America Online (AOL.COM) | CompuServe (CompuServe.COM) | Prodigy
(Prodigy.COM) | CONTENTS
America
Online (AOL.COM)
2.1.1 Guidebook
2.1.2 Software/Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
2.1.3 Internet Access
2.1.4 Directory of Services: Travel
2.1.5 Keyword List: Travel & Shopping
2.1.6 Departments: Travel & Shopping
2.1.7 Travelers Corner
2.1.8 Weissmann Travel Reports
2.1.9 TRAVEL HOLIDAY
2.1.10 TRAVEL HOLIDAY Staff
2.1.11 Airline & Hotel Reservations
2.1.12 Travel Forum
2.1.13 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Online
2.1.14 NGS ONLINE ATLAS
2.1.15 Smithsonian Online
America Online
8619 Westwood Center Drive, Vienna, VA 22182-2285 USA
Voice: 703-448-8700, 703-893-6288, 800-827-6364
http://www.aol.com
2.1.1 Guidebook
"Tour Guide" $19.95
2.1.2 Software/Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
Windows, DOS, Mac and Mac Internet available
2.1.3 Internet Access
Incoming and outgoing email, Usenet newsgroups, Internet mailing lists, and Gopher
2.1.4 Directory of Services: Travel
Wine & Dine Online
Comp-U-Store Online
EAAsy Sabre
Bose Express Music
Flower Shop
Classifieds
AutoVantage Online
Penny Wise Office Products Store
Reuter News
The Online Bookstore
USA Today Travel News
Computer Express
AOL Products Center
Sophisticated Circuits
Kim Komando Komputer Tutor Forum
The Atlantic Monthly Online
Saturday Review Online
Smithsonian Online
Road & Track
Reference Desk
2.1.5 Keyword List: Travel & Shopping
Forum Keywords
American Airlineseaasy sabre, sabre, easy sabre
Autovantageauto
Comp-U-Store Onlinecompustore
Computer Expresscomputer express
Eaasy Sabresabre, american airlines, eaasy sabre
Entertainmententertainment, games & entertainment
Express Musicexpress music
Flower Shopflower shop, flowers
Home Shoppingshopping, the mall, stores
The Komputer Klinickomando, komputer tutor, commando
Laserdirectlaser, laser printing, laser direct
Road & Trackautos, cars, road, road and track
Shoppingmall, Store, Stores, shopping&travel
The Mallmall, Store, Stores, shopping&travel
Travelshopping&travel, travel
Travel Forumtravel forum, traveler
Travelers' Cornertravelers coner, weissmann
2.1.6 Departments: Travel & Shopping
AOL Products Center
AOL Software Upgrades
AutoVantage
Bose Express Music
CheckFree
Classifieds
Computer Express
Comp-u-store Gateway
Consumer Reports
Flower Shop
Komando: America's Komputer Tutor
Online Bookstore [Travel section]
Penny Wise Office Products Store
PC Catalog
Pictures of the World
Road & Track
USA Today Travel News
Sign On A Friend
Suggestion Boxes
2.1.7 Travelers Corner
The Travelers' Corner on-line U.S. and international destination Profiles will provide
you with detailed advice about travel to any and every country in the world, dispatched
directly to you by our global network of correspondents.
Our mission is to provide you with concise, accurate and useful information. We avoid
the fluff and filler that's all too common in travel guides, and try instead to give you
an unbiased assessment of the pros and cons of each destination.
Each Profile is designed to help you plan your trip, and each follows the exact same
format. They all begin with a short Introduction that provides an overview of the selected
nation, U.S. state or Canadian province/territory, and also reports any travelers'
advisories that might be in effect.
The Snapshot section then reveals, at a glance, the destination's main attractions, and
discusses our analysis of who should and should not plan a trip there.
This is followed by the What to Do There section, which is a city-by-city description
of specific suggested activities (in all, more than 9,000 cities are covered!).
Do's and Don'ts offers cultural and political advice (and addresses more prosaic
concerns, such as tipping recommendations!), while Potpourri is a collection of
fascinating facts and amusing trivia about each land.
All the information in these Profiles has been prepared by Weissmann Travel Reports
(WTR), the leading provider of destination information to the travel industry. (For more
information about WTR, click on "About Weissmann Travel Reports".) The on-line
profiles have been abridged from more detailed reports used by travel agencies and travel
executives.
To get a FREE copy of a "professional-version" profile of a destination, plan
your trip with a travel agency that subscribes to Weissmann Travel Reports, or you can
purchase a report by clicking the "Order Travel Reports" icon.
Our Exotic Destinations Message Center is where you can ask--and answer--specific
questions about itineraries to unusual locales.
We won't try to define "exotic"--it's a concept that's open to wide
interpretation--but this is the message center for people who are interested in traveling
to (or who have just returned from) places that aren't covered in traditional travel
resources.
The editors of Weissmann Travel Reports are the hosts of the Exotic Destinations
Message Center, and will also be reading messages and occasionally adding their comments
to the dialogue. Others who have agreed to participate in the exchange of messages include
such travel experts as Maggie Simmons (Editor in Chief of Travel Holiday magazine) and
Catherine Watson (Travel Editor of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune).
The Exotic Destinations Message Center now contains six categories: 1) US, Canada,
Mexico & Greenland; 2) Caribbean, Cent. & So. America; 3) Europe; 4) Asia and
Africa; 5) Australia & the Pacific; 6) Traveler's Roundtable. The first five of these
contain folders on individual countries or regions, and the last one (Traveler's
Roundtable) contains a variety of folders on everything from honeymoon suggestions to
music fests to member feedback.
