Internet Info 1997 December/Internet_Info_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_December_1997.iso/faqs/alt/travel/uk/air/Airline_information_on-line_on_the_Internet_FAQ

Internet Message Format | 1997-10-27 | 42KB

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From: [e-mail] (John R. Levine)
Newsgroups: rec.travel,rec.travel.air,alt.travel.uk.air,rec.answers,news.answers,alt.answers
Subject: Airline information on-line on the Internet FAQ
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Followup-To: rec.travel.air
Date: 26 Oct 1997 06:00:07 -0500
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Summary: access to on-line airline info and travel agents (weekly)
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Archive-name: travel/air/online-info
Last-modified: 1997/10/26

No changes from last week.

Please look through this entire FAQ, particularly the PLEASE NOTE at the end,
before e-mailing me a question or comment, since most of the questions I get
are already answered in the FAQ.

* Where is this FAQ available?

It's on the Web at http://iecc.com/airline/airinfo.html, and perhaps at mirror
sites. Anyone is welcome to mirror the HTML version of this FAQ but please let
me know by e-mail <[e-mail]> so I can tell you when there are updated
versions.

You can also get it by e-mail every Sunday. To get on the mailing list, send a
message to [e-mail] containing the line "subscribe airline".

* Is there a way to get airline schedules on the Internet for free?

Yes, from several sources. Many of them will also let you book and buy
tickets.

* Is there a way to get airline schedules on the Internet if I pay for it?

Yes. Until mid-1996 the paid services were considerably better than the free
ones, but now I find that the free services are just as good.

* What's available for free?

There are now several Internet gateways to airline CRS (computer reservation
systems.)

Travelocity (http://www.travelocity.com) is the new Web interface to AMR's
Sabre system. It's still pretty buggy but shows promise. The underlying data
are the same as Easy Sabre and reservations made on one show up on the other.
You need to provide a credit card number to make reservations, but they won't
charge you until you tell them to. Tickets can be issued by mail or through
any Sabre travel agent. I find it considerably slower and less flexible than
the old line at a time Easy interface (below), but it's prettier. There is
also a great deal of travel destination information of variable usefulness.
Unlike other web-based systems, it lets you hold a reservation without buying
it. Also handles hotels and rental cars.

Easy Sabre (http://www.easysabre.com) is the oldest computer reservation
system available to the public. Run by American Airlines, lets you check fares
and schedules on all airlines with computerized reservations (all but the most
obscure), and make reservations for yourself and others. Tickets can be sent
by mail, or by any travel agent with a Sabre terminal. (Note: Sabre doesn't
check for the ticket by mail option whether there's actually time to get you
the tickets. I don't recommend it.) You can keep a lot of profile info on-line
such as frequent flyer numbers and meal and seat preferences which are
automatically inserted into reservations you make for yourself. Your ID can be
your AAdvantage frequent flyer number. Official Recreation Guide available at
extra cost. Line oriented command language, e.g. to ask for flights from
Boston to San Francisco on July 4 around noon:

/AIR,BOS,SFO,4JUL,1200

It will prompt you field by field if you don't know all the parameters.

Easy uses the same underlying system as Travelocity, above, but is much, much
faster. It's available via the new web site and also via on-line services
(below).

Prodigy Classic has its own screen-oriented interface to Easy which is alleged
to be easier to use but provides only a subset of the command line
functionality. The web site provides the command line version, with a one-line
form at the bottom of each page into which you can type the next command. I
give away a little program, available with the WWW version of this FAQ, that
runs under Unix and recreates the classic (but really fast) text-only Easy
using the Web server.

Air Travel Manager (http://www.airtm.com/) is an interface program for Easy
Sabre that runs on Windows 95. You have to use their agency, Rosenbluth
Travel, and they rebate 5% on many tickets. I found the program unusably slow
and buggy, unfortunately.

FLIFO (http://www.flifo.com) is a new system offering booking and ticketing. A
"fare buster" feature looks for cheaper flights close to the ones you asked
for, a nice touch. Charged to credit card, delivered by overnight UPS. They
have flight status for American, Continental, and Delta, and modest discounts
for Continental and TWA. Similar data to Travelocity (both based on Sabre),
less flashy, but less buggy, too. Often gives "too busy" response, claims
they're expanding capacity.

Microsoft Expedia (http://expedia.msn.com) is the flashy new entrant into the
web travel biz. The site is garish (like most new web sites), but it's
reasonably easy to negotiate and to find schedules and fares. Ticketing
on-line with credit card, they send you the tickets. Underlying info is
apparently from Worldspan. Unlike most other systems, you have to provide a
credit card number to make a reservation even if you don't want to buy
immediately. When I tried to reserve, it said it the credit card link was
down, no reservations possible, call a number in Florida if it's urgent. Yeah,
right. (At Microsoft, quality is job 1.1.) There's also lots of promos and
tie-ins, currently offering extra frequent flyer miles on American,
Continental, and Northwest for flights booked via Expedia. You can sign up for
weekly e-mail about best fares on routes you select.

