**Trump International Sonesta Beach Resort - Scheduled to open Jan. 27, 2003, the new resort on Sunny Isles Beach, in Miami FL, will offer 400 rooms ranging from 450- to 650-square feet in size. Amenities include air conditioned beach cabanas and a free shuttle to South Beach, Bal Harbour and other local attractions. 305/692-5200, www.trumpsonesta.com.

Whether you want a long weekend on the beaches of the Riviera or the vacation of a lifetime with tours and cooking lessons from a renowned chef, e-vacations.com has packages for traveling around the French region of Provence-Alpes-Cotes-d'Azur. As a special promotion, e-vacations.com offers $100 off any air-inclusive booking priced at $1595 or more if purchased by Feb. 28, 2003 with travel completed by May 31, 2003.

Possibilities include Provencal Cooking Experience with Chef Christian outside of Avignon. 4 nights, including roundtrip transatlantic air, from $799 from NYC; $1129 from Miami; $1079 from Chicago and $1649 from LA. $1649. Add 3 nights in Paris for a 7-night package starting at $1179 from NYC; $1169 from Miami or Chicago and $1299 from LA.

Paris and Aix-en-Provence -- 3 nights in Paris, then the TGV high-speed train to Aix-en-Provence (3 nights), starting at $939 from New York; $1079 from Miami; $1035 from Chicago and $1089 from LA.

Paris, Provence and the Riviera -- 9 nights with stays in Paris, Avignon, Nice and Aix-en-Provence, starting at $1269 from New York; $1399 from Miami; $1359 from Chicago and $1419 from LA.

All vacations are also available without air. To save $100 on air-inclusive packages, enter code PROPACA online or by phone.

E-vacations.com, 877/471-3876.

Getting from here to there in Las Vegas is easier and cheaper than you think.

BUSES -- Inexpensive and reliable public transportation is offered by Citizens Area Transit, better known as CAT. Bus service to most areas off the strip runs from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Service to the strip is 24-hours a day.

For tourists, the strip route is the most important as there are stops at nearly every hotel along the strip and several stops downtown. It runs from Vacation Village Hotel & Casino to the Downtown Transit Center. The Downtown Transit Center (on Stewart Ave. between Casino Center Blvd. & 4th St.) is conveniently located a few blocks from the Fremont Street Experience.

The one-way fare in residential areas is $1.25. The one-way fare on the strip is $2. Exact change is required. Buses service all major shopping malls. CAT 702/228-7433.

TAXIS -- Taxi transportation is plentiful as about 10 companies service Las Vegas. Taxis can be downright cheap as up to five people can share one cab. From McCarran National Airport, expect to pay $7.50 to $9 to get to the southern end of the strip, $9 to $11.50 to the central part of the strip, $12.50 for the Stratosphere Hotel and up to $16 for downtown. There's also a $1.20 tax for taxi trips that originate from the airport. Otherwise, the basic taxi fare is $2.30 for the first mile, $1.80 for each additional mile and .37 cents per minute while stopped at red lights.

TROLLEY -- The Las Vegas Strip Trolley offers an alternate to bus service for the strip for $1.65. The loop starts at the Stratosphere at the north end and continues to Mandalay Bay in the south, with stops at all major strip locations. Hours aren't as long as for the bus, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. and exact change is required. 702/382-1404.

One of our subscribers sent this account. Though she insists this happened, it sounds as if it may be an urban legend. Even if it??™s not true, we??™d like to hope overbearing, rude people do get their comeuppance.

She writes that while waiting at the airport in Fort Lauderdale on her way to Puerto Rico, she witnessed the following incident. An award should go to the United Airlines gate agent for being smart, funny and making her point when confronted with a passenger who deserved to fly as cargo.

A crowded United flight was canceled. A single agent was rebooking a long line of inconvenienced travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the front of the desk. He slapped his ticket down on the counter and said, "I HAVE to be on this flight and it has to be FIRST CLASS."

The agent replied, "I'm sorry sir. I'll be happy to try to help you, but I've got to help these folks first, and I'm sure we'll be able to work something out."

The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the passengers behind him could hear, "Do you have any idea who I am?"