Every seven days, WTR's editors will choose one query to be highlighted as the
"Question of the Week." Our team of experts will provide specific suggestions
for planning a trip to an unusual locale.
Our correspondents, editors, travel experts and YOU will help determine the best
choices in a wide range of travel topics. We're starting things off with our picks for the
top walking experiences in the world. Click on the Top 10 Picks listing to see what we've
selected...and to find out how you can help choose what will appear on future lists.
Each month, we'll be highlighting one country, U.S. state or Canadian province or
territory as the Destination of the Month. This destination, selected for its timeliness,
will feature all the information found in the regular profiles PLUS suggested itineraries,
health advisories, visa and passport information, shopping tips, and advice about
transportation, accommodations, when to go and what to eat.
2.1.8 Weissmann Travel Reports
Weissmann Travel Reports (WTR) is the leading provider of destination information to
the U.S. travel industry. Tour operators, cruise lines and more than 6,000 travel agencies
in 23 nations depend upon WTR's updated information to ensure that their clients will get
the most satisfaction from their travels, no matter what the destination.
Although the company was formally incorporated in 1986, its origins are rooted in a
trip that was planned three years earlier. In April 1983, journalist Arnie Weissmann and
his wife Beth Dupuis quit their jobs and sold most of their possessions in anticipation of
a journey around the world. They had been researching various destinations, but were not
having any luck finding information about many of the sights they wanted to see. They
visited several travel agencies to get more information, but discovered that, while the
agencies were helpful, they simply did not have a resource that had up-to-date information
on every country in the world.
Arnie and Beth traveled for a year and a half, camping their way through 10 countries
in Africa, cutting an arc through Europe from the Rock of Gibraltar to Athens, exploring
the antiquities of the Middle East, trekking the Himalaya in India and Nepal and riding
the rails through China. All the time, they were discovering fascinating details they
wished they had known before setting out-- insider tips that would have made their
trip-planning much easier.
As they traveled, Arnie wrote articles about what they were learning, and was happy to
find that there was strong interest in the type of advice he was providing: More than 40
newspaper travel sections, from The Washington Post to The Los Angeles Times, printed his
articles.
Upon return to the U.S., Arnie continued to write about travel, but found himself
thinking often about the need for comprehensive information in the travel industry. So in
1985, Arnie and Beth--and their travel agent--began working on a format for a subscription
service which would truly serve the needs of travel agents and travelers.
Among the first decisions made was that the publication would contain no
advertising--it was important that any correspondent should be encouraged to be completely
honest about the pros and cons of a destination. The next criteria was that the
information should be regularly updated (today, a global network of correspondents and a
staff of in-house editors completely revises more than 50 destinations every 90 days). The
founders also saw the importance of making the product comprehensive--to include every
country in the world. And finally, it was strongly felt that the information should be
made freely available to the consumers of travel, and as a result, all travel agent
subscribers are given permission to make photocopies of the reports for their clients.
Over the years, Weissmann Travel Reports has become an encyclopedia of travel, filled
with those special "insider" tips that mean the difference between a good trip
and a great trip. The reports available through America Online are special "consumer
versions" of the travel agents' reports. You can purchase a copy of the
"professional" versions by clicking on "Order Reports," or get one
FREE by visiting a travel agency which subscribes to WTR. (Look for a "Weissmann
Travel Reports Available Here" decal on the agency window.)
2.1.9 TRAVEL HOLIDAY
Getaways are more fun with Travel Holiday Online, your direct access to superb
vacations at a sensible price. Here you can sample America's most value-conscious travel
magazine-10 issues yearly of pertinent articles on fascinating destinations, complete with
cultural insights, political briefings, phone numbers, tips on hotel bargains, and
strategies for saving money.
You can also search our archives for past reports on a destination and communicate with
travelers just returned from where you'd like to go. Your eyewitness sources include a
remarkably diverse range of observant writers, from Arthur Frommer to Saul Bellow, as well
as other readers who are happy to share their recent travel experiences in real-time
dialogue or through our message board.
Travel Holiday is a direct descendent of two once notable American magazines, the
highly practical Travel, of the 1920s, and the frequently lyrical Holiday, of the 1950s.
They later merged as Travel Holiday, now owned by Reader's Digest. The combined magazine
was relaunched in 1990 under Maggie Simmons, the editor in chief. Her magazine clearly
stresses both the practical and the poetic. In seeking real travel value for
readers-meaning the richest experience for the least money-Simmons and a talented staff
design Travel Holiday itself as a model of verbal and visual excellence and of true
journalistic distinction.
You can access each new issue of Travel Holiday Online as soon as the printed magazine
reaches the newsstand, usually by the last Tuesday of each month. Simply click on the
Travel Holiday icon, and examine our new-issue menu: At the left are key words denoting
new items, with a brief description of each. Click on the key word that catches your eye,
whether it's "Hawaii" or "Paris" or "Safaris," and the
pertinent magazine item will appear on-screen, ready for you to scroll. Some of the
lengthier magazine articles may be too long for online treatment, but all regular
departments and sections are online. They include the highly popular Travel Adviser's
eight-page bonanza of new deals and diversions, the Favorite Places briefing on charming
hideaways and eateries, the New & Notable compendium of great new travel gear and
cultural events, and The Globetrotter's Index: Worldwide Cities Update, offering
information on, for example, beer prices in Brussels, the weather in Bermuda, and what to
buy in Shanghai.
