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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS);faqs.014 Or send inquiries to the following address: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY Kodak Information Center Dept. E. 343 State Street Rochester, NY 14650-0811 Information about PhotoCD is available by anonymous ftp from cdrom.com:/pub/photo_cd. There is an excellent article on PhotoCD in the Sept 92 issue of Photographic Magazine. Eastman Kodak Co recently released Photo CD Access, which is designed to allow users to integrate CD images into any Windows or Macintosh Application. Requires a CD ROM XA (Extended Architecture) drive. Most popular image formats are supported, including TIFF, GIF, TARGA and PICT. Kodak sells the software directly. $39.95, 1-800-242-2424. A developer's kit is available for $695 and includes source code as well as object for PC/MAC. The maximum resolution is 3072 X 2048, 24 bit color. ========================================================================== 39. Where can I get maps of the US on CD-ROM? The USGS is producing a series of cds that contain 1:100,000 scale digital line graph (DLG) data. Presently, only Florida is available. Also, 1:2,000,000 DLG cd is available for the US. Call 1-800-USA-MAPS for more info. You can also get topo data (with AVHRR coverage) on CD-ROM for $32. This is DEM (30" elevation data) for the whole US. Contact: EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, SD 605-594-6507, or 6511 ========================================================================== 40. How do I put a CD-ROM Drive on a Novell network? --------- 1. SCSI Express. SCSI drives only, NLM only. 2. OptiNet by OnLine in Germantown, MD. Both NLM and separate CD-Server. Any type of drive supported. Up to 128 drives per server. 3. CD-Net by Meridian in Colorado. Software only version of the Meridian CD-Server. Used to be limited to 21 drives, but may have been upgraded. Not sure if NLM version is currently available. Also, CBIS has a hardware/software solution that supports up to 21 drives per server. No NLM. All the packages run about $700 for 8 users or less. --------- Corel sell a SCSI driver package that include NLM's to put worm drives,CD-Roms etc on a 3.1+ server. The package also includes dos drivers for just about every device you would want to connect to SCSI. Only costs about $70. ========================================================================== 41. Are any CD-ROM Jukeboxes available? There is a Pioneer DRM600 CD-ROM jukebox. It will hold 6 CD's in a cartridge, costs around $900-$1000, but has a slow drive. Pioneer also has a new drive coming out in December that is the same 6-CD changer, but with a 340ms, 600K/Sec drive in it. That will be more like $1400. It is available from: Kintronics Computer Products 3 Westchester Plaza Elmsford, NY 10523 914-347-2530 or 800-431-1658 attention Neal Allen It is also distributed by Peripheral Solution, in Santa Cruz, 408-425-8280 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A jukebox that handles 240 discs is available from Kubik Technologies Ltd. 200-3900 Viking Way Richmond, BC V6V 1V7 604-273-0400 ========================================================================== 42. Can I speed up my CD-ROM by using a cache? There are several programs that cache information from the CD-ROM onto your hard disk. Since magnetic discs are often more than 10 times faster than a CD-ROM, this can result in dramatic improvements under some circumstances. Most of the programs cache the directory information, so you can traverse subdirectories quickly. They also cache the most recently accessed blocks of data. So if you use the same files over and over, or access the same records in a database, your CD-ROM will seem much faster. But when you access the information for the first time, it will be just as slow as ever. SpeedCache+ from Future Systems has been recommended as a pretty good caching program. Future Systems, Inc 0420 South 500 East Bluffton, IN 46714 (219) 824-4963 ------ On the Macintosh a prescanning (Directory, file atrributes, icons, etc) cache to accelerate the Mac with CD-ROMs exists from two companies SpeedyCD 1.22 and FWB CD-ROM ToolKit 1.0. FWB seems much faster than SpeedyCD and can prescan any type of CD-ROM volumes (ProDos, Mac HFS, MS DOS, ISO9660, PhotoCD etc.) It prescans in the background. ========================================================================== 43. Do you have any info about the CD-ROM filesystems for Amigas? The following information is taken from the Winter '93 "AC's Guide to the Commodre Amiga" (pages 112, 253, 262, 149) AsimCDFS This CD_ROM FIleSystem allows an Amiga/CDTV to access any ISO9660, HighSierra, or Mac HFS formatted disc. CDTV discs also accessible. Comes with FishMarket, a disc containing Fred Fish disks 1-637, and AsimTunes, an intuition-based AudioCD controller program with ARexx capability. Includes a manual and a painless install procedure. Supports a number of CD-ROM drives. Requires SCSI controller compatible with Commodore SCSI-Direct Standard. For 68000,010,020, 030,040 processors. Minimum 512K, more recommended for buffering. AmigaDOS 1.3/2.0 compatible. $79.00 Asimware Innovations, 101 