Hi, I'm a frequent-flier addict

It's that time of year again for the 'mileage run.' The goal is 3,807 miles, and the destination doesn't matter. For this flier, it's about the upgrades, the bonuses and the rush. I have flown from Charlotte to Amsterdam and stayed just long enough to visit a coffee shop and see some Van Goghs before flying back across the Atlantic.

I have flown from Los Angeles to New York and wandered 5th Avenue and Central Park for an afternoon, admiring storefront holiday decorations, before returning to Kennedy for the flight home. I have flown from San Diego to Las Vegas and stayed 20 hours -- no hotel necessary -- before heading back to the airport yet again. Yes, it's time for the "mileage run." These mad dashes across the wintry skies at 35,000 feet are specifically designed to earn precious miles before the year-end deadline that can boost you from an ordinary coach passenger to, in the case of Delta Air Lines' program, vaunted Medallion status, where free upgrades and other benefits await.
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info on Medallion status

New U.S. entry requirement

The United States will launch a new immigration system starting Jan. 12 to try to prevent terrorists entering the country. This will require foreign short-stay visitors from 34 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, including Japan, to apply for travel authorization at a Web site in advance of boarding a plane or vessel headed for the U.S.

You need to apply if you are an eligible citizen or national of a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program. Countries include Japan, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, Singapore, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Seven countries were added in November: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia. The list of participating states can be found on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Web site at www.dhs.gov

How do you apply? Access the ESTA Web site run by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov
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LA Times; Travel Section - special offers & deals

Special Offers & Deals from our preferred advertisers.
This is a good section to visit periodically to get the latest offers. - Bill
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New Years events in Las Vegas

On New Year's Eve, the Las Vegas Strip will once again be transformed into a giant block party. About 300,000 people are expected. Revelers, however, will need to be strategically positioned to see the aerial display. Instead of being shot from the rooftops of various resorts the fireworks will be launched from atop parking garages.

"These fireworks are going to be 300 feet closer to people on the Strip," says Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events. The downside is that only people in certain locations on or near Las Vegas Boulevard will have a good view. Information on those sites will be available online (www.ap2009.com) beginning Tuesday. Beyond the fireworks, here's a sampling of ways to ring in 2009.
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Who’s to blame when there’s an unwanted charge for extra frequent flier miles?

I recently traveled round trip from LAX to Washington, D.C., on United. United told me I could print my boarding pass and pay the baggage fee online. I did that, but as I was making my selection, I had to opt out of several costly offers. When I returned from Washington, I asked the hotel concierge to print the boarding pass and pay the baggage fee. When I got home, I noticed that one of the pages the concierge printed was an acceptance of a $137 charge for United’s Award Accelerator, which increases the value of flier miles. I called United’s customer service reps, but they refused to cancel the charge. Can I get my $137 back?

Answer: Yes, but not because there are clear-cut good guys and bad guys here. As is often the case when airlines were involved, I thought at first this was merely a question of customer service, which I continue to insist is a misnomer when airlines are involved. But the more I talked with Smith, United and Tim Winship, travel editor at large for SmarterTravel.com, the less clear it became. Smith erred by not telling the concierge to be careful. She had successfully evaded the charge when she printed out her own boarding pass on the first leg of her trip. The concierge erred by accidentally obligating her to buy the extra miles.
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