You can also find your way to whatever each issue says about a destination by using the
search command in the "Archives."
To monitor the magazine's future reporting on your special interests, click on
"Upcoming Articles." Some of these may help in your travel planning travel
months ahead.
Now that you've examined this overview area, "About Travel Holiday," try the
other buttons. "Archive: Past Issues" is for browsing and searching through back
issues and the current one. "Travelers' Message Center" displays letters to the
editor, seeks reader responses to provocative questions, prints readers' travel tips, and,
most important, sets up folders for articles and topics that allow you to leave messages
for our editors, our writers, and other readers. Through this online medium, we can all
chat with one another via the message boards or in real-time forums, to be scheduled soon.
Finally, the button labeled "Subscriptions and Products" tells you how to
subscribe to Travel Holiday at bargain rates and order back issues and also how to buy
mail-order travel guides and videos from the Reader's Digest's wide-ranging General Books
division, join RD's growing National Travel Club, and get comprehensive benefits as well
as special offers for savvy travelers.
In its brief history, the relaunched Travel Holiday has received more than 75 awards
for editorial and photographic excellence. In April, it was honored with a gold award for
the Best Travel Magazine in North America by the Society of American Travel Writers. This
suggests that our self-image as a fount of travel values is not an illusion. Whether we
can do half so well online remains to be seen. Your suggestions will be crucial to
whatever online service we can perform for you.
2.1.10 TRAVEL HOLIDAY Staff
Travel Holiday editors will respond to your comments in the Travel Holiday Message
Center. Look for the following names (their equivalent screen names are shown here in
parentheses):
Maggie Simmons (Margare835), Editor in Chief, has directed the magazine to more than 75
writing, design, and photography awards since its relaunch in January 1990.
Bob Shnayerson (BobTH), Senior Adviser, was editor in chief at Harper's and edits many
of Travel Holiday's major features.
Arthur Frommer (AFrommerTH) has written pioneering guidebooks, including the recent New
World of Travel. His Travel Holiday column, "Frommer's World," appears
regularly.
Warren Picower (WarrenTH), Acting Executive Editor, was formerly managing editor at
Food & Wine.
Jack Bettridge (BuzzTH), Senior Editor, produces Travel Holiday's "On Wheels"
column and edits other features.
Laura Stanley (LauraTH), Research Editor, oversees the department that thoroughly
factchecks each issue of Travel Holiday.
Pepper Evans (PepperE) edits the magazine's "New & Notable" section and
manages this online service. E-mail her with any questions or suggestions about Travel
Holiday Online.
Sarah Woodberry (SarahTH), Associate Editor, is responsible for the "World
File," "America File," and "Globetrotter's Index."
Brad Goldfarb (GoldTH), Assistant Managing Editor, coordinates the daily workings of
the magazine and edits "Favorite Places."
To address any other Travel Holiday staff member or the magazine in general, file
E-mail to "TravelHol" and put the person's name in the "RE:" box.
2.1.11 Airline & Hotel Reservations
Welcome to EAASY SABRE
How to Use EAASY SABRE
EAASY SABRE Help Line
How to Register for Reservations
Enter EAASY SABRE
2.1.12 Travel Forum
Host: Kathleen McHugh Tucker
Welcome
What's News & Events
Travel Boards: Categories
The U.S. Traveler Board
The Caribbean Traveler Board
The World Traveler Board
The Cruise Traveler
General Travel Tips
Travel Library
US State Dept Advisories
Travel Cafe
Travel Books
The Travel Forum is for everyone who enjoys traveling, but particularly for the traveler
who enjoys the fun of planning his or her own trip and the adventure of independent
travel. If you're looking for advice and tips for your next trip, or if you want to
exchange travel tales with other travelers, you've come to the right place!
The Travel Boards are the heart of the Travel Forum. Here you'll find advice and the
latest travel tips from fellow travelers as they wander the globe. Three of the boards --
World Traveler, U.S. Traveler, and Caribbean Traveler -- are organized geographically and
alphabetized to make it easier to find what you're looking for. If you want to exchange
travel advice about a specific destination, look for an appropriate topic on these boards.
The fourth board, General Travel Tips, is reserved for discussions of more general travel
topics such as Living & Working Overseas, Travel Accessories and Frequent Flyer
Programs, and Cruise Traveler is reserved for discussions about cruises.
In the center window on the main menu you will find in-depth travel tips articles full
of valuable advice on everything from how to get the best exchange rates to a guide to
electricity abroad. Don't miss the article on Airfare Consolidators -- the bargain
basement of the airfare industry. At the top of the list is the Bargain Box Airfares tip
sheet, where we'll keep you up-to-date on the latest airfare wars and promotional sales to
help you find the best deals.
The Travel Library is home to public domain travel software and demos of commercial
software packages. Some of the more popular programs include atlas demos, road atlas
mileage and route planners, world time clocks and frequent flyer software. You will also
find travel articles written by members. Don't forget to use the MORE button in the Travel
Library so you don't miss anything! Please feel free to upload any travel articles, travel
software or travel newsletter samples that would interest fellow travelers. We encourage
all of you to share your travel writings with us. If you do upload articles to the Travel
Library, please make sure they are in TEXT ONLY format so that everyone can read them.
Please read the Uploading Files to the Travel Library Guidelines as well.