Country Club Dr, Hamilton, Ontario L8K 5W4, Canada, (416) 578- 4916 FAX(416) 578-3966 CDx Disk Set All software needed to attach a SCSI CD-ROM drive to most popular SCSI controllers, plus a printed manual and two CD-ROM discs (Fish & More Vols. I and II). Software consists of: CDxFileSystem for access to ISO 9660, High Sierra, and Mac HFS discs, CDTV emulation software to run most CDTV titles (1MB chip RAM recommended), audio CD player software, an assembly/C/Arexx-compatible device for developers, and more. NTSC/PAL compatible, Requires SCSI controller, SCSI CD-ROM drive. AmigaDOS 2.0 compatible. $50.00 Xetec, Inc., 2804 Arnold Road, Salina, KS 67401, (913) 827-0685, FAX(913) 827-6023 CDROM-FS CDROM-FS version 702 enables Amiga owners to connect most SCSI CD ROM drives to an Amiga with a SCSI interface. This software provides support for industry standard ISO 9660/High Sierra format CD ROM discs. It comes with clear concise instructions, making it easy to install and use. Requires A590, A2091, A3000, Microbotics Hardframe or GVP. $49.95. Canadian Prototype Replicas, P.O. Box 8, Breslau, Ontario, Canada N0B 1M0, (519) 884-4412 ========================================================================== Xref: bloom-picayune.mit.edu rec.travel.air:5897 news.answers:4358 Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!ogicse!das-news.harvard.edu!cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!crabapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu!mkant From: mkant+@cs.cmu.edu (Mark Kantrowitz) Newsgroups: rec.travel.air,news.answers Subject: FAQ: How to Get Cheap Airtickets [Monthly posting] Message-ID: <airfare.text_723279623@cs.cmu.edu> Date: 2 Dec 92 07:01:00 GMT Article-I.D.: cs.airfare.text_723279623 Expires: Fri, 15 Jan 1993 07:00:23 GMT Sender: news@cs.cmu.edu (Usenet News System) Reply-To: mkant@cs.cmu.edu Followup-To: poster Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon Lines: 1353 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Supersedes: <airfare.text_720687613@cs.cmu.edu> Nntp-Posting-Host: a.gp.cs.cmu.edu Archive-name: cheap-airfare Last-Modified: Thu Apr 23 15:38:18 1992 by Mark Kantrowitz Version: 1.2 Size: 51761 bytes This post is a summary of useful information for air travelers. The focus is on obtaining inexpensive air fares, although other topics are also covered. Please mail comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, criticisms and other information to mkant@cs.cmu.edu. An updated version of this file is posted once a month to the newsgroups rec.travel.air and news.answers. The version date for the file is located in the header near the top of the file. The list is also available via anonymous ftp from ftp.cs.cmu.edu in the directory /afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mkant/Public/Travel/ as the file airfare.text. Note that you must cd to this directory in one command, as intermediate directories are protected during an anonymous ftp. Of course, if your site is running the Andrew File System, you may access the file directly without using FTP. You can also get the file by anonymous ftp from pit-manager.mit.edu (18.172.1.27) in the file /pub/usenet/rec.travel.air/How_to_Get_Cheap_Airtickets, or by sending a mail message to "mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu" with the subject "send usenet/rec.travel.air/How_to_Get_Cheap_Airtickets". ;;; ******************************** ;;; Copyright ********************** ;;; ******************************** Copyright (c) 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992 by Mark Kantrowitz. Use and copying of this information and preparation of derivative works based upon this information are permitted, so long as the following conditions are met: o no fees or compensation are charged for use, copies or access to this information o this copyright notice is included intact This information is made available AS IS, and no warranty is made about its quality or correctness. ;;; ******************************** ;;; Contents *********************** ;;; ******************************** Topics Covered: Temporary Notes Standard Tricks Fare Classes Classes of Service Fare Types Special Fare Categories Flying Standby Getting "Bumped" Sympathy Fares, Emergencies Refunds Advance Purchase Fares Travel Agents Pets Lost Baggage Baggage Limits Hub Cities Flying International: Couriers, Consolidators Credit Card Voucher Offers Special Meals Airline Reservation Phone Numbers Frequent Flyer Programs Complaints and Compliments Glossary Miscellaneous Notes Other Sources of Information Further Reading Jetlag ;;; ******************************** ;;; Temporary Notes **************** ;;; ******************************** With the American Airlines fare restructuring, many discounted fares have been eliminated, ostensibly because "everything's cheap now". However, I am not eliminating the discussion of these discounts because they still apply to some airlines. In addition, I expect the fare restructuring to be largely temporary -- as soon as fares start creeping up again, some airline is going to announce discounted children's fares to attract families as a marketing move, and the other airlines will follow suit. Even though most airlines are now