We are always on the look-out for "special offers" which may be of interest to you. What caught our eye this week is the Mastercard/ United Airlines Bonus Miles offer. If you're planning a trip to the US, book online at the United Airlines website and pay with your Mastercard to receive a bonus of up to 36,000 Mileage Plus points. (Full details of this offer is available at www.unitedairlines.com.au/mastercard/)

Remember, you can redeem Mileage Plus points on any Star Alliance airline - 36,000 points will get you 3 return Melbourne/Sydney trips on Ansett (plus some change!!) To calculate where those bonus points can take you, download your free demonstration copy of PocketMiles at www.pocketmiles.com.

And now the news... 

1. TRAVEL TIPS
 

If you wear contacts in your eyes, and are travelling to a country that is known for its suspicious water (i.e. you wouldn't drink it), take Wet Ones with you so you can clean your hands before you put them in your eyes. Why? Your eyes are a likely entry point to infections that may be lurking in the water.

If you are looking for information on flying in the United States, take a look at a great portal that will have everything you will ever need, from maps to things to do when you are bored, at Johnny Jet (www.johnnyjet.com).

We've mentioned before that you don't have to wait to the last minute to get your seat on the plane - you can ring up the airline in advance and request a seat. But how do you know which seats are the good ones? This link: airtravel.about.com/travel/airtravel/msubseats.htm has a map of most major airline carriers.

Going on a trip with a group of friends and looking for savings on your flights? Virgin Blue (www.virginblue.com.au) are happy to negotiate a deal for you if you have a group of ten or more (ph 13 6789).

Note that all airline members of the International Air Transport Association have agreed to exclude the following items from check-in luggage:
* Ladies handbags
* Overcoats, wraps or blankets
* Umbrellas and walking sticks
* Small cameras and binoculars
* Reading material and infant food
* Crutches and prosthetic devices

"What's my check-in baggage allowance?"

Virgin Blue
First Class: 20kg + surcharge for extra baggage
Business Class: 20kg + surcharge for extra baggage
Economy Class: 20kg + surcharge for extra baggage

Ansett
First Class: 40kg
Business Class: 30kg
Economy Class: 20kg

Qantas
First Class: 40kg
Business Class - Domestic: 96kg (32kg x 3)
Business Class - International: 30kg
Economy Class - Domestic: 32kg Economy Class - International: 20kg

2. PRESS ROUNDUP
 

New Qantas low-cost airline?

The Qantas board will be ruling on a detailed proposal for starting a low-cost service in August. The flights would service routes that Qantas has withdrawn from (China, Canada, Korea, Malaysia, Greece, Tahiti and parts of Japan). There would be no frequent flyer program or club lounge entitlements involved.

Cheap "Web Only" fares

If you are looking for cheap flights online, way ahead of time, it may be worth keeping your eye on the web only fares. Currently, Ansett and Qantas allow you to book their web only fares up until 31 October, 2001, but Virgin Blue have extended their web only fare deadline until 30 March, 2002. Keep your eyes on the sites at www.qantas.com.au and www.ansett.com.au to see if they follow so you can book your Christmas flights online and save money or gain points.

Surf while you fly

For $20 an hour, you can soon have Internet and corporate intranet access, email, live television, data transmission and shopping in the air (at 5mB per second). American Airlines, United, and Delta have signed with Boeing to offer high-speed Web access during flight in 1,500 planes next year.

Rival Airbus has remarked it currently has email and some Internet services in a few of its planes. Tenzing Communications (of which Airbus bought 30%) is creating the services - currently available on some Air Canada planes and will be rolled out for Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic this year.

Air New Zealand to change alliances?

Air New Zealand could be hit with a USD$25 million exit fee if it breaks away from the Star Alliance to join the rival oneworld grouping. Air New Zealand customers would also be prevented from transferring their Star Points across to fly on Qantas linkups. Their flights on Air New Zealand would continue to be accrued as Star Points during the notice period. Star is the largest of the world's global airline alliances.

The Brisbane Airtrain

A trip from the Brisbane Domestic Terminal to Brisbane City takes only 22 minutes (or 92 minutes to the Gold Coast's Robina Station) on the new airport rail link, Airtrain.

Qantas new entertainment in-flight system

Qantas will install a new entertainment in-flight system on its international fleet of 747-400 aircraft. The system has individual seat back video screens in Economy Class, larger screens with touch control in Business and First Class and in-seat personal telephones in all classes. Response from the frequent flyer community seems to reflect upon the fact that Singapore Airlines have had services like these for years. Aircraft with the new system will firstly be operating on services between Australia and the U.K., then Hong Kong, Paris, Buenos Aires, Africa and United States routes.

Ansett takes over Flight West Airlines routes

Ansett Australia has announced it will take over 16 of the failed Flight West Airlines routes in regional Queensland and the Northern Territory. If you have paid for a flight with Flight West will be able to use those tickets to fly with Ansett Australia for no extra charge.

Changes to Qantas's services

Capacity on flights to Tokyo will increase by 600 seats on Qantas routes from 28 October, 2001, subject to government approval. On the same day Qantas will begin services to Osaka with four flights a week.

Qantas will reduce the number of services between Darwin and Singapore from daily to three per week from 1 December, 2001. Qantas will be keeping their three weekly direct flights between Adelaide and Singapore, but these flights will involve a stopover in Darwin.

QantasLink will offer 176 return services to Mount Hotham over the 11-week snow season from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane via Newcastle.

Ansett increases capacity

Ansett is increasing capacity to Canberra from Brisbane from 1 July. A new 92-seat BAe146-300 aircraft on the Brisbane-Canberra route will replace the 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) on 11 flights per week in each direction.

What are some quick ways you can earn points with Ansett Global Rewards?

* Earn 3,000 points for opening an online account at E*Trade Australia (then make three trades within the first three months and earn 2,000 bonus points). See www.etrade.com.au/ansett8 for more details.

* Earn 1.5 points for every dollar spent on a Diners Club card issued in Australia

* Earn four points for every dollar on your Telstra Telecard

* Earn four points for every dollar spent on Ansett Australia Valet Parking at Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane airports

* Earn 3,500 points when you join AAPT SmartChat, and 2 points for every dollar paid on your full service account

* Earn double points point for every dollar's worth of currency bought or sold at Travelex (www.travelex.com.au)

* Earn one point for every dollar spent on credit purchases with a Global Rewards Westpac Visa (when monthly payments are made).

Security Issues

Following our story last month about a reader having his flight leave without him, even though he was checked in as on-board, here are a couple of other horror stories (from the Conde Nast Traveler) about unsecured airports in the United States:
  
* You can walk through several areas marked "Authorized Personnel Only" without being questioned at the LA International Airport.
  
* Passengers (no ID badges) can breach secured zones and walk on the tarmac close to the aeroplanes at Washington Dulles International Airport. At the same airport a magazine journalist testing a theory didn't show up for a flight to Seoul, South Korea (on purpose), but airline security didn't notice, and his baggage remained on the aeroplane.
  
* A normal person can explore the tarmac at New York's JFK International Airport - once an unauthorized person wandered among large aircraft for 10 minutes!

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