Internet Travel Network (http://www.itn.net) is a WWW-based flight booking
system. You make reservations, using Apollo, which are then ticketed by any
one of a long list of participating travel agencies. Users pay nothing,
agencies pay $3/ticket. It often has trouble finding itineraries, for one I
tried it found two, while Easy found over a dozen, and it sometimes misses low
fares that the other systems find. They've been working to make it better, and
it's improved somewhat over the past year, so if the agency you use
participates, it's worth trying, and again it's hard to fault the price.
Several other sites on the net such as American Express have ``private label''
connections to ITN, but it's the same system, usually just with slightly
different screen backgrounds and titles.

United Connection is a new interface to United's Apollo system available via a
downloadable Windows 95 package, and also available on Compuserve. The Win95
package appears to be a reservation system, but since in about a dozen
attempts it never successfully completed a reservation, I can't say for sure.
Your ID is your mileage plus number, non-members can join on-line. Rental car
info now available. More reports from users are welcome. Same data as ITN or
reservations.com. Software download page
(http://www.ual.com/united_bin/infores_bin/connect.html) for the software,
about 8 megabytes.

Preview Travel (http://www.reservations.com) offers a large web site with
reservations and ticketing, with data from Apollo. Info is similar to ITN, but
they have a very nice "best fare" feature that looks for cheaper alternative
itineraries once you tell it where you want to go. Also a lot of info on low
fares, double frequent flyer miles and the like.

Trax Software (http://www.trax.com), a vendor of front-end software for CRSes
has a live demo page for Web package, which lets you check availability and
fares, using multiple CRS for data. Tickets are issued through a local agency
in Virginia and possibly other agencies in the future. It's not as glitzy as
Travelocity or ITN, but it seems to work pretty well and to be faster than
either.

System One (http://www.sys1.com/), which started a long time ago as Eastern
Airlines' reservation system, has now grown into an enormous international CRS
called Amadeus, with a bunch of attractive web pages. They offer extensive
schedule and price info. For bookings, you need to use one of the agent
systems that link to System One such as TripWeb and Travelweb, below. The
System One booking systems all link into the same site, so other than some of
the graphics, the function they provide is identical.

TripWeb (http://www.tripweb.com) is run by a Florida travel agency and offers
search and bookings through System One, with free ticket delivery. Features
and performance are comparable to ITH or Trax, except that it uses System One
for underlying data.

Travelweb (http://www.travelweb.com) has a lot of travel info, graphics that
look like they were drawn with a crayon (it's an aesthetic effect, I guess),
and airline reservations via System One.

TISS (http://www.tiss.com) is an online database in Germany with current
airfares provided by a group of consolidators. They offer departures from
Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg,
Malaysia, Netherlands, Singapore and Switzerland, and plan to add other
countries soon. They claim the prices they offer are the best available.

Worldspan (http://www.worldspan.com) is another large international CRS owned
mostly by Delta, Northwest, TWA. They have an attractive web site with a
demonstration of their new Web availability and pricing system. Booking
available, ticketing through a limited set of participating agents. It's the
system that underlies Microsoft Expedia (described above).

Mellow Yellow (http://www.clubi.ie/yellow/bin/travel) lists discount air fares
from UK consolidators and bucket shops. (Most fares are for flights from the
U.K.) You select origin and destination, and they e-mail you a list of
applicable fares.

Destinations Unlimited (http://www.air-fare.com) tracks lowest fares among
major U.S. cities, with daily updates of significantly lower fares. Res and
ticketing also available.

TravelPoint (http://members.aol.com/airfares/), run by a small UK travel
agent, has a nice collection of discounted fares for flights from the UK. Also
at http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~farepnt/farepoint/
(http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~farepnt/farepoint/).

American Weather Concepts offers the extremely cool Flyte Trax
(http://www.amerwxcncpt.com/flytrax.html) service which will give you a
real-time position map and ETA for most domestic flights.

* What reservation systems are available if you pay for them?

TRAVELSHOPPER: Run by Worldspan (formerly PARS), which is Delta, Northwest and
TWA, similar features to Easy. There are some features not available on Easy
such as open date tickets. Same ticketing options as Easy, but fewer agents
have Worldspan terminals. No travel club, less detailed profile. Currently
only available on Compuserve via CIM interface, but it's the same underlying
system as Microsoft Expedia (described above). Worldspan has a web site
(above) as well.

