceases operations, your miles and unused award tickets are
at risk, and possibly -- but not necessarily -- doomed to oblivion.
There's only one sure way to protect the full value of your miles: use
them now, while the airline which hosts your program is still flying.
But for many, that's simply not a viable option.
Redeem for Merchandise
If award travel is impractical, an alternative option is to cash in miles
from selected airline programs (including US Airways, but not United) for
discounts through MilePoint (
http://www.milepoint.com
). Typically, miles are worth two cents each when redeemed for a
10% discount at participating online retailers.
Take Out Mileage Insurance
Depending on how many you have, and your tolerance for risk and anxiety,
frequent flyer miles can be insured.
AwardGuard (
http://www.privilegeflyer.com
) will insure the value of your miles -- up to $7,500 worth of award tickets
-- in major loyalty programs, including those of United and US Airways.
The cost: $119 for one year's coverage, or $214 for two.
Convert Miles into a Secure Currency
Another tactic for protecting endangered miles: convert them into points
in a loyalty program which permits both miles-to-points and points-to-miles
transfers.
Transferring miles with an uncertain future into points in a healthier
program can increase security and expand options. Without the pressure
of impending loss, the points can be redeemed for awards in the new program,
converted into miles in another airline program, or converted back into
miles in the original program when that airline's prospects improve.
There are two programs which allow such conversions. United participates
in both, US Airways in neither.
Members of the Hilton HHonors program (
https://www.hiltonhhonors.com/
) can use the HHonors Reward Exchange function to exchange 20,000 United
Mileage Plus miles for 40,000 HHonors points. The HHonors points can
then be redeemed for awards in Hilton's program. Or, reversing the
process, 40,000 HHonors points can be exchanged for 7,000 airline miles.
Similarly, the Diners Club Rewards program (
http://www.citibank.com/dinersus/clubrewards/
) allows members to convert as many as 50,000 United miles per year to
an equal number of Club Rewards points. And Club Rewards points can
be exchanged for United miles, with 2,000 points equaling 1,000 miles,
There's a steep price for the transfers. A roundtrip conversion
from miles to HHonors points and back leaves you with only 17.5% of the
original miles; and after a roundtrip using Diners points, 50% of the original
miles remain.
Do Nothing
Don't neglect the "do nothing" option. Neither bankruptcy nor outright
liquidation necessarily entails the loss of your frequent flyer miles.
Bankruptcy
Chapter 11 bankruptcy is not the end of the airline, or of your miles.
By definition, Chapter 11 affords ailing companies temporary protection from
creditors, allowing them to restructure debt, reorganize and emerge from
bankruptcy. And in some cases, that's exactly what happens.
Continental filed for bankruptcy twice, in 1983 and again in 1991.
Today, it is the country's fifth largest carrier and in relatively good
shape. America West filed for Chapter 11 in 1991, but emerged in 1994.
In both cases, no miles were forfeited.
Midway went into bankruptcy in August 2001, and last month ceased operations
completely. But in conjunction with its planned return to service
as a US Airways Express carrier, members of Midway's Frequent Traveler program
were allowed to convert their credits to miles in the US Airways program.
And at US Airways, which is now operating under protection of Chapter
11, it's business as usual for Dividend Miles members. They continue
earning and redeeming frequent flyer miles as always.
Liquidation
Even if an airline fails altogether and is forced to liquidate its assets,
history suggests that a positive outcome for frequent flyer program members
is possible.
The most recent example is TWA. In bankruptcy for the third time,
with no hope of surviving as an independent company, TWA put itself up for
sale. American purchased not only the bulk of TWA's routes and aircraft,
but its Aviators frequent flyer program as well. Aviators members'
miles were simply transferred into American's AAdvantage program.
When Eastern Air Lines tanked in 1991, Eastern miles were honored in
Continental Airlines' program. And in that same year, when Pan Am
succumbed, WorldPass members and their miles were folded into Delta's program.
Acquiring the frequent flyer miles of a failed airline is not corporate
altruism. While frequent flyer miles are a liability, they are an
asset as well, amounting to a powerful incentive for mileage-earners to continuing
adding to their accounts by maintaining loyalty to the host airline.
What NOT to Do
The question comes up regularly in the best of times, and frequently
when the airlines are on the ropes: Can't I just sell my miles?
Answer: You can; but you may not.
Run a Yahoo! search using keyword "frequent flyer miles" and you will
find scores of companies offering to buy and sell frequent flyer miles.
These companies, called coupon brokers, act as middlemen between sellers
of frequent flyer miles (or, more accurately, sellers of award tickets) and
those in search of airfare bargains.
As tempting as it might be to unload your miles for cash, the airlines'
policies -- which all members have implicitly agreed to adhere to -- expressly
prohibit the sale, barter or trading of frequent flyer awards. So
sellers risk having their accounts permanently frozen if they're found out.
And buyers, if caught, will have their tickets confiscated.
The Bottom Line
The above summarizes what frequent flyers can do. What they should
do depends on their assessment of the odds of their airlines' long-term
survival, and their tolerance for risk and its attendant anxiety.
There's no consensus on the former, and the latter is highly personal.
If it were my mother asking, I'd suggest she sit tight and hope for the
best. And if she had more than a couple of award tickets' worth of
miles at risk, and was prone to worry, I'd buy her a year's worth of mileage
insurance.
[The above is online at
http://frequentflier.com/ff082702.htm
.]
Bio - Tim Winship
Winship is editor and publisher of the FrequentFlier.com website (
http://frequentflier.com
) and a 20-year veteran of the travel industry. His biography is
online at
http://frequentflier.com/profile.htm
.
Contact
Tim Winship
Phone: 323.666.4866
E-mail:
winship@earthlink.net
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