Up Front With Martin B. Deutsch for 1985

December 1: FIRST-CLASS MISCELLANY
The whole issue of first-class travel, regardless of fare levels and standards of service, may change when and if Congress gives the President his long sought-after tax package. No one knows what "tax reform" will bring, but there is general agreement that Mr. Reagan will get the legislators to act on taxes--probably early next year. And it’s not impossible that the difference in fare levels between economy tariffs and first class will not be allowed as a business deduction.

November 1: WATCH ON THE RHINE
Understandably one of Germany’s primary travel destinations, Munich’s charm and history are enhanced by good dining, the ever-present beer halls and a good selection of hotels. An ambitious new airport, Munich II is scheduled for completion in 1991 to handle the mounting volume of business and pleasure traffic.

October 1: A MATTER OF TIMING
Thanks to good timing (and a bit of luck) on our part, we targeted three issues in a recent issue that immediately burst into worldwide headquarters. That generated weeks of publicity for Frequent Flyer magazine. It was, frankly, more than a little interesting to be in the news rather than on the outside looking in. A participant instead of a voyeur.

September 1: FREQUENT FLYER AT FIVE
In my inaugural Frequent Flyer column of September 1980, I wrote: “We intend for this magazine to be more than a publication; we will make it your spokesman, and your ombudsman. We hope you share our excitement and enthusiasm.” Five years later, we've done it. And I think it’s safe to predict that the next five years will be at least as tumultuous as the last five.

August 1: ALL'S WELL DOWN UNDER
Never mind the sorry state of the Australian and New Zealand currencies vs. the U.S. dollar, or the shaky status of the ANZUS alliance, or the enduring labor strife in those countries. In reality, the favorable rate of exchange lures American visitors in record numbers; Uncle Sam’s strategic needs in the South Pacific will survive New Zealand’s inhospitality to our fleet and the hostility of small pockets of antinuclear demonstrators in Australia; and the propensity for strikes will hopefully diminish with economic and political maturity.

July 1: THE PASSING TRAVEL SCENE
The travel experience would be immeasurably more pleasant, and less costly, if departure taxes were in the category of "hardly ever." Better yet, never. I am always offended by these government-sanctioned shakedowns, having to pay for the privilege of leaving a country where you’ve just left a pocketful of U.S. dollars. I was particularly frosted by my recent travels through the Pacific, where these levies, cumulatively, are no laughing matter.

June 1: NURSE, WHERE AM I?
Whoever said that all good things come in moderation (including moderation) probably preceded the era of the frequent flyer, but it is certainly a timely and applicable thought. I've just returned from a long and looping series of trips and moderation is a hard commodity to find on the road.

May 1: WE GET LETTERS
The influx of letters to Frequent Flyer has remained encouragingly high since our debut in 1980. The general experience at magazines is that the fervor to write seems to slacken early, to cool off, like a heated romance. Not so here; Frequent Flyer has remained the object of some 35 missives per week.

April 1: PACKING PROBLEMS
"What are you going to pack?" Real or theoretical, the question can bring out anxieties in even the most experienced frequent flyer about to cross climactic zones as well as time zones. In January I took off for a six-week trip to the Pacific, a journey that posed special problems for this frequent flyer, who insists upon traveling as unencumbered as possible, but I must also be appropriately dressed to conduct business at every stop. I made notes about what I packed--and why--to share with you.

March 1: CHALLENGING MY CREDENTIALS
Maintaining my reputation and credibility as a frequent flyer is a challenging task, or so I’m discovering. It requires a day-to-day dedication to the nomadic life. Constant vigilance is also a necessity--you have to keep your peers and readers aware of just how much traveling you actually do. Failure to go public with the facts may do irreparable harm.

February 1: BUSINESS TRAVEL AND AMTRAK
It seemed like a good idea: Keep this frequent flyer out of the skies for a few days and move him around on a different track, like a train. This switch in venues was not taken lightly. But reason and the dire warnings of an ear-nose-throat man prevailed—keep that sinus condition out of the hostile air for at least ten days. The next step was obvious: head for Amtrak. After all, what’s a decimal point among friends? I refer to the fact that a New York-Miami flight is 2.5 hours, the train 25 hours.

January 1: THE ISSUES, ROUND TWO
Last month, I began a review of the major issues facing the frequent flyer in 1985. We covered three areas: marketing wars being waged for the hearts and dollars of the individual frequent flyers with mileage programs; the escalating competition by the airlines for corporate accounts, and the possible expansion beyond travel agencies of airline ticket distribution. This leaves another five significant developments to monitor in 1985, and here they are.

Copyright © 1980-2007 by Martin B. Deutsch. All rights reserved.