This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@juno.com. /-------------------- advertisement -----------------------\ Explore more of Starbucks at Starbucks.com. http://www.starbucks.com/default.asp?ci=1015 \----------------------------------------------------------/ The Public Likes Rail, if Politicians Don't June 25, 2002 By JOE SHARKEY You may be switching from the plane to the train, but has Congress noticed? In April, Amtrak ridership was up 1.2 percent, while airline ridership was down 13.1 percent, according to the latest available industry data. Ridership on Amtrak's Acela Express and Metroliner trains, which have been carrying more passengers this year than the airline shuttles, was up 54 percent in March. And on Friday, the National Rail Passengers Association issued a report declaring that "the American public is responding positively to modern, frequent passenger rail service." Ironies abound, naturally. Yesterday, as Congress and the White House played hot potato with stopgap proposals for a $200 million loan that would prevent an immediate shutdown and buy Amtrak a little more time, United Airlines confidently asked the federal government for a loan guarantee of $2 billion. The passenger railroad analysis, arguing the case for "broad long-range vision" to connect metropolitan areas by rail, can be found on the Web site of the rail association (www.narprail.org). Click on "What's New." The Next Step for E-Tickets As business travelers have known for months, carrying a paper ticket at the airport often means standing in a longer line, now that airlines have added lots of electronic ticket check-in counters and kiosks. Northwest Airlines took the next big step in the e-ticket revolution yesterday, announcing a new system that lets customers with e-tickets make reservations changes and exchange tickets online at the airline's Web site, www.nwa.com. Usually, those kinds of alterations require the assistance of an airline ticket agent or travel agent. "This feature gives customers the self-sufficiency they've asked for," said Al Lenza, the vice president for distribution and e-commerce at Northwest, whose customers now choose e-tickets for 79 percent of their domestic flights. If you still insist on using paper tickets - and some business travelers do, because they're more fungible than e-tickets in the event of a flight delay or cancellation that requires a change to another airline - American Airlines is going to charge you for the privilege, starting July 2, when customers who could otherwise purchase e-tickets will be charged an extra $20 if they want a paper ticket instead. American says the disincentive is part of a plan to move to 100 percent electronic ticketing in 18 months. As part of the move to all electronic tickets, American will add a lot more self-service kiosks at airports. The airline is also improving technology to ease e-ticket transfers with competing airlines. Air Fares Drop as Airport Fees Rise Average air fares have been falling sharply in the current fire-sale atmosphere. But new taxes and fees added to tickets at airports are obscuring that fact, the airline industry wants you to know. In May, the average price paid for a domestic airline ticket declined 9.5 percent from a year earlier, to $122.05, according to the Air Transport Association, the airline trade group. However, ticket surcharges imposed at airports by federal and local governments, mostly to pay for the new security infrastructures, added $29 to the cost of the average round-trip ticket for nonstop flights in the same period. The extra fees on an average round-trip flight with single connections each way was about $49. Airline Offers 'Ridiculous' Fares We can only hope that United States airlines will take a cue from the brash low-fare carrier WestJet Airlines, which considers itself Canada's answer to Southwest Airlines. To protest what it calls "ridiculous fees" that disproportionately affect passengers flying short distances or multiple connections, Calgary-based WestJet is offering what it calls "ridiculous fares" for next Sunday. How ridiculous are the fares? How about $3 for one-way travel between Calgary and Edmonton and between Hamilton and Ottawa. "By offering this ridiculous $3 one-way fare, we want to clearly show the impact these extra charges have on the wallets of Canadians," the airline said. There's a catch. Passengers still have to pay the fees. For that $6 round trip between Calgary and Edmonton on Sunday, that'll be a total of $89.27, please. Canadian. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/25/business/25MEMO.html?ex=1026018736&ei=1&en=b749198706d0a2d8 HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact onlinesales@nytimes.com or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com. Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company