ON-LINE OFFICIAL AIRLINE GUIDE: Similar data and commands to the other ones.
It used to be better than the airline-operated systems, but now everyone's
updated in near real-time. Lots of other random stuff, e.g. frequent flyer
newsletter and flight departure and arrival info (they can show you the
contents of the flight info TV screens from some airports.) Airlines and a few
agencies can issue tickets.

NORTHWEST/KLM: They have a new reservation system available on Compuserve,
with data from Worldspan. User reports are mixed, some reporting that it
misses fares and connections that Sabre finds. It's slow, like Travelocity,
not fast like Easy. You get 500 or 1000 NW miles when you book a NW/KL ticket.
Delivery by FedEx overnight, no extra charge.

* Are these the same systems that travel agents use?

The underlying data are the same, but the interface is different. Some data
are visible to agents, but not to these systems. A good way to work is to make
the best reservation you can on-line, then call a travel agent, tell him what
you've reserved, and see if he can do better.

* How do I get access to them?

Easy is available via the web or via gateway systems. Travelshopper is only
available via gateway systems, OAG directly or via gateways.

Easy Sabre: GEnie, Compuserve, Delphi, Prodigy
Travelshopper: Compuserve, must use CIM
United: Compuserve, must use CIM
OAG: Direct subscription, Delphi, Compuserve, GEnie, Dow Jones News Retrieval,
AT&T InterSpan.

Delphi: Telnet to delphi.com, no surcharge.
OAG: Telnet to oag.com, no surcharge.
AOL: 2.0 version of their software speaks WinSock, available from their FTP
server at ftp.aol.com.
Compuserve: Telnet to compuserve.com, hostname CIS. Compuserve's front-end
program CIM runs under Windows and is required for Apollo Connection,
Travelshopper, and Northwest's system. The latest version of CIM works both
with traditional dial-in access and via WinSock. You can download it from
their Web page (http://www.compuserve.com).

For dial-in access, Delphi is on Sprintnet and Tymnet, no surcharge nights and
weekends. Compuserve has its own extensive network, or is available via
Sprintnet at a surcharge. OAG is on Sprintnet and Tymnet, no surcharge. AOL is
on Sprintnet and Tymnet, no surcharge.

* How much do they cost?

Easy, United, and Travelshopper are available at the base rate for all of the
on-line services that offer them except for Prodigy.

Delphi offers a five-hour free trial when you sign up; you can use Easy during
that time. AOL also usually offers a free trial period.

Gateway systems charge a substantial surcharge for the OAG, e.g. Delphi
charges 59 cents/min peak, 42 cents/min off-peak. A direct subscription to the
OAG is much cheaper, per-minute rates are lower than the surcharge. Call
800-323-4000, and ask for a 15 day free trial, $25 signup if you continue. If
you subscribe directly, the OAG waives session charges if you make or cancel a
reservation during the session. The OAG has no monthly minimum, which is good
for occasional users.

* Is there information directly from the airlines?

Many airlines are on the World Wide Web. For most of them you need a browser
that supports forms, such as Netscape, or Internet Explorer. Four good
directories of them are:

http://www.yahoo.com/Business/Corporations/Travel/Airlines
http://www.strangeways.org
http://airlines-online.com/
http://www.itn.net/airlines

The airlines listed here all have schedule or booking information available;
see the pages mentioned above for lots of others of airline web pages with
other info.

In the discussions below, flight ops means flight operations, that is, delays,
gates, cancellations, and the like. Ticketless ticketing means that rather
than issuing a real ticket, the airline sends you a receipt with a ticket
number. You cite that number and show ID when you check in. They send the
receipt via e-mail, fax, or (if there's time) snail mail. You pay with a
credit card.

Air Canada (http://www.aircanada.ca:80/ac_world/schedule/) has schedule info
and weekly Websaver special fares. Aussi disponsible en francais
(http://www.aircanada.ca/french/ac_world/schedule). You can also download a
300K PC version of the entire schedule.

Alaska Airlines (http://www.alaska-air.com/) has a web site with flight info,
reservations, ticketless ticketing, and special offers. On-line tickets get
250 bonus miles. The reservation system only seems to be up about half the
time, new design is pretty but not as cute as the old retro design.

America West (http://www.americawest.com) has schedule info, reservations, and
ticketless ticketing in a site that is quite attractive now that the images
hold still.

American Airlines (http://www.americanair.com/) has schedules, fares, and
flight ops. The fares are all quoted ``one way'' even though most of them
require that you buy round trip. (Legal, but really tacky.) Reservations and
ticketing available through AAccess, a cripple-ware version of Travelocity
(e.g., Travelocity lets you queue a reservation to your travel agent, this
system doesn't.)

American Trans Air (http://www.ata.com) has a web site with schedules, fares,
flight ops. Reservations provided through a system which appears to be a
private label version of Travelocity.

