United Airlines will no longer exempt purses or laptops from its two-bag carry-on limit, starting 15May98. Coats won't count, but on full flights passengers may be restricted to one carry-on. The change is expected to reduce boarding time and improve on-time performance. Delta will soon be restricting laptops and shopping bags. [Bloomberg. SJM, 09Apr98, 3C.] (If you have to check a bag at the gate, remove any valuables. They won't be covered by insurance.)

You may want to try Priceline.Com, a service that lets airlines bid for your business. You post what you're willing to pay, for any zero or one-stop flight between 6am and 10pm. The service will get back to you in one hour with any such unpublished fares, or in 24 hours for international air fares. . [USA Today, 03Apr98. EduP.]

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