Not-a-Budget-Travel Bit

Ms Budget Travel has been struggling with inner demons all week. She really didn't want to write this column but the demons won. So this week we foolishly go where no budget travel column has gone before to discover a really expensive trip, our mission is diverted to . . .

The Race For Space

When Ms Budget Travel was a wee little traveler standing on the steps of the Capital in Washington, DC clutching her Brownie camera to record the experience, she believed that by the time she was twenty we'd all be taking our two weeks vacation on the moon.

As is often the case, she was wrong.

But, things have changed . . .

Recently US Airways (http://www.usairways.com) announced an exciting addition to their frequent flyer miles rewards program. At least Ms Budget Travel finds it exciting after several soothing drinks. Those of us hoarding frequent flyer miles on US Airways have until 2004 to collect 10 million Dividend miles and cash them in for a sub-orbital space flight.

Space Adventures Ltd., the space tourism firm that brokered U.S. millionaire Dennis Tito's flight last year has joined with US Airways in offering a vacation package where the Not-Budget-Travelers will climb aboard a sub-orbital spacecraft and fly to an altitude of 65 miles, experience several minutes of weightlessness and see Earth from space. The cash cost of this little junket is $98,000 and you can get further information at the Space Adventures Web site, www.spaceadventures.com.

US Airways is offering other out-of-this-world awards:

30,000 miles and $650 will get you a tour of Kennedy Space Center in Florida that includes a presentation by former astronauts.

If you have 250,000 miles plus $2,000 to spend on a quick thrill you can arrange a flight in zero gravity. (Or you could donate your miles to Ms Budget Travel who will go around the world over the course of the next six months with them and send you a nice postcard from each place she visits.)

If you've always wanted a flight on a MiG-25 jet fighter you'll need 275,000 miles plus $8,000 to go up and away.

Ms Budget Travel is also amused by a recent Aeroflot announcement --- effective March 4th all Aeroflot flights became non-smoking --- Ms Budget Travel's recollection of flying Aeroflot is that it was a huge smoking/drinking section where chain-smoking travelers quaffed duty free liquor straight from the bottle.

Ms Budget Travel is not amused by but thinks some of you might need to know that:

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