Ansett Australia (http://www.ansett.com.au) offers fares, schedules and
bookings through links to the Traveland site. Bookings for Australian
residents only.

Amtrak (http://www.amtrak.com) isn't an airline, but they're competitive on
many routes in urban parts of the U.S., and have scenic long distance routes.
Schedule info and reservations available, although the reservation system can
be awfully slow.

Austrian Airlines (http://www.Austria.EU.net:81/aua/) offers schedule and
availability info.

British Airways (http://www.british-airways.com/) has so-so schedule info, no
connections. Ticketing available to UK residents. Also a mirror site in the
U.S. (http://www.us.british-airways.com/)

British Midland (http://www.iflybritishmidland.com/) has a Web-based booking
and ticketing system called CyberSeat, which lets you reserve and buy tickets.

Canadian Airlines (http://www.cdnair.ca) has schedule info, web special fares,
and downloadable dial-up schedule and reservations software, but still no
reservations via the Web site. Pas disponsible en francais, tsk, tsk.

Carnival Air (http://www.carnivalair.com/) has schedules and occasional
special offers.

Continental (http://www.flycontinental.com) has schedule info and on-line
booking. New CO.O.L. system offers a general purpose reservation system with
hotels and cars as well as flights. Somewhat resembles Expedia since they use
Microsoft's server software. Currently offering up to 1000 extra FF miles for
tickets bought on-line.

Delta (http://www.delta-air.com) has fares, schedules, on-line ticketing, and
flight ops. Currently offering up to 1000 extra FF miles for tickets bought
on-line.

El Al (http://www.elal.co.il) has U.S. schedules and some US-oriented package
info.

Finnair (http://www.us.finnair.com/) has limited schedule info.

Firstair (http://www.firstair.ca/), a Canadian regional airline, has schedule
info. (Finally, you can get from North America to Greenland without flying
through Iceland.)

Iberia (http://www.iberia.es/) has schedules and fares in Spanish, English,
Danish, Swedish, Japanese, and Russian.

Lufthansa Info Flyway (http://www.lufthansa.com) offers schedule info (for
most airlines, not just LH) and probably also booking.

Manx Airlines (http://www.manx-airlines.com) has schedule info.

Northwest Airlines (http://www.nwa.com) has schedule and fare info, flights
ops, and some vacation packages.

Philippine Airlines (http://www.sequel.net/PAL/Welcome.html) has a site that
looks like it's supposed to offer on-line reservations, but the link currently
leads to a ``Server Error''.

Qantas (http://www.qantas.com.au) has an attractive site with schedule info
and flight ops. Also a mirror site (http://www.qantas.com) in the U.S.

Reno Air (http://www.renoair.com/) has schedules and ticketless reservations
on their informative site. For flight ops they link to Flyte Trax, discussed
above.

Sabena (http://www.sabena.com/) has minimal trans-Atlantic schedule info.

SAS (http://www.sas.se) has schedule info on-line and also in a very large
downloadable MS Word file.

Singapore Airlines (http://www.singaporeair.com) has schedule info, best
viewed via a proxy server that will filter out anything that's unwholesome.

South African Airways (http://www.saa.co.za/saa/base.htm) has an extremely
gaudy site with schedules and a little destination info. (Or if you like
frames and cookies, start at http://www.saa.co.za/saa instead.)

Southwest Airlines (http://www.iflyswa.com) has schedules and fares, and now
reservations and ticketless ticketing. The site has the usual problem that the
graphics, although beautiful, are huge and downloading is slow. (Doesn't
anyone ever try these things on a dial-up?)

Swissair (http://www.swissair.ch) has schedule info.

TWA (http://www.twa.com) has schedule info, reservations, and weekly web
specials.

United (http://www.ual.com) has schedule information attractively displayed in
type too small to read, with mysterious references to ASPEN CO at the bottom
of most pages in their web site, with longitude and latitude.

Varig (http://www.varig.com.br) has schedule info. The site's in Portugese;
click on Voos e Horarios to get to the schedule page.

Via Rail Canada (http://www.viarail.ca) isn't an airline but is competitive in
the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto corridor. Schedule and fare info, no reservations.
Aussi disponsible en francais. (Was developed in French and translated into
English, I know the guy who did it.)

Virgin Atlantic (http://www.fly.virgin.com/) has a spiffy looking site with
reservations, fares, and ticketing. Also tours and occasional specials.

Western Pacific (http://www.westpac.com) has bare-bones schedule info on their
web site.

* Any special deals for net users?

Airlines occasionally offer special fares or promotions to Internet users.