The Travel Cafe is our very own chat room for travelers. Here we will host guest
experts in the travel industry to meet with you and answer your questions. Check under
What's New regularly for scheduled events. When not in use for special events, please feel
free to rendezvous with other travelers in the Travel Cafe and share your travel tales. If
any of you are interested in being a guest speaker, or in helping to host our lecture
series, please send e-mail to TheTravler.
Under Travel Books you'll find news and reviews of the best travel books we have found
for the independent traveler. If you're bewildered by the vast array of guidebooks on the
market or just want a great book of travel stories to enjoy, check out the books
recommended here.
Remember, this is YOUR travel forum! Help make this a great source of information for
you and your fellow travelers by sharing the name of that wonderful hotel you stayed in on
your last trip or tell us about that fabulous helicopter tour that just can't be missed if
one is going to Hawaii. Don't hesitate to drop a line to TheTravler with ideas of what you
would like to see covered in the Travel Forum.
2.1.13 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Online
We hope you will enjoy our selections from NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine and National
Geographic TRAVELER and WORLD magazines, as well as a variety of news stories and press
releases. You may also want to explore some of our educational products and television
programs by perusing the special areas--NGS Kids Network, Geographic Interactive,
Geographic TV, or the Geography Education Program. In the months to come, we hope to
expand our offerings.
2.1.14 NGS ONLINE ATLAS
This area contains 19 high-resolution maps (and seven outline maps) from our CD-ROM
"Picture Atlas of the World," which features more than 800 interactive maps and
more than 1,200 full-screen photographs.
* Choose "Around the World" to download maps of the continents.
* Choose "From Another Angle" to download maps of selected countries.
* Choose "In the News" to download maps of current hot spots in the world.
If you're interested in purchasing the complete CD Atlas, choose "To Order the
Atlas" to find out how to place an online order.
2.1.15 Smithsonian Online
Welcome to Smithsonian Online, a service of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington,
D.C. The materials in this area are for the personal use of students, teachers, scholars,
and the public. Any commercial use of them is strictly prohibited.
Over the next several months, many new Smithsonian services will be offered online:
* Information to help people plan their visits to Smithsonian museums
* Answers to commonly asked questions about the Institution and about its collections
* Resources for teachers and students
* Bulletin boards about Smithsonian museums
* Photographs of objects in our collections
* Notices of upcoming Smithsonian events, both in Washington and in other communities
* Excerpts from Smithsonian and Air & Space/Smithsonian magazines, as well as
subscription information
* Special online events
* Catalogs of publications, museum shop products, and Smithsonian travel opportunities
Please let us know how well our services meet your needs and forward any suggestions you
have for Smithsonian Online to screenname: EdPTom on how we can serve you better.
SMITHSONIAN NEWS ONLINE--the area's newest service--offers subscribers fact sheets and
news updates about the Institution, its museums, its exhibitions, and its research. Check
into this service to read the latest news from the Smithsonian. To explore it, click on
Smithsonian News Online in the main screen's list box.
CompuServe Information Service
(CompuServe.COM)
2.2.1 Software/Offline Readers (OLRs)
2.2.2 Software/Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
2.2.3 Internet Access
2.2.4 Books (!g order)
2.2.5 Magazines (!g order)
2.2.6 (!find travel)
2.2.7 (!g travel)
2.2.8 Travel Forums (!g TRA-11)
2.2.9 The Travel Forum+ Sections Desc. Menu (!g
travsig)
2.2.10 The Travel Forum+ Libraries Desc. Menu (!g
travsig)
2.2.11 The Travel Forum+ Rooms Desc. Menu (!g travsig)
2.2.12 Travel Forum Staff
CompuServe Information Service (CIS)
5000 Arlington Centre Boulevard, Columbus, Ohio 43220 USA
Voice: (800) 848-8990, (614) 457-8650 Fax: (614) 457-0348
http://www.compuserve.com
2.2.1 Software/Offline Readers (OLRs)
ARCTIC(!g ukcomp, library 5 (Archie/Beeb/Z88)
AutoPilot(!g AMIGAV, library 9 (AutoPilot/Whap!)
AUTOSIG/ATO(!g ibmcom, library 1: Autosig [ATO])
CISCO & CoExpert(!g zenith, library 2: help & information)
CISOP(!g xtalk, library 4 (Communications)
Golden CommPass(GCP) for OS/2, (!g os2user)
Navigator, Mac(!g MACNAV)
Navigator, Windows(!g CSNAV)
OZCIS(!g ibmcom, library 12: OZCIS)
ST/Forum(!g ATARIPRO, library 2 (Telecommunications)
TAPCIS(!g tapcis)
TeePee & WigWam(!g ukcomp, section & library 10 (Ashmount)
Whap!(!g AMIGAV, library 9 (AutoPilot/Whap!)