Without hesitating, the gate agent smiled and grabbed her public address microphone. "May I have your attention please" she began. "We have a passenger here at the gate WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to the gate."

With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man glared at the United agent, gritted his teeth and swore, F*** you!"

Without flinching, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to stand in line for that, too."

According to Joseph Freni, Jr. President of Gulf Bay Hotel Company's all-suite Marco Beach Ocean Resort on Marco Island, Florida, some of the best deals may be found by dealing directly with a hotel or visiting their website.

"Hotels control the release of dates and rates," says Freni. ???The best suites with the best views, the most desirable dining or tee times might be booked but we can still work more effectively to accommodate the customer one-on-one.???

Marco Beach Ocean Resort is Marco Island's newest resort. Their website contains its accommodation packages that include golf or spa services. A follow-up telephone call from the concierge confirms dinner reservations, tee times, massages, and facials. The concierge will pre-stock your refrigerator, mini-bar and beach cabana.

Marco Beach Ocean Resort 800/260-5089.

Air New Zealand and The Best of New Zealand, a wholesaler specializing in New Zealand travel, offer `The Royal Tour' travel package. Travel must take place between Feb. 25 to Dec. 13, 2003. Additional restrictions may apply.

The package, which starts at $5,375 per person, is based on two people traveling together and includes: roundtrip economy tickets on Air New Zealand between Los Angeles and Auckland; three domestic New Zealand flights from Auckland to Queenstown, Nelson to Wellington, and Wellington to Rotorua; 13 day car rental of a 4WD Honda CRV; 12 nights??™ accommodations in boutique hotels and lodges on the North and South islands and 11 tours.

The itinerary will include Queenstown, Franz Josef, Nelson, Wellington, Rotorua and Auckland.

The Best of New Zealand 866/998-5898.

Delta Air Lines is reshaping its SkyMiles Medallion program to align loyalty benefits and rewards with customer revenue. Under new Medallion qualification guidelines, the program now will award elite status based on a combination of miles flown and fares purchased, instead of on miles, segments or transoceanic segments flown.

The modifications do not affect customers' status earned in 2002 for the 2003 membership year; rather, they affect the way customers may earn elite status starting Jan. 1, 2003.

Customers now will earn elite status based on "Medallion Qualification Miles" -- a multiple of the distance traveled and fare class purchased. The number of MQMs earned in a calendar year will be the sole criterion to determine Medallion status, replacing qualification by segments, transoceanic segments or base miles. Silver Medallion, Gold Medallion and Platinum Medallion qualification levels will remain unchanged at 25,000, 50,000 and 100,000 MQM, respectively.

P, F D, C, I, J and A fare classes receive the miles flown times 2; Y, B and M fare classes receive the miles flown times 1.5; H, Q, K and S fare classes receive the miles flown; L, U and T fare classes receive the miles flown times .5; R, O, N and E fare classes receive no MQM.

For specific information about earning Medallion Qualification Miles visit http://www.delta.com/skymileschanges.

The ability to earn and accumulate SkyMiles for Award Travel through eligible flights or partnership activity has not changed. On all eligible fares, members will continue to earn a minimum of 500 miles per flight that may be applied toward Award Travel and upgrade awards. Class-of-Service, elite-level and other bonus miles earned through travel, promotional offers and partner activity will still apply toward Award Travel and upgrade awards.

For a limited time, visitors to American Airlines??™ web site have the opportunity to win a share of one million AAdvantage(R) miles in the AA.com Million Miles Between Us sweepstakes.

Through Jan. 31, 2003, AAdvantage members who login and book their American Airlines flight on AA.com will be automatically entered to win. Eligible customers must complete travel by March 31, 2003. Four grand prize winners will each receive 250,000 AAdvantage miles.

In addition to being entered to win, when you book a flight on AA.com, you will receive up to 1,000 AAdvantage bonus miles. Visitors who are not traveling by March 31, 2003, can still register to win by completing an online entry form. AA.com visitors are eligible to receive one additional entry by forwarding the sweepstakes information to family and friends.

Winners will be randomly selected and will be notified on or around Apr. 14, 2003.