The Air Travel Update mailing lists sponsored by Prodigy reports on specials
they find on the web. Send "subscribe airtravel" to
[e-mail] <[e-mail].>

Air Canada (http://www.aircanada.ca:80/ac_world/schedule/) has weekly Websaver
special fares.

Alaska Airlines (http://www.alaskaair.com/specials/announcespecials.stm/) has
web special fares.

American Airlines has a mailing list for ``Net SAAver fares'', otherwise
unadvertised specials from Chicago or Dallas. Sign up on their web page
(http://www2.amrcorp.com/cgi-bin/aans).

American Trans Air (http://www.ata.com) has ``net fares'', special fares
available only on their web site.

Canadian Airlines (http://www.cdnair.ca) has weekly web special weekend fares,
posted every Wednesday.

Carnival Air (http://www.carnivalair.com/) has occasional special offers.

Cathay Pacific Airlines (http://www.cathay-usa.com) has a contest (first prize
a fancy trip from the U.S. to Hong Kong), seat auctions, and other inducements
to buy. You have to register in their free ``Cybertraveller'' at the web site.

Continental (http://www.flycontinental.com/q3/cooltravel/cooltravel.html) has
a mailing list for net-only specials.

Finnair (http://www.us.finnair.com/) has occasional seat auctions.

Northwest (http://www.nwa.com/nwa/flight/promos/index.shtml) has promotions
including a few web-only fares which they put on their site on Wednesdays.

Southwest (http://www.swavacations.com/guest/guest.htm) has a mailing list
with special deals if you sign their guest book and answer a bunch of nosy
questions.

TWA (http://www.twa.com) has weekly web specials.

USAir (http://www.usair.com/travel/fares/esavers.htm) has an "e-savers"
mailing list with weekly special fares from Boston, Pittsburgh and
Philadelphia, other cities to be added.


* What travel agents and clubs are available?

Easy Sabre (http://www.easysabre.com) offers Traveller's Access, run by
Comp-U-Card which for $49/yr rebates 5% on air, hotel, and car rentals for you
and family members that they've ticketed for you and family members when you
send in receipts. In my experience, their agents are not very good.

Travel-by-Modem <[e-mail]> is run by a small company in Belmont,
Mass., primary access via Delphi, but Internet e-mail is fine, too. Costs
$39/yr, sliding rebate on tickets depending on price and how delivered.
Rebates mailed automatically quarterly. Lots of useful coupons and discounts.
That's the agency I usually use. Although they have a national clientele,
they're 1/2 mile from where I used to live, which may bias me somewhat.

* Are there other on-line agents?

There's lots of them, grouped below by location of the agent and type of
service.

NOTE: All of the descriptions below are edited from info provided by the
agencies themselves. There are many resources other than travel agents
available on the net, as well, but they're not listed here. Most agencies
offer a broad range of services, so the groupings by type of service below are
pretty arbitrary.

* Generalist agents located in the U.S.

Compass Point Travel <[e-mail]> is a full service agency that
welcomes Internet customers. Specialties include custom planning of major
trips, Club Med, discount cruises, adventure travel, and US-originating
international travel. Web page (http://www.cptravel.com/).

Stephanie Alford <[e-mail]> is a full service travel agent who
welcomes Internet customers.

Edward Hasbrouck <[e-mail]> at Travel Time/Sundance Travel, San
Francisco, around-the-world specialists; also other discounted international
tickets; NOT a general-purpose, corporate, or domestic travel agency.

Germantown Travel <[e-mail]> in Germantown Md is a full service
airline ticket agency suppling information and discounted tickets for domestic
and international travel. Web site (http://airtravel.com) with special fares
and Caribbean tour info.

CTM Travel <[e-mail]> in Coral Springs FL welcomes
business from the Internet.

Genie Travel Services Inc. <[e-mail]> specializes in discounted
international and domestic airline tickets for Internet customers. For prices,
see their web page (http://www.genietravel.com).

Endeavour Travel <[e-mail]> is a travel agency specialising in NZ
and Australian travel, staffed in large part by Aussies and Kiwis. Web pages
(http://www.anzac.com/endvr/endvr.htm). I got Circle Pacific tickets from
them, service was decent.

Marla Baer-Peckham <[e-mail]> of Cornucopia First Class Travel is a
full-service travel agency. Web page (http://iquest.com/~marla).

Uniglobe GEM Travel <[e-mail]> or Full service agency, WWW site
(http://www.uniglobe-gem.com/) with leisure info and travel request forms. Our
goal is not to find the cheapest product, but the best value for money.

Jerry Johnson <[e-mail]> at AEA Credit Union travel department has
info on smaller carriers (http://www.cucruising.com/cu) and can offer 20% to
25% off almost all TWA tickets.