2.2.2 Software/Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
CIM Support Forum(!g CIMSUPPORT)
Mac CIM Support Forum(!g MCIMSUP)
WinCIM Information(!g WINCIM)
WinCIM Support Forum(!g WCIMSUPPORT)
2.2.3 Internet Access
Incoming and outgoing email, incoming telnet to compuserve.com, Host Name: CIS
2.2.4 Books (!g order)
CompuServe Store
BOOKS
1 CompuServe From A to Z (2nd Edition) Includes $15.00 Credit Coupon
2 How to Get the Most Out of CompuServe (5th edition) with $15 credit
3 Directory of Services Guide (only)
4 *NEW* Inside CompuServe
5 CompuServe Made Easy for Windows
2.2.5 Magazines (!g order)
CompuServe Store
COMPUSERVE MAGAZINES
1 CompuServe Magazine '93
2 CompuServe Magazine '92
3 CompuServe Magazine '91
2.2.6 (!find travel)
1 AA Travel Services[ UKTRAVEL ]
2 ABC Worldwide Hotel Guide +[ ABC ]
3 Adventures in Travel +[ AIT ]
4 Air France(FREE)[ AF ]
5 Airline Services Unlimited[ ASU-1 ]
6 Automobile Forum +[ CARS ]
7 Bed & Breakfast Database[ INNS ]
8 California Forum +[ CALFORUM ]
9 Classifieds[ CLASSIFIEDS ]
10 Compu-Cruise by Rosenbluth(FREE)[ CRUISE ]
11 CompuServe Pacific Forum +[ PACFORUM ]
12 Continental Insurance Center(FREE)[ CIC-12 ]
13 Department of State[ STATE ]
14 Detroit Free Press Forum +[ DETROIT ]
15 EAASY SABRE[ SABRE ]
16 EAASY SABRE (CIM)[ SABRECIM ]
17 Florida Forum +[ FLORIDA ]
18 Florida Today Forum +[ FLATODAY ]
19 Hammacher Schlemmer(FREE)[ HS ]
20 HarperCollins Online(FREE)[ HARPER ]
21 Information USA +[ INFOUSA ]
22 International Trade Forum +[ TRADE ]
23 Japan Forum +[ JAPAN ]
24 Magazine Database Plus($)[ MAGDB ]
25 New York Newslink Forum +[ NEWYORK ]
26 Official Airline Guide EE($)[ OAG ]
27 Palmtop Forum +[ PALMTOP ]
28 Photography Forum +[ PHOTOFORUM ]
29 Recreation Vehicle Forum +[ RVFORUM ]
30 Scuba Forum +[ DIVING ]
31 Speakeasy Forum +[ SPEAKEASY ]
32 TrainNet Forum +[ TRAINNET ]
33 Travel Britain Online[ TBONLINE ]
34 Travel Forum +[ TRAVSIG ]
35 U.S. News & World Report[ USNEWS ]
36 U.S. News & World Report Store[ USM ]
37 UK Forum +[ UKFORUM ]
38 VISA Advisors[ VISA ]
39 WORLDSPAN Travelshopper[ PARS ]
40 WORLDSPAN Travelshopper (CIM)[ WORLDCIM ]
41 West Coast Travel +[ WESTCOAST ]
42 Worldwide Car Network +[ WWCAR ]
43 Zagat Restaurant Guide[ ZAGAT ]
2.2.7 (!g travel)
Travel TRAVEL
BASIC PRODUCTS
1 Air/ Hotel/ Car Information
2 Electronic Mall Merchants (FREE)
3 Lanier Golf Database
4 Travel Britain Online
5 Dept Of State Advisories
6 Visa Advisors
7 Zagat Restaurant Guide
EXTENDED PRODUCTS ($)
8 Air Information/Reservations
9 Hotel Information
10 U.S. Domestic Information
11 International Information
12 Travel Forums
13 Aviation
2.2.8 Travel Forums (!g TRA-11)
1 California Forum +
2 Florida Forum +
3 Florida Today Forum +
4 Inn Forum +
5 Japan Forum +
6 New York Newslink Forum +
7 Recreation Vehicle Forum +
8 Travel Forum +
9 UK Forum +
2.2.9 The Travel Forum+ Sections Desc. Menu (!g
travsig)
0 Travel in General
1 United States
2 Canada
3 Mexico/Centrl Amer.
4 Caribbean
5 South America
6 Oceania
7 Asia
8 Europe
9 Africa/Middle East
10 The Shangri Lounge
11 Hawaii Help Line
12 Rail Travel
13 Airlines
14 Cruises
15 Timeshare Talk
16 The Biz
2.2.10 The Travel Forum+ Libraries Desc. Menu (!g
travsig)
0 General Interest
1 United States
2 Canada
3 Mexico/Centrl Amer.
4 Caribbean
5 South America
6 Oceania
7 Asia
8 Europe
9 Africa/Middle East
10 GIF/The Photo Album
11 Hawaii Help Line
12 Rail Travel
13 Sports-Ski Travel
14 CRUISE REVIEWS
15 Timeshares & Houses
16 The Biz
2.2.11 The Travel Forum+ Rooms Desc. Menu (!g
travsig)
1 Travel In General
2 United States
3 Canada
4 Mexico/Centrl Amer.
5 Caribbean
6 South America
7 Oceana
8 Asia
9 Europe
10 Africa/Middle East
11 Sports travel
2.2.12 Travel Forum Staff
Jerry Schneiderman (76702,667) SYSOPs from his home in NYC. A native New Yorker, Jerry
owns a travel agency in Marietta, Georgia and is heavily involved in the cruise industry.
Mostly it's long weekends and longer cruises - the better the value the more likely you'll
see Jerry there! In Jerry's office - "Travel Forum headquarters" - a new Mac LC
III with a wooden duck Velcroed to it is king.
James (76702,666) mostly known as SUFI, is a Canadian living in Vancouver; he
has also lived in England, the US, NZ & Australia. Sufi and his wife have travelled
around the world twice. First in 1970-71, a year long, predominantly overland, trek from
NZ through Asia & Europe to England and from there to Canada. The second trip was
primarily by air in 1977. Sufi believes that Asian food is the best in the world. Sufi
computes from a variety of PCs, including a laptop and a Sharp palmtop which keep him in
touch from New Zealand, Tokyo or anywhere he might be during his frequent travels.