Click here for information and complete rules.

The cold and flu season is upon us again. Germs are spread easily and many sufferers find themselves on planes rather than in bed. A good percentage of these travelers experience barotrauma on take-offs and landings. Barotrauma is ear pain from a blocked eustachian tube (the middle ear??™s pressure-equalizing valve). Some people have it on all flights; others only when afflicted with hay fever, allergies, a cold or sinus infection. Infants and children are particularly vulnerable.

According to Dr. Howard P. Chase, of the Ear Institute in Los Angeles and surgeon D. Garfield-Davis of the London Clinic, this painful condition can be avoided.

Here are some trip tips to get you through a flight. All of the remedies restore the pressure equalizing function of the eustachian tube which normally opens for a fraction of a second about once every three minutes in response to swallowing or yawning.

1. Chew gum, suck candy or yawn vigorously on take-off and landing, to equalize pressure in the middle ear.
2. Stay awake for ascents and descents because we swallow less when asleep. Wake up sleeping children and infants as well.
3. Place a pacifier or bottle in an infant's mouth to encourage swallowing.
4. Drink water. Avoid coffee and alcohol.
5. Take nasal spray shortly before boarding the aircraft. Use it 45 minutes before landing and again every five minutes for 15 minutes.
6. If your ears plug up during ascent, hold your nose and swallow. This helps suck excess air pressure out of the middle ear.
7. On descent, try the Valsalva maneuver; hold your nose and blow forcibly to get air up the eustachian tube into the middle ear. Do not do this if you have an upper respiratory infection.

Persistent ear pain after landing could signify an infection that should be treated by a doctor.

Before you pack your bags, you may want to consult the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's (PCRM's) new review of airport food at the busiest U.S. airports. The Airport Food Rating Survey is available at www.pcrm.org.

The physicians' group evaluated airport restaurants based on which served the most low-fat, high-fiber, cholesterol-free meals. For the second year in a row, San Francisco International Airport landed the highest marks with 96 percent of all its restaurants offering a healthy option. Chicago took a nosedive from last year's number three ranking to finish at number ten.

"Because of national security issues, people are spending more of their time waiting around in airports than ever before. And although more people may need to eat before or between flights, healthy meals can be hard to find in more than half of the airports we surveyed," says PCRM dietitian, Brie Turner-McGrievy, M.S., R.D.

The survey found the average percentage of healthy options remained about the same, with some airports improving and others dropping by as many as twenty percentage points. A restaurant was rated "healthy" if it offered at least one low-fat, high-fiber, cholesterol-free entree. To get the percentage score, PCRM divided the number of "healthy restaurants" by the total number of restaurants.

"While a number of restaurants made healthy additions to their menu, the most dramatic addition was Burger King's BK Veggie, a veggie burger which debuted last May. Some airports have as many as six Burger King restaurants, making it much easier to find a low-fat, vegetarian option, even where you'd least expect it," says Brie Turner-McGrievy.

Here are the scores for the 10 busy airports plus the number of healthy restaurants and total restaurants. San Francisco 96%, 25/26; Denver 79%, 26/33; Los Angeles 54%, 32/59; Dallas 53%, 33/62; Houston 50%, 16/32; Atlanta 49%, 25/51; Phoenix 48%, 19/40; Las Vegas 45%, 20/44; Minneapolis 44%, 20/45; Chicago 42%, 25/59.

A barge cruise is a different breed of cruise. It??™s a 180 degree departure from what most people think of when you mention cruising.

The biggest difference is size. Barge cruises are intimate affairs. Where a cruise ship can have a passenger list that numbers in the hundreds or thousands, a barge that cruises on a canal usually has fewer than 30 passengers. The Mirabelle, which sailed in the heart of Burgundy France, from Vandenesse to Dijon, can carry up to 24 passengers, but there were only 19 passengers on our trip.

