1) you get to prove you have faith in air travel over y2k
2) you get to be in Tokyo for the hangover
3) you get to say "Y2K? I wasn't there... must have missed it" --
because you'll arrive on the *second* thanks to the dateline...
Rohit
>From: Continental Airlines <CO.O.L.@airmail.continental.com>
>To: rohit@uci.edu
>Subject: ONEPASS MEMBER CO.O.L. TRAVEL SPECIALS FOR rohit khare
>Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 23:13:42 -0500 (EST)
>
>ONEPASS MEMBER CO.O.L. TRAVEL SPECIALS
>Ranked Number 1 website in Customer Satisfaction.
>Winner of an InsideFlyer Industry Impact Award.
>DOMESTIC U.S.
>WEDNESDAY, December 15, 1999
>****************************************
>SAYONARA 1999 - WELCOME 2000
>
>Continental.com wants to take you to Japan with ROUNDTRIP FARES FROM $199.
>Just purchase your ticket on continental.com for travel departing December
>31, 1999 or January 1, 2000 from the 48 contiguous U.S. states and returning
>by January 31, 2000. For all the details, visit continental.com at
>http://airmail.continental.com/cgi-bin5/flo?x=dAuYghBoKwghmuK
RESTRICTIONS: Fares may not be available on all flights or in all
markets. Passenger Facility Charges up to $12, depending upon
routing, are not included. The discount will be applied to fare prior
to addition of $2 per segment federal excise tax and Passenger
Facility Charges. A segment is defined as a takeoff and a landing.
Some service via Continental Express. Travel is valid for Continental
and Continental Express flights only. Fares do not apply to code
share flights. Fares must be purchased on continental.com and do not
include CO.O.L. Travel Specials or Featured Fares. Tickets must be
purchased at time of reservation. Fares apply for eligible tickets
purchased before December 17,1999. Outbound travel must take place
between December 31, 1999 and January 1, 2000. Travel must be
completed by January 31,2000. Blackout dates are January 2nd -6th.
Discount does not apply to previously purchased tickets. Min. Stay:
none. Max Stay: 30 days. Fares are subject to change without notice.
International taxes and fees of up to $65 are not included. Other
restrictions may apply. Tickets are nonrefundable but may be changed
for a $75 fee plus applicable fare difference. Copyright; 1999
Continental Airlines, Inc.
==========
trying to book. let's see what happens.
e-service turns out to be their Expedia-powered regular reservations
engine. Reveals that their only flights to Tokyo are via Houston or
Newark. Regular price is $1624 in coach.
There's an entirely separate page for COOL travel specials. No sign
of the international bargain there.
OK, I wasn't able to see it on some randomly selected dates out of
LAX, but I tried Newark, and out popped:
>Average price per passenger: $259.24
>Here is a detailed description of the flight(s) you selected, along
>with any rules and restrictions that apply.
>Fri 31-Dec-99 Continental.com Promo Fare
>6737 mi
>14hr 20mn Newark (EWR)
>Depart 9:30 AM to Tokyo (NRT)
>Arrive 1:50 PM
>+1 day
> Flight: 9
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Economy/Coach Class, Breakfast, Boeing 777
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Total miles: 6737 mi
>Total flight time: 14hr 20mn
> Fri 7-Jan-00 Continental.com Promo Fare
>6737 mi
>12hr 40mn Tokyo (NRT)
>Depart 6:30 PM to Newark (EWR)
>Arrive 5:10 PM
> Flight: 8
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Economy/Coach Class, Dinner, Boeing 777
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Total miles: 6737 mi
>Total flight time: 12hr 40mn
Instruction begins Jan 7 at UCI, by the by.
I was then stuck on hold with their "international cool travel
specials desk", which after five more minutes of futzing gave up and
claimed it was ONLY available from the website -- they couldn't even
confirm its existence (this is the internet specials line, remember).
The only advice was to manually submit the query again and again to
see what dates or cities were in the special. Sigh. I tried
everything from 7-14 and randomly around it to no avail. Ieven tried
1/1/00, even though it cancels out the three best reasons to go...
I checked from Houston, and yes, it's available there too. So now the
question is, which of the lower 48 qualify for this damn fare? SFO...
bingo! SAN... no joy. LAS... nothing.
So I can make this trip from San Francisco (on Northwest!):
>Average price per passenger: $256.24
>Here is a detailed description of the flight(s) you selected, along
>with any rules and restrictions that apply.
>Review the flight details Fri 31-Dec-99 Continental.com Promo Fare
>5131 mi
>11hr 30mn San Francisco (SFO)
>Depart 11:35 AM to Tokyo (NRT)
>Arrive 4:05 PM
>+1 day
> Flight: 5027
>OPERATED BY NORTHWEST AIR -- NW27
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Economy/Coach Class, Boeing 747
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Total miles: 5131 mi
>Total flight time: 11hr 30mn
> Fri 7-Jan-00 Continental.com Promo Fare
>5131 mi
>9hr 0mn Tokyo (NRT)
>Depart 3:15 PM to San Francisco (SFO)
>Arrive 7:15 AM
> Flight: 5028
>OPERATED BY NORTHWEST AIR -- NW28
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Economy/Coach Class, Boeing 747
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Total miles: 5131 mi
>Total flight time: 9hr 0mn
It's only a five hour drive from LA, so it's not entirely impossible.
But it's enough to go put this little bauble back on the shelf and
contemplate it separately...
Rohit