matching their lowest discount fares, it still pays to have your travel agent check several airlines. For example, USAir has a virtual monopoly out of Pittsburgh, some sometimes they don't feel the need to reduce the fares. If you don't mind making a connection, you can sometimes save some money by taking another airline. ;;; ******************************** ;;; Airline Antitrust Litigation *** ;;; ******************************** If you flew on American, Continental, Delta, Midway, Northwest, Pan Am, TWA, United, or USAir (domestic flights only) between January 1, 1988, and June 30, 1992 from one of the following airports Atlanta Baltimore Boston Charlotte Chicago (O'Hare) Chicago (Midway) Cincinnati Cleveland Dallas/FW Dayton Denver Detroit Houston (IAH) Indianapolis Kansas City Los Angeles Memphis Miami Mpls/St Pl Nashville Newark New York (JFK) New York (LGA) Orlando FL Philadelphia Pittsburgh Raleigh/Durham St. Louis Salt Lake City San Francisco San Jose Syracuse Washington (National) Washington (Dulles) you are probably eligible for part of the $364 million antitrust settlement. This settlement is in response to a suit charging that they conspired to fix prices through a computerized reservation system. If you write to Airline Antitrust Litigation P.O. Box 209 Philadelphia, PA 19107-9711 they will send you a claim form and instructions. If you've taken at least one eligible trip, you will get a $100 voucher good for travel on either Northwest Airlines only, or on the other airlines (the restrictions on the vouchers differ, see below). You choose which kind of vouchers you prefer, subject to availability. If you've taken at least 5 round trips or 10 one-way trips (or some combination), you will receive up to $250 in vouchers. If you've taken more flights, you can file additional documentation with your claim, and receive vouchers for 10% of the actual amount spent. This is a gross oversimplification of the terms of the settlement. If more than 2,689,840 claim forms are submitted, the base $100 amount will be reduced. If the total payout exceeds $364 million, the program ends. Certificates may be used only as partial payment toward a ticket; they may not exceed the price of the ticket. The vouchers have the following restrictions on the price of the ticket for which they may be used: Northwest Vouchers ===================================== Voucher Amount Ticket Price ===================================== $25 $100-200 $50 $201-300 $75 $301-400 $100 $401-500 $125 $501-750 $150 $751-1000 $200 $1000- Other Airline Vouchers =========================================== Voucher Amount Ticket Price (min) =========================================== $10 $50 $25 $250 $50 $500 $75 $750 $100 $1000 $125 $1250 $150 $1500 The first $100 in vouchers may be used immediately upon receipt. Of the rest of the vouchers, half may be used immediately and half after 6 months. Vouchers are valid for a period of 2 years. Tickets purchased using the vouchers are good for one year from the date of purchase. Vouchers may not be combined with any other special offer. Only you and your immediate family may use the vouchers unless you designate a different recipient when filing your claim. Vouchers are for use when purchasing tickets directly from the airlines, and may not be used when purchasing tickets from a travel agent. Vouchers may be used only for purchasing round trip tickets for travel within the continental US (Hawaii and Alaska are excluded, except for residents of those states). There are blackout dates during which the vouchers may not be used. Tickets purchased using the vouchers will receive frequent flyer miles. ;;; ******************************** ;;; General Notes ****************** ;;; ******************************** The information in this FAQ applies primarily to US domestic flights, though some information may also apply to international flights. ;;; ******************************** ;;; Standard Tricks **************** ;;; ******************************** Airlines give better fares to people who advance book because they are trying to encourage people to book as early as possible. If the airline were to lower fares just before flight time there would be a flood of people (on random flights) at the last minute. Airlines need an accurate estimate of the number of people and amount of baggage on a flight so that they can load the proper amount of fuel. (Meals and beverages also have to be loaded.) Moreover, people who book at the last minute are usually flying on business, and therefore the business is paying for it. People flying for pleasure usually know weeks or months in advance, and can't afford the prices that a business would pay. Thus it is to an airline's advantage to set rates according to the major differences between business and leisure travelers: o Business travelers fly mostly between 9 and 5, whereas leisure travelers can fly offpeak hours. o Business travelers buy tickets on very short notice, whereas leisure travelers plan trips well in advance. o Business travelers do not stay over a weekend (= Saturday night), whereas leisure travelers do. So airlines typically give discounts for people who stay over a weekend, flying offpeak hours, and purchasing tickets 