Park'N Ticket Travel <[e-mail]> located in Atlanta GA,
specializes in Business Travel. We have a 24 hour travel agency as well as a
1,250 car parking facility with a 24 hour shuttle service.

Paul Foley <[e-mail]>, at Passport Executive Travel of Alexandria, VA, a
full-service agency, CLIA, and IGTA, specializes in Corporate Travel, personal
preference is Gay and Lesbian travel. Web page
(http://www.prairienet.org/business/travex/homepage.html).

The Travel Experts <[e-mail]> in Champaign, Illinois is a full
service agency with a special emphasis in Caribbean destinations and the UK,
and have expertise in Israel and the Middle East. Web page
(http://www.prairienet.org/business/travex/homepage.html).

Newlywed Susan Mitchell Skinner <[e-mail]> at Online Travelservices
near Atlanta specializes in honeymoons and family vacations -- but also work
with consolidators and offer fast turnaround on quotes to international
destinations.

Priority Travel <[e-mail]> is a small agency in Waltham, Mass
specializing in corporate travel for small companies and start-ups who need to
minimize their travel costs. Also have specialist in European business or
vacation travel.

World Travel <[e-mail]> located in Stockton, CA, specializes in
travel to Southeast Asia. A Traveler's Choice Associate.

Super Saver Travel <[e-mail]>, Aurora, CO, offer personalized
service in getting you the lowest available airfares out of Denver and
Colorado Springs area. Domestic & International.

Adventure Travel Service (http://www.greencis.net/~ats) provides domestic and
international consolidator tickets. Book online for domestic tickets using
ITN, and Spring Break '97 packages now available. Email <[e-mail]>.

QuinWell Travel Service (http://www.quinwell.com) is a full-service travel
agency offering SABRE online reservations & ticketing, discounted cruises &
tours, free newsletter, and an extensive web site.

Metropolitan Travel (http://www.mettravel.com), specializes in corporate
travel, res/tickets through ITN, offers reports online, tracking for companies
and employees, tracks trips, FF miles, etc., including pre-trip reports. Also
vacation specials through "Club Met".

Heather Trofholz <[e-mail]>, Aliso Veijo CA, corporate/business executive
specialist. Knowledgeable, personalized service, delivery, maps, vacation
planning to the traveling individual. Available for new So. Orange County
clients. Web site (http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/3005).

Certified Travel Services (http://www.certravel.com) is building a network of
independent travel agents who operate from their homes or places of business.
Complete training, software, reservations system, manuals and continuing
support is offered. Listings of travel specials and on-line air travel booking
is provided through their Internet site.

Travel Professionals International (http://www.travelprof.com) is a group of
80 plus agencies all over the United States, dedicated to hassle free travel.
Web site with booking form for quotes, sign up page for free airfare war
information and a free destination information page.

RMS InHouse Travel (http://www.rmssys.com) is a full service agency offering
on-line reservation system.

Travel Service, Inc. <[e-mail]> has three offices in the Tulsa area,
in the business since 1973, are a full service agency, specializing in groups.

Rosemarie Hughey at Go Vegas First Class <[e-mail]> located in Las
Vegas NV provides a service to travelers to Las Vegas and surroundings as well
as airfares to Europe. German spoken.

Lovely Planet Discount Travel Service <[e-mail]> in Hailey, ID
specializes in researching international discounted airfares.

Biztravel.com (http://www.biztravel.com) offers services for frequent business
travellers including frequent flyer milage tracking, travel planning, and
business-oriented destiniation info.

B. Charles and Co. (www.airreservations.com) has lists of discounted fares and
travel agent contacts. No on-line schedules or booking, call their toll-free
number.

* Tours, cruises, and special interest agents located in the U.S.

Mike Espinosa <[e-mail]> at Maluku Adventures is a tour operator
specializing in SE Asia, and Nepal. We offer kayaking, diving, and treks.

Manny Segall at Vacation Partners <[e-mail]> runs a service that
finds compatible travel mates for single travelers, for companionship and to
avoid the dreaded single supplement. Web page (http://vacationpartners.com).

Bill Byrnes <[e-mail]> author of "Airfare Secrets" specializes in
high value Round the World, long haul and missionary travel. Offshore
ticketing from Euro and Asian consolidators.

Torcaza Trails <[e-mail]> offer a mountain treking and a tropical
forest option in western Venezuela. Web page of Venezuela info
(http://venezuela.mit.edu).

Kenneth Rishty <[e-mail]> is with First in Service Travel in
midtown Manhattan in New York City. He welcomes clients for either corporate
or leisure travel, and is also knowledgeable about Gay and Lesbian travel.

Maryann Novajosky <[e-mail]> publishes a free bi-weekly e-mail
newsletter of discounted cruise vacation specials and cruise-related news.

