August 2002

US Airways, the nation’s seventh-largest airline, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday, Aug. 11. David Siegel, president and chief executive of the airline, says customers will still be able to fly and conduct business as usual with the airline as it reorganizes. US Airways hopes to emerge from bankruptcy by the first quarter of 2003. On Aug. 14 Chairman and Chief Executive of United Airlines Jack Creighton announced that his company is preparing for the potential of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing this fall.

Airplane passengers who are traveling on Spirit Airlines on Sept. 11 will receive a big thank-you for their willingness to travel since last year’s terrorist attacks: a free ticket. The airline will not charge travelers for any seats that day, and it will even cover the taxes and fees, according to a Spirit spokeswoman. As one might suspect, the free tickets sold out in one day. National Airlines says it will honor the heroes of Sept. 11 by offering one-way coach fares for $1 for customers traveling on Sept. 11, 2002. National is also offering reduced first-class ticket prices for travelers on that day. Check out the details at thier Web site. Some hotels, including the Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort near Walt Disney World, are also offering giveaways on Sept. 11.

Senior travelers seeking low airfares may want to review discount programs offered to people of all ages now that most major airlines have eliminated senior discounts and coupon books. Travelers 62 years old and up used to enjoy a 10 percent discount on tickets from American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United and US Airways. That has been replaced with special lower fares for the 65-plus crowd, which are supposedly set about 10 percent below normal cost. However, as Ed Perkins of The San Jose Mercury News explains, “there is no guarantee they’ll be lower than sale fares or Internet-only fares available to travelers of any age.” Read Perkins’ article to find out “what’s left” for seniors.

We just received word from our tour operator that it has opened a new departure date for the Antebellum South trip. You’ll cruise on the 100-passenger Nantucket Clipper along the great Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, a ribbon of protected water meandering along the southeastern coast. You’ll view saltwater marshes with wildlife such as ospreys, ibis, egrets, and perhaps a sea turtle or alligator. You’ll also see grand mansions whose stately facades and moss-hung oaks recall the South’s history. Trip dates are Nov. 16-23.

Travel aboard a private Boeing 737 to see breathtaking Paleolithic cave paintings in France’s Dordogne Valley and the Iberian Peninsula in Spain. Enjoy an exclusive visit to see the remains of “Lucy,” one of our earliest human ancestors, and experience the rarely seen rock-carved churches in Ethiopia. Trip dates are Nov. 2-21. Read more details about this trip.

For details on these great trips and the rest of our 2002 itineraries, check out our Web site or call 800.847.4764.

Your 2003 Classic True Blue Travel catalog is on its way to your mailbox. In addition to the popular, classic trips that alumni travelers love year after year, you’ll see many new destinations and trips planned around fun events, such as the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts in London and the Verona Opera Festival. Our “Travel and Learn” section is chock-full of opportunities to expand your cultural experiences, and there are some fun family offerings, too. Full itineraries are online at www.umalumni.com in the “Travel and Recreation” section.

Most banks don’t sell foreign currency anymore, but don’t worry. You can purchase your pesos or euros at www.umalumni.com---before you pack your bags. The Alumni Travel Program has partnered with Conlin Travel and ezforex to provide this quick and easy online service, which is available to you 24 hours a day. Not only will you save precious time at your destination, but also you won’t be marked as a tourist, and you won’t have to pay the high exchange rates often found at airports. Check it out at www.umalumni.com. Click on “Travel and Recreation.”


While planning your next trip, consider visiting www.cybercafe.com to locate Internet cafés wherever you’re going. When you’re there, you can check the news and stock prices back home or tell your friends about the trip via email. The database contains more than 4,000 munch-and-click cafés in 149 countries and is frequently updated.

If you plan to fly with a baby or infant, you’ve probably asked yourself: Until what age can my child fly for free sitting on my lap? Will the airline count my kid’s car seat as a carry-on item? Do the airplanes ever carry diapers just in case? You can get the answers to questions like these at www.babycenter.com, where several airlines’ policies concerning children are listed. And in case you were wondering: until age 2, not if your kid is going to sit in it and rarely.

At the Sharper Image you can purchase a personal-care tool kit for on-the-go grooming. The tools in this case include a battery-operated groomer for nose and ear hair, rechargeable electric shaver, twin-blade razor with three cartridges, cuticle scissors, lint brush/shoehorn, fingernail clippers and much more. It also has five international adapter plugs so you can use small electrical devices anywhere in the world. Read more about this product.