REPORT FROM ELECTROLAND
New and Nifty
American Airlines has added nifty new features to its Web site. If price is your focus and you're flexible about dates, you can now find the best fares within a one-month period at www.aa.com.
Some travel sites already allow some date flexibility, but American ups the ante by including foreign destinations and a wider variety of dates in its flexible search. Since competitors copy each other, you might find that the cheapest days at American will clue you in on dates to search at other airlines, too.
The site will also, with one click, allow you to search for cheaper fares at alternate nearby airports. And it shows you the price differences between the cheapest flights and the best flights. Thus, for example, you'll discover with a single search that a nonstop is only going to cost you a few bucks extra -- or a pile of money.
Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz all allow for flexible date searching. Expedia's works only for popular domestic routes, while Travelocity's also works on foreign destinations. Orbitz not only shows fares on flights one day before or after your selected date, but also allows for flexible date searching within a 30-day window (domestic and Canadian routes only). All of these have been operating for some time, but American's version is cleaner and more intuitive.
As for airlines, US Airways has a flexible date-searching option that also works for foreign destinations, but it doesn't have as many bells andwhistles as American's. It's rather dated at this point.
CoGo's advice: Pay special attention to the flight details when you choose the cheapest flight through the new American interface. CoGo searched for flights from Washington to London anytime from Dec. 15 to Jan. 5, and the site came up with a cheapest fare of $420.21, good only with a Jan. 5 return. But the return was through Raleigh-Durham, N.C., with a 3 1/2-hour wait for the connecting flight.
HOTEL KEYS
No Show, No Way
CoGo recently decided to use frequent-stay points to pay for one night at a Sheraton in Philadelphia. When taking the reservation, the agent shared an important bit of info: If you don't show up or cancel by 6 p.m., you'll keep your points, but be charged the rack rate of $249. This on a night when a discounted rate of $129 was readily available.
Turns out that's the general policy at all properties owned by Starwood, including Sheraton, Westin, W, Four Points and the St. Regis. The charges also represent a trend, CoGo learned when calling other hotel brands. Marriott, for example, returns points to no shows but makes the customer pay for the room, putting the charge on the credit card used to hold the reservation. The policy is the same at Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn and some Holiday Inns. One exception to the rule: Choice Hotels -- a chain that includes Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, EconoLodge and Clarion Rodeway -- just keeps your points. Cancellation deadlines vary not just by brand but also by individual property.