Travel Incorporated <[e-mail]> publishes a weekly newsletter
listing midwest departures of discounted charter programs to the Caribbean &
Mexico. The free listing can be obtained by e-mail
<[e-mail]>.

High Adventure Travel <[e-mail]> has a WWW site (
http://www.highadv.com) focused on Around-the-World airfares and adventures.
They have considerable personal experience in Africa and the Himalayas. Handy
RTW fare builder on web site.

European Traveler,Inc. <[e-mail]> specializes in individual
vacations to Europe. Full colour brochure "EURO CITY TRIPS" available on
request offers 2-3-5 and 7 days packages in up to 40 cities all over Europe.

Association of Business Travellers <[e-mail]> offers the international
traveller a hotel reservation service, specials at top class hotels,
restaurants, service office facilities, lost lugage tracing, etc. Web page
(http://www.abt-travel.com).

Stephen P. Aleksza <[e-mail]> with Travelink on the shores of
beautiful Bamber Lake in Whiting NJ specializes in cruises and vacation
packages. Web page (http://www.eclipse.net/~vacation/travlk.htm).

Cruisin <[e-mail]> The first exclusively on line cruise only agency.
Web page (http://www.crocker.com/cruisin).

Island Dreams Tours & Travel <[e-mail]> specializes in scuba
diving, snorkeling, and world-wide adventure travel. Web page
(http://www.islandream.com/island/index.htm) with a broad range of information
of interest to scuba divers and international travelers.

Bill Welk <[e-mail]> of Vacation Connection operate a lodging
reservation service in Oshkosh, Wi. and serve many special events organizers
by providing free use of our toll free phone numbers for information and
lodging connections. Web page (http://www.atw.fullfeed.com/~dadvanc/).

OnlineTravel <[e-mail]> offers European railpasses, Eurail travel,
and the Chunnel channel tunnel, with planning maps, car rental and discount
air fares. Web page (http://www.eurorail.com).

Travel Agents International (http://www.traveltai.com) specialize in corporate
travel and cruises. Located in Florida, offering special insight into Florida
vacation destinations. Reservations via ITN, and a custom designed form for
cruise quotations.

First Class Travel <[e-mail]> specializes in sports and leisure
travel, welcome Internet customers, E-mail for info.

Classic Travel <[e-mail]>, full service agency specializing in
cruises, caribbean dream vacations, european discoveries, mexican getaways,
las vegas sprees, etc. Travelfax newsletter loaded with specials, send your
fax number for our latest copy.

Barbara & Earl Seppala (http://www.selective-travel.com/) of Selective Travel,
Scottsdale AZ, outside agents, specializing in cruises and international
tours. Email <[e-mail]>.

Marcel Demas <[e-mail]> is an independent agent with TravelMax
International, offers online do-it-yourself travel services, and an excellent
travel agent training tutorial. Autoresponder <[e-mail]>
and web site (http://www.tmaxx.com/netmax/mdemas.html).

ModTravel (http://www.modtravel.com) are Leisure Travel Consultants
specializing in Hawaii and Mexico destinations.

The Travel Connection (http://www.travelcnct.com) is a large travel agency
specializing in only Corporate & Leisure Travel, offering Cruises, Tours and
Air.

Mexico Online (http://www.mexonline.com/travel) is a complete reservation
service dedicated to Mexico. We offer vacation packages to 100 of the most
popular resort and specialty properties, archeological tours and the Copper
Canyon, and can include discounted airfare, car rental, and fishing
expeditions.

Marvelous Tickets (http://www.marveloustickets.com) specializes in worldwide
sports tours & tickets, offering tickets and travel for major events in
football, baseball, tennis, boxing, racing, etc. for individuals & groups.
Event information is available at web site.

* Agents located in Canada

Marc-Andre Lalande <[e-mail]> at Voyages Vacances Tourisme in
Montreal specializes in incoming and outgoing tourism, leisure and corporate
travel from all over the world. Affiliated with wholesaler Groupe Voyages
Quebec.

Jimmy Georgiadis <[e-mail]>, Montreal, Que., has 45 years of
experience with travel to the land of the Gods - GREECE. "If it's Greece, we
have it". Can arrange, hotels, car rentals, yacht rentals, tours. Web page
(http://www.generation.net/~rextrvl).

Robert Zuzek at Kompas Express Travel (http://home.istar.ca/~kompex) is a
specialist on Spain and Italy has contacts with many local suppliers does "a
la carte" itineraries and has best Airfares with 6 European carriers ex
Toronto.

B & P Travel Services (http://imf.nb.ca/bptravel) operates from Fredericton,
N,B.,Canada. Dealing in Quality Travel Products, Insurance and Discounted
International Air Fares. Departing from Halifax, Montreal and Ottawa.