Sandy Elson (76702,1463) is a former New Yorker now living right outside
Washington DC in Bethesda, MD. Sandy is a travel agent and Manager of Group Sales at a
small, independent agency in Bethesda. She specializes in group travel and cruises, and
has been on dozens of cruises herself. Sandy has also traveled to Europe, Asia, the Middle
East, and much of the United States. Before moving to the Washington area, Sandy lived in
New York, Boston and San Francisco. Sandy started her career as a psychiatric social
worker, but switched to the travel industry when she realized she could utilize almost the
same skills but with a happier clientele! Sandy runs a weekly live conference on the
Travel Forum, and welcomes forum members to volunteer to be a guest speaker on any area of
their travel expertise.
Makiko Itoh (Maki) (76711,1073) is originally from Tokyo, Japan but now
resides in New York City. She has also lived in the UK for an extended period of time.
Maki is a big proponent of independent travel. A dedicated Europhile, she spends at least
one month every year in Europe, and squeezes in visits "home" to Tokyo whenever
possible. She recently spent approximately 3 months travelling alone around Europe with a
backpack, hostel membership card and Eurail Pass. In real life, Maki is involved in
marketing, telecommunications, and computer graphics. She uses both Macs and PCs.
Lan Sluder (76357,147) is the Associate Sysop for Section 4 - Caribbean, and
Section 3-Mexico/Central America. Lan is a marketing consultant, travel writer and
journalist who loves the warm tropics. He is responsible for many of the files in our
Caribbean and Mexico/Central America LIBraries, and his travel-related articles have
appeared in the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and many other major publications. He
lives in Ashville, North Carolina and is an avid booster of that lovely area of the United
States. Lan is a dedicated Mac user who loves to travel with his Powerbook.
Harry O'Neill (100033,3071) is the Section Leader for Section 6 - Oceania. Harry
is an Irishman who has lived in Sydney, Australia since 1990. He has also lived in London,
Kuwait and Singapore, and has worked in the banking industry in all of those places. Harry
spent a year travelling round the world with his Toshiba 2200SX and modem from mid '92 to
mid '93, and "bashed" (met, and ate, and drank) with Travsig members all along
the way.
Mireille (Mimi) Petit (70713,235) is the Associate Sysop for section 8 - Europe
section 16 - The Biz. Mimi is a travel agent/consultant, specializing in European travel.
Mimi is a first generation American (family is from France) who grew up in Philadelphia
and has now been living outside of Boston for 15 years. Her three passions are travel,
Luxembourg, and Travsig.
Melanie Hadsell (76620,3420) is the Section Leader for Section 11 - the Hawaii
HelpLine. She is originally from California and has also lived in Massachusetts. Melanie
came to Hawaii in 1973 with a bicycle, one suitcase, and $700 and has been there ever
since. She has a MBA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, passed the CPA exam in 1980,
tried Public Accounting, but didn't like it. Melanie went to work for Sheraton Hotels in
Hawaii in 1982 and in the past twelve years has worked at 6 hotels on 4 islands. She is
currently living in Waikiki and working in Makaha, which is considered unusual, it being
much more common to live in Makaha and work in Waikiki. Melanie love to travel, but has
difficulty finding the time, especially since discovering Travsig in October of 1992 and
quickly becoming addicted!
Dennis Larson (75555,705) is the co-Section Leader of 12 - Rail Travel. Dennis
resides in suburban Minneapolis. Over the last 25 years he has worked in manufacturing,
and for the Soo Line Railroad Company as a carman and planner. Rail mileage traveled
includes Mexico, eastern Canada and nearly every Amtrak route. He met his wife Aida in
Mexico City on a train trip in 1968 and they return there frequently to visit relatives.
Max Wyss (100012,44) is the other co-Section Leader of Section 12, Rail Travel,
and is also responsible for the Travel Forum Scanning Service. (For details on this free
service, read GIFSVC.TXT in LIBrary 10, The Photo Album.) Max, who resides near Zurich,
Switzerland, is a materials engineer and a technical writer and translator
(English-German) who writes "books that nobody reads"...operation manuals for
everything from fiber-optics to gas turbines to street cars. He is our most
technically-savvy staffer, who is familiar with graphics, scanning, and computing on the
Mac, PC or Sun. Besides his techs-pertise, Max is an avid train fan and our resident
expert about European trains, especially those in his native Switzerland. His favorite
pastime is chasing after special trains and taking pictures of them. Many of his beautiful
photos are in LIB 10/The Photo Album.
G.C. Bellaire (70017,3565) is section leader of Section 1, United States, and
Section 13, Airlines. Travel is his number 1 hobby, in addition to frequent domestic
(North America) travel on business. He's 43 and single, and says the single part enables
the ability to be spontaneous. He enjoys the sport of maximizing frequent traveler
advantages, and getting the biggest "bang for the buck" out of money invested in
travel. GC likes to visit new places, focusing less on being a tourist and more on the
local lifestyle - learning what it is like to be a "resident," meeting people,
and bridging regions and cultures through one-on-one contact (which is what Travsig is all
about). Favorite North American destinations include Vancouver and most Canadian regions,
Nevada, Phoenix, and the Midwest. His profession is computing services director for a
major, nationwide pharmaceutical wholesaler based in suburban Dallas.
Margo Taussig Pinkerton (72470,132) is section leader for the Canada section.