For six days, the Mirabelle was our floating hotel, the place where we ate, slept, relaxed and socialized, served by a French crew and chef, British hotel manager and Australian tour guide. There is no gambling, bingo, dance classes or other distractions as the large cruise ships offer. Evening entertainment on the Mirabelle usually depends on how much the passengers want to interact. The cruise line does schedule one evening of entertainment mid-week in the cruise. A local musician presided over an evening of festivities. A one-man band, he sang French standards (in English) while playing a keyboard. After the obligatory French songs, the rest of the evening he belted out an array of American rock classics.

Our floating hotel provided us with all meals during the cruise, prepared by our onboard master chef Pierre. The service was as elegant as the food, with linen-clad table tops decked out in cleverly folded linen napkins, with a different design for each meal. Breakfast, the most casual of the meals, is buffet-style on a table topped with warm croissants and breads, fruits, cheeses and even cold cereals to cater to American tastes. Wine is served with lunch and dinner, paired to each course, and a fully stocked bar compliments cocktail hour.

A barge cruise has no litany of cruise ports. Instead, you choose a barge by the region it sails in. For instance in France, you can choose Burgundy, Bordeaux, Alsace-Lorraine or Provence. Barge cruises are also available in Ireland, England, Holland and Belgium.

Excursions are included and built into the Mirabelle??™s itinerary. Unlike a conventional cruise ship where passengers pour out at each port and may overwhelm that port, we trickled from the Mirabelle. We easily blended into the pace of life at small villages and were able to meet and talk to the local people.

There??™s no need for motion-sickness remedies as the Mirabelle floats along on calm canal waters. During the six-day journey, the barge passed through 40-some locks. Each lock is overseen by a local lock keeper and manually operated. Lock keepers are assigned several locks. Like a throw-back to life in the early 1900s, when their duty is finished at one lock, they hop on their bicycles and speed to the next lock, always reaching it well ahead of the barge. Rustic little stone lock houses, many with lace curtains and pots overflowing with colorful flowers, add a nostalgic flavor to the fairy-tale like scenery and stand sentinel at each lock.

Another major difference is speed. The Mirabelle offers a relaxed pace. You float along a nearly still canal at about three miles an hour, or as the cruise line literature says at a ???snail??™s pace.??? Every few kilometers, the barge stops to transit a canal lock. While the barge sits in the lock rising or lowering to the next plateau, passengers can get on and off the barge. Bicycles are on board each barge so passengers can ride along the path that parallels the canal.

The Mirabelle travels so slow that you can ride a bike, walk at your own speed or explore the surroundings and easily meet up with the barge. Gus, one of the passengers who loved to walk for his daily exercise, would power ahead on the path and wait for the Mirabelle to arrive several locks down. While Gus went full-steam-ahead, other passenger simply sat on the Mirabelle??™s outside deck and watched the countryside drift by. This freedom lets you be as active or inactive as you choose.

Excursions don??™t compete with sailing. Each day featured a trip by bus to a nearby town. Passengers return from excursions for lunch. As soon as the lunch dishes are cleared, the Mirabelle starts to sails along the canal headed toward that evening??™s mooring. The one optional trip many of the passengers took was a hot air balloon ride over the vineyards and valleys of Burgundy.

Our first day??™s excursion took us on a tour of the 12th century chateau at Commarin, which is privately owned and still lived in, and the Medieval hilltop village of Chateauneuf en Auxois. Wander the village??™s well-worn cobblestones streets and you??™ll find several small cafes, a couple of antique shops and a gift shop or two, frequented more by villagers than tourists. Chateauneuf en Auxois is not about buying T-shirts or visiting a McDonald??™s. The village is about atmosphere, a glimpse at life in the past, where you can admire the ancient architecture, pet the plethora of cats sitting in ancient leaded windows or watch children and their mothers go about their daily routines. From the hilltop vantage point at the edge of the tiny village, Brad our guide, pointed out landmarks in this sweeping panorama, including the Mirabelle docked at Vandenesse, our arrival point.

Other days trips included a visit to a winery for a wine tasting, market day in Dijon and Beaunne, the center of the wine trade in Burgundy. Each trip allowed time for shopping or exploring on your own.

For more information on the Mirabelle, visit ewaterways.

For an in-depth ship review, purchase the electronic Cruise Views Report - Mirabelle for $4. Click here to buy now.