* Agents located in Europe

The Air Line <[e-mail]> offer discounted flights and
holidays for travel from the UK. Details and a quotation form can be found at
their web page (http://www.demon.co.uk/csl/air-line/).

Zak Travel <[e-mail]> is an on-line British discount flight agency
specialising in flights from the UK to Europe and worldwide. We offer the
cheapest scheduled and charter flights and offer a no-obligation flight
reservation service.

Jan Hutchings <[e-mail] of Concord World Travel,> London, arranges
tailor-made travel worldwide at sensible prices: tours, flights,
accommodation, car hire, cruises. For departures from Britain.

Global Adventures <[e-mail]> specializes in custom travel
for the active and adventurous traveler to Australia, the South Pacific, and
Southern Africa. Web page:http://www.globaladventures.com (.)

Andean Trails <[e-mail]> specializes in small group,
off beat trekking and mountain biking adventures in the Andes. Web site
(http://www.abel.co.uk/~belmont/andean-trails.htm).

Shelley at Goel Travel International
<[e-mail]> offers business flights, hotels,
conferences, and limousines for discerning individuals who appreciate
hassle-free service and privacy. Web site
(http://www.ukbusiness.com/goel-travel-international).

European Travel Network (http://www.etn.nl/) has an extremely cluttered web
site which lets you get discounted fare quotes from a variety of travel
agents. Also a link to ITN for regular booking.

Airline Network (http://www.airnet.co.uk/) has on-line discount fares and
booking for flights from the UK.

Airline Network (http://www.flighbookers.co.uk)

Flightbookers (http://www.flighbookers.co.uk offers flight booking and info.)
They appear to be affiliated with TISS, described earlier.

* Agents located in other parts of the world

Meet the People provides small-group and private-charter day tours for
international visitors to Sydney, Australia. Their web page
(http://www.meetoz.com.au/g_day) has links and other visitor info.

Bagwis Travel & Tours Inc. <[e-mail]> in Davao, Philippines.
specializes in international travel & local tours of the beautiful white sand
beaches in Mindanao. especially Pearl farm, a must for all tourists

Cyber Air Broker <[e-mail]>, Sydney, Australia, offers discounted
airfares worldwide. Free internet access for travelers in Sydney. Web page
(http://www.airdiscounter.com), also separate web pages for offices in Manila
(http://www.airdiscounter.com/ph) and Auckland
(http://www.airdiscounter.com/nz).

Lucky Travel <[e-mail]> in Bahrain offers best rates from the
Arabian Gulf to all over the world, also arranges tours to US and far east.

Re'em Greiver <[e-mail]>, Patra Travel Agency in Israel,
specializes in business travel, as well as groups & FIT to Israel on the upper
class standards.

Costa Rica Express <[e-mail]>, the oldest travel agency in
Costa Rica, offers tours and packages on their web page
(http://www.icr.co.cr/crexpress) with a 20% discount to Internet users.

Alex Poplavskiy at Transit Travel and Tours <[e-mail]> in Cape Town,
South Africa, offers domestic and worldwide ticketing with response and
confirmation within 24 hours. Also tour operator in Southern Africa.

Bob Tierney (http://vader.nw.com.au/~harley), owner of Australian Harley
Holidays and Hawg Custom Harley Tours, in Western Australia, offer motorcycle
tour packages, a unique holiday experience and cater to individuals through to
corporate groups.

Cyber Air Broker (http://www.airdiscounter.com) is an Australian based travel
agency. Fare discounts offered, higher discounts if you book your own ticket
via Easy or Travelocity.

Gateway Travel (http://www.magna.com.au/~gatrav) is a full service agent with
expertise in to travel to Russia and other CIS countries.

* Not recommended

AESU Travel <[e-mail]> in Baltimore offers a variety of services, but
since they use usenet spam to promote themselves, I can't recommend you do
business with them.

Airtravel.net purports to be a travel agent of some sort, but since they
advertise via junk e-mail, I presume they're a scam like every other spammer.

TravelUSA which has a web site name containing "travusa" claims to be an
on-line travel agent, but since they advertise using junk e-mail, I presume
they're some sort of scam.

WorldWide Family Travel appears to offer cruises from Florida, but since they
advertise using junk e-mail, I would recommend not doing business with them.

NOTE: If you're a travel agent and would like to be listed, drop me a note and
I'll add you. Please make my life easier by e-mailing me a three-line or so
description in the style above. Thanks.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not a travel agent, just an interested traveller. Everything
I know about on-line travel info is in this FAQ. Don't write or call me asking
for fare quotes, packages, or any other travel agent info, because I don't
have it.
--
John R. Levine, IECC, POB 640 Trumansburg NY 14886 [phone]
[e-mail], Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner, http://iecc.com/johnl,
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