7 days, 14 days, 21 days or 30 days in advance. For example, "Supersaver" or "Maxsaver" fares require that you buy your roundtrip ticket 7 days, 14 days, or 30 days in advance, and that you stay over a weekend (Saturday night). The price is usually the average of the two one-way tickets. (E.g., a 2-week advance PGH/BOS advance ticket is around $200 this way.) Since a regular 1-way ticket is so much worse, it sometimes pays to buy a round-trip ticket and throw away the other half (if you're only going one way). If you buy a round trip ticket and throw away the other half, make the first leg of the trip the destination, since some airlines will cancel the return trip if you don't show up for the first leg. For example, a round-trip to San Francisco from Pittsburgh with a one-night stayover is $1,333. However, the cost of a Saturday night stayover is only $479 if you order the ticket a week or two in advance. Purchasing two round trip tickets, one originating from Pgh and one from SF, and then using one half of each round trip ticket saves you $375. Note that for many airlines the discount fares depend solely on the date of the first leg of the trip. The price does not vary no matter when the return flight is (so long as you stay over a Saturday night). You could buy a flight with one leg in March and the return in November, and it would cost the same as if the return was in March. If you travel regularly to a particular destination, but don't stay over weekends, you can get the cheaper weekend rates by staggering your tickets. I.e., if you're flying from A to B and back Monday and Wednesday of Week 1, and the same Week 2, instead of buying roundtrip tickets for each week, buy a roundtrip ticket leaving A Monday of Week 1 and returning Wednesday of Week 2, and a second roundtrip ticket leaving B Wednesday of Week 1 and returning to B Monday of Week 2. This works out to be precisely the same flights, but since both tickets are over a weekend, you get the cheaper rate. The only problem is that you have to know your schedule in advance to make this work. Using the Pgh-SF example from above, this method would save you $1708 on a pair of midweek round trip flights. If you travel on offpeak hours and low volume days, the rates are cheaper. Thus to guarrantee a low cost flight, you have to be very flexible about where you are going, what time and day you are leaving, and how long you want to stay. Also important is when you make the reservation. If you make the reservation for an offpeak flight during the peak season (say, make a reservation for February just before Thanksgiving), you may be charged the peak rates. After the holidays some airlines lower their discount fares to attract customers. So you may be able to get a better fare by making your reservation right after the holidays. If you notice that the fare for your flight has been lowered after you bought the ticket, try calling the airline. Sometimes they will refund the difference between the price you paid and the lower fare. (You may have to go to the airport to get the ticket rewritten at the lower fare.) ;;; ******************************** ;;; Fare Classes ******************* ;;; ******************************** When airlines set their fares, they divide their seating into "classes", which are based on an analysis of past passenger purchases. Suppose you have a 100 seat airliner going from DC to SF. The rates might break down on a particular day as follows: 30 seats at $315 round trip, 30 days in advance 20 seats at $350 RT, 21 days in advance 20 seats at $375 RT, 14 days in advance 20 seats at $400 RT, 7 days in advance 10 seats at $450 RT, full fare, available until the last minute. Now if the time has elapsed within a given price group, then the fare will go up to the rate of the next price group. If they sell the quota of tickets for a price group, even if the time has not elapsed, then they can only sell you tickets at the next rate group price (which is naturally higher). So it can pay to make your reservations way in advance. (The number of seats available at each fare varies from day to day, depending on the airline's yield management algorithm.) Actually, it would be more accurate to say that airlines distinguish between classes of service and types of fares. A discount ticket (fare) for first class travel (service) could, in theory, be cheaper than an advance purchase ticket (fare) for thrift travel in the first class compartment (service). The best way to describe it is as a series of overlapping tiers of fares. There are five regular classes of service: First, Business, Standard, Coach and Thrift. Standard is practically nonexistent these days. Fares usually drop with lower class service. For each class except Standard there are six main types of reduced-fare tickets: discounted, night, offpeak, weekend, advance purchase, and excursion fare. ;;; ******************************** ;;; Classes of Service ************* ;;; ******************************** The following chart gives some of the letters used to designate each class of service. Note that Fn means Night/Offpeak Coach in the First Class compartment, and Yn means Night/Offpeak Coach in other than the First Class compartment. Regular Premium