She is a photographer, writer, photo-journalist, lecturer, and leader of adventures for
small groups who has travelled extensively and whose work has appeared nationally and
internationally. Her expertise includes back roads and out-of-the-way locations, since she
travels light. She has travelled in all but one province, N.T. Last years, she gave a
seminar in TRAVSIG on the hows of travel. Known here and on other fora as The Barefoot
Contessa, she has been occasionally known to wear three-inch heels in the city!
Prodigy (prodigy.com)
2.8.1 JUMPword(sm) list for: TRAVEL A-Z
2.8.2 Travel Bulletin Board Topic List
2.8.3 Travel Bulletin Board Staff
2.8.4 FAMILY TRAVEL: ALFRED BORCOVER
Prodigy Services Company
445 Hamilton Avenue, P.O.Box 791, White Plains, NY 10601 USA
Tel: (800) 776-3449
2.8.1 JUMPword(sm) list for: TRAVEL A-Z
AADVANTAGEapply -- American Airlines travel prgm
ATLANTA GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
BOSTON GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
BTAadvt -- Free British travel info
CARIBBEAN GUIDEreport -- Guide to 38 islands
CHICAGO GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
CRUISE SCANshop -- Lowest prices on cruises
DALLAS GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
EAASY AWARD HOURSoffer -- Earn Prodigy hours
EAASY ENROLLjoin -- Eaasy Sabre:at no extra charge
EAASY MESSAGEmessage -- Eaasy Sabre customer service
EAASY QUIKTIXtickets -- Overnight ticket delivery
EAASY SABREtickets -- Airline reservations online
EAASY TUTORinfo -- How to use Eaasy Sabre online
FAMILY TRAVELcolumn -- Family travel expert
FLORIDA GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
FLYERS EDGErefrnce -- Frequent flyer programs
FODORS WORLDVIEWshop -- Timely worldwide travel info
HAWAII GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
LAS VEGAS GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
LONDON GUIDEreport -- Guide to London, England
LOS ANGELES GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
LUFTHANSAinquire -- Lufthansa German airline
MIAMI GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
MID-ATLANTIC SKIINGnews -- Slope conditions forecast
MIDWEST SKIINGnews -- Slope conditions forecast
NATIONAL PARKS GUIDEreport -- Western American Nat'l parks
NEW ENGLAND GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
NEW YORK GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
NORTHEAST SKIINGnews -- Slope conditions forecast
PASSPORTinfo -- How to get a passport
PHILADELPHIA GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
QUESTjoin -- Search for your next vacation
ROCKIES SKIINGnews -- Slope conditions forecast
SAN FRANCISCO GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
SOUTHEAST SKIINGnews -- Slope conditions forecast
SOUTHWEST SKIINGnews -- Slope conditions forecast
TRAVELcover -- Travel news & features
TRAVEL ADVISORIESinfo -- Travel Advisories
TRAVELERS ADVANTAGEjoin -- Join for travel discounts
VACATIONING AT HOMEreport -- Vacation ideas while at home
WASHINGTON DC GUIDEreport -- Members rate the best & worst
WEST SKIINGnews -- Slope conditions, forecast
2.8.2 Travel Bulletin Board Topic List
Bob Young
Best Loved Hotels
Adventure Travel
Afloat
Air Travel
Asia
Camping
Canada
Caribbean
Casinos/Gaming
Europe
Northwest/Alaska
Accommodations
International
Kids 'N Travel
Latin America
MDWST/PLNS/Rockies
NE/MidAtlantic
Pacific
Rail
Rec Vehicle
Singles Travel
Southeast
Theme Parks
Time Shares
West/Las Vegas
Other
Travel Photography
Ski Resorts
Disabled/Travel
2.8.3 Travel Bulletin Board Staff
JACK ADLER: BOARD LEADER (KKFR65A) has over 25 years of experience writing about
the travel field. He's the author of 4 travel-related books: Consumer's Guide To Travel,
Travel Safety (coauthored), Exploring Historic California, and Southern India. He was a
columnist (Consumer Report and Bargain Corner columns) for the Los Angeles Times travel
section for 15 years. He has also written columns and articles for numerous other
newspapers and magazines. Currently, he is West Coast Bureau Chief for Travel Trade and
columnist/editorial writer for Better Business Traveling. He also teaches a course in
travel Journalism at UCLA Adult Extension.
CLAIRE HARRIS (UJJG44B) was born in London, England, moved to Montreal, Canada
in 1954, Florida in 1959 and Las Vegas in 1989. Married, her daughter and son-in-law still
live in Daytona Beach, FL, where the family is still in business. Retired now, enjoying
the low humidity and mostly wonderful weather there. Claire's past involves a lot of
writing, working as both a medical and legal secretary, managing a couple of camera shops,
and she was in the video business plus a few other odds and ends.
FERN MODENA (EFVT86B) also known as Delta Lady, for the Sacramento/San Jaoquoin
River Delta. Fern has many things in common with the other female memreps: "We are
all 22 years old, I believe, and most of us have the same daddy. We took a poll, and
discovered, much to our surprise, that we are all 5'7", 125 pounds, blonde and blue
eyed. I am actually thirty-fourteen and have masses of flaming red hair. Green speckled
eyes. And freckles."
Fern is currently employed as a transit dispatcher/inspector for San Francisco Muni
Railway. Fern used to work Market St for two bits! Now, this is not what you think,
either. She was a streetcar "motorman," one of only 3 at the time. In fact, this
is where she met her husband, Jerry. He too was a motorman, and they were married in a
1908 streetcar, with 400 people in attendance. That was in 1978, and it made the local
papers and the TV news.
Fern and Jerry own two timeshares, and love to travel. They have been to Hawaii,
Cancun, Tahoe, Reno, and Orlando, plus of course LA and San Francisco, in the past five
years. Future plans include New Orleans, London and Paris (all with timeshares).
When not traveling, Fern loves to talk about it and dream about it, so being a Travel
MemRep is like the fulfillment of a dream. More from Fern: "Another interesting (to
me anyway) fact: During 1989's Loma Prieta Quake, I was working along with my husband at
Muni's Central Control (radio room). We worked on batteries and generators for 10 hours in
semi darkness, evacuating a subway, and giving the drivers the necessary instructions to
get people home from work and the ballpark (where they were massed for the World Series).
Probably one of the most challenging nights of my life."
LINDA SANDLIN (ENKB57B) was born in Fayetteville, NC 10/8/36, oldest of 5. Her
education includes 2 yrs college, with an Associates degree. Linda is married to Henry
Sandlin and has been since August 14, 1956. Linda has Lived in Germany, NC, NYC, LA, JAX,
ATL, Ohio, NC again, and Hawaii. According to Linda, "I am a WASP...teach Bible
studies & play PRODIGY." Linda has worked in the past as an accountant and
bookkeeper, mostly with accountants keeping small accounts & doing taxes.
LUCILLE HIRLEMAN (GSGS25B) after her last child entered school, decided not to
return to her former career of radiology. Instead, she went back to college to study
computers and was later hired by an American Express Travel Service Office. The travel
(and management) bug bit her and she left American Express after 3 years to open her own
full-service travel agency in 1987. Between 1990-1992, the travel industry suffered the
worst economic decline in its history due to a combination of the Gulf War, threats of
terrorism, fuel costs and global economics.
Lucille is committed to personalized customer service, value, and continuing education.
These ideals, along with a dedicated staff has allowed Berkshire Travel to grow during
these trying times.
Lucille has been happily married for 25 years and has a son, who is soon to enter the
Air Force, and two daughters in high school. Her main interests are her family, her
business, and continuing travel education. Currently, Lucille is studying for her
"Master Cruise Certification" & the "Certified Travel Counselor"
designation. Hobbies include reading (history), hiking (anywhere) and travel (surprise!).
From Lucille: "A final note...the travel business has given me a wonderous
gift...a deep appreciation, understanding and acceptance of the varied cultures of the
world."
MELODY GABRIEL (EBWT36B) is a former reporter and editor for a New Hampshire
newspaper. Following her 20 year career in journalism, she was president of her own public
relations firm in Hampton, NH, until her husband's retirement five years ago. Melody now
spends half the year in NH and the other half in Florida. In between, she and her husband
enjoy traveling in the US and Canada, visiting their 7 children and 6 grandchildren, and
to Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. During their travels, the Gabriels have
sponsored or attended *P parties in CA, NJ, Mexico, St Martin and Aruba.
When not on *P (at least 3 hours a day), Melody is an avid duplicate bridge player and
has recently taken up shooting sports with her husband, specializing in the relatively new
game of sporting clays. She also enjoys crafts, but admits that since she discovered *P,
knitting and other crafts have taken a back seat to her computer!
CID STOLL (SCBC73A) is originally from Wisconsin, but was transplanted to
Florida about 12 years ago. For the past six years, she's worked for Walt Disney World,
most recently as researcher & librarian for the Entertainment Division. The other
boards she contributes to regularly include the TV Board (big fan of WINGS), HOBBIES
(international penpals), and the COLLECTING Board (postcard topics). Cid joined PRODIGY
about two years ago, and got hooked pretty quickly. One day, while browsing through the
travel topics, she answered a question about WDW, and the rest is history! Travel is one
of Cid's passions, with future destinations to include Canada, Alaska, Norway, Belgium,
Australia, and Scotland.
JEAN SUTER (FKTF41A) is married and lives with her husband in Mt. Pleasant, SC,
a suburb of Charleston. Born in Monticello NY, and lived most of her adult life in
Poughkeepsie NY. Relocated to Charleston, SC after youngest child went off to school. Jean
is a Recreation Therapist and has worked in Psychiatric Recreation for 14 years in NY, and
was Director of Recreation Therapy at a major Nursing Home in the Charleston area until
she resigned recently to take some time off. Has four grown children living in four
different states: Nashville, TN; Lansing, MI; Boston, MA; and Poughkeepsie, NY.
Jean loves to travel and has been going to Aruba since 1975. She enjoys boating and has
a 26' cabin cruiser which she loves to ride around Charleston harbor. Jean loves the beach
and warm weather. She likes to read, loves music and writes poetry. Has been a member of
Prodigy for almost two years and really enjoys the Travel Bulletin Board. Jean especially
likes to hear trip reports from people after she has given them information.
2.8.4 FAMILY TRAVEL: ALFRED BORCOVER
Alfred Borcover (EXPT21B) covers the Family Travel beat in columns every Saturday. He
also answers questions publicly on the Travel Bulletin Board. Borcover served as travel
editor of the Chicago Tribune for 12 years. He received the 1990 Tourism Excellence Award
from the Illinois Travel and Tourism Council. He also has been honored with a Lowell
Thomas Journalism Award, a Travel Industry Association Economic Impact writing award, and
an SAS Hedmund citation for foreign travel journalism. Borcover has contributed to Around
the World With the Experts and Fodor's Chicago, and has written his own guide to Chicago. |