Discounted Night/Offpeak First Class F P A Fn Business Class C J D Cn Standard S Coach Economy Y B, H, M, Q, T Qn, Yn Thrift K L, V Vn, Kn Supersonic R No Reservation Service U In reality there is no difference between classes F and P, nor between classes C and J. ;;; ******************************** ;;; Fare Types ********************* ;;; ******************************** The following lists some of the letters used to designate different types of fares. This is distinct from class of service. A number (e.g., 7 or 14) usually means how many days in advance the ticket must be bought. Miscellaneous AP Advance Purchase EX Excursion Fare B Capacity-controlled Excursion Fares SW Offpeak; Saturday or Sunday W Weekend X Midweek US 48 contiguous states (not including alaska/hawaii) Economy KH Weekend KL Midweek/Offpeak MH Weekend (Discount Fare) ML Midweek/Offpeak (Discount Fare) L Capacity-controlled Inventory Standard SH Peak SL Offpeak V Offpeak Coach B Capacity-controlled Inventory BN Night Coach H Capacity-controlled Inventory, Coach/Night Coach V Offpeak YH Weekend YL Midweek/Offpeak Super Coach QH Weekend; applies Fri-Sun QL Midweek; applies Mon-Thur ;;; ******************************** ;;; Special Fare Categories ******** ;;; ******************************** All airlines have special rate categories, but you have to ask for them by name, since the agents are usually not familiar with them. You may even have to talk to the agent's supervisor. Below is a brief listing of different special fare categories, followed by a more in depth discussion of standby fares. Also, see preceding discussion of classes of service and fare types. For example, on TWA, class K, V, YC, and M fares are the cheapest. Children's fares: Children under 2 years of age travel free on US domestic flights. To be more accurate, the child must not occupy a separate seat (sits on its parent's lap), and must be accompanied by a fare paying adult passenger 12 years of age and over (the lap in which it sits). Additional children under 2 are subject to regular children's fares. On international flights you need a "lap child" ticket which typically costs about $100. Fares for children accompanied by a fare paying adult passenger and occupying a separate seat are cheaper than fares for unaccompanied children. Some carriers will not accept unaccompanied children under five years of age (some 8 years, some 12). Fares for accompanied children range from 50% to 100% of an adult fare (1/2 fare, 2/3 fare, 3/4 fare, 80%, 90%, full fare). Fares for unaccompanied children range from 50% of adult fare to 125% of an adult fare (1/2 fare, 2/3 fare, 3/4 fare, full fare, 1-1/4 fare). Clergy fares: Clergy get ridiculously cheap standby fares on certain airlines if they possess a certain type of "Clergy Identification Card". Military fares: US military personnel traveling at their own expense on authorized leave or pass may get signicantly cheaper fares. Discharged military personnel must complete all travel within 7 days of discharge date. Valid active duty US green identification card or separation orders must be presented. USAir has a 50% military discount. Note, however, that air force personnel can usually fly on military aircraft on a standby basis to any air force base for $20 (e.g., Hawaii, Boston, Florida). Senior Citizen fares: Certain airlines provide reduced fares for passengers 65 years of age and older. Passengers must carry proof of age (passport, birth certificate, driver's license or medicare card). Seats are usually limited. Standby fares: Flying standby can be one of the cheapest ways to travel. Adult standby passengers are enplaned on a flight on a standby basis subject to availability of space at departure time. This is only after all passengers with reservations for the flight have been boarded. Passengers from a previous flight who were bumped have priority. No advance reservations are accepted, but get to the gate early to put yourself first on the standby list. No stopovers are permitted on standby fares. [Many airlines no longer sell standby tickets at a special fare, but will sell you a standby ticket at regular fare.] Note that nonrefundable, nonchangeable tickets can often be used for standby travel (sometimes with a slight surcharge). Student fares: Some airlines give discounted fares to full-time students of an accredited school, college or university who are at least 12 years of age. Student ID card must be carried and displayed at the request of the carrier. Some restrict the age of the student to under some age (e.g., 22, 26 years of age). Stopovers are not permitted, and some require reservations at least 7 days before departure. [The USAir student discount was cancelled on May 30, 1992, as a consequence of the American fare restructuring.] USAir has a 10% discount on fares for full-time students. The student discount is combinable with supersaver fares (i.e., you get a 10% discount above and beyond the supersaver discount). The only restrictions are that (1) You must be a full-time student, aged 16 through 26. (2) You must show proof of age and student status to the agent when making a reservation (e.g., a college ID and driver's license) (3) The discount is limited to domestic travel.