Demystifying the code share sleight of hand

No, this is not the clunky title of a new Dan Brown thriller or the name of some amazing magic trick we've been working on in our spare time.

Rather, we're revisiting the topic of airline code sharing, that more-popular-than-ever, creative, arguably deceptive and definitely confusing -- some might say bizarre -- practice of not just selling the very same airplane seat in variously branded guises and sometimes at widely (and wildly) diverging prices, but also of mixing different modes of transportation in one single fare and marketing them all as air travel.

So hop on, fasten your seat belt and get ready to descend into the twilight zone of these oddball fares.

Code share agreements combining air and rail travel are not a new phenomenon, but they are becoming increasingly common wherever fast train service to nearby cities makes connections from major airports, with a convenient train station nearby, more efficient than flying overloaded puddle jumpers.

It certainly brings the whole hub-and-spoke metaphor down to earth again -- and back to its more literal definition involving wheels and rods rather than wings and interminable transfers.

These arrangements are especially prevalent in Europe between national airlines and national railroads, such as Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn, and Air France and SNCF, and they are even found stateside on a smaller scale, where Continental sells seats on Amtrak from Newark to Philadelphia, Wilmington and other East Coast cities.

We recently chanced upon a new twist on this evolving theme that is noteworthy not just for the partners involved -- a U.S. airline, United, and a foreign national railway, France's SNCF -- but also the distance covered by ground transportation, about 500 miles.

In this particular instance, you're supposed to change planes at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, but when you hear the call to board United Airlines flight 9764 bound for Marseilles, do not, we repeat, DO NOT proceed to the gate.

Instead, find your way to the nearest railway platform because you'll actually be "flying" on a high-speed double-decker TGV train that will hurtle you down the tracks to the Mediterranean coast in a little more than three hours, almost as fast as a Boeing 737.

A feat like this is feasible in few countries other than France, thanks to its remarkable high-speed rail network, which just this spring set a new world speed record for conventional trains: 357 mph.

Savannah is for tweens

If you're traveling to Savannah, Ga., with a tween (typically children age between 8 and 12, no longer a kid, but not yet teenager) in tow, here are a few suggestions that should keep them entertained, should they get bored with the magnolias and doilies.

First off, try reviving them with a trip to the Pirate House (www.thepirateshouse.com or (912) 233-5757) for dinner. Formerly an inn for pirates and other seafaring types as far back as the 1730s, it's one of the oldest homes in Georgia. There's even a secret tunnel connecting the inn to Savannah's port, used by pirates whenever they needed to make a quick getaway.

And you could also visit nearby Cumberland Island (www.nps.gov/cuis or (912) 882-4336), a wildlife reserve complete with wild horses and untouched dunes. If you'd like to stay the night, check into the Greyfield Inn (www.historichotels.org/hotel/52 or (904) 261-6408), the only available lodgings on the island.

And if they're still complaining about how you forced them to tour homes for five hours, pull out the big guns, by which we mean alligators. Okefenokee Swamp (www.okeswamp.com or (912) 283-0583) or is just a few hours south, with park access in both Waycross and Folkston. Depending on water levels, you can even take them for a little boat ride.

ResortQuest has snow guarantee

If you're planning a ski vacation to the West, a little assurance never hurts. This season, ResortQuest, a leading resort vacation home and condominium-rental company, offers the Snow Guarantee, a snow quality assurance program available at the company's 3,000 properties in Aspen, Snowmass, Breckenridge, Keystone, Steamboat and Telluride in Colorado; Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons in Utah; and Sun Valley, Idaho.

The Snow Guarantee allows guests to relocate their accommodations to another ResortQuest ski and snowboard destination if snow conditions do not meet their expectations. Guests taking advantage of the Snow Guarantee won't lose their deposit and can rebook within seven days of their scheduled arrival date. This offer is available throughout the 2007-2008 ski and snowboard season.

For reservations and information, visit www.snowguarantee.com or call (888) 683-9835.

Reach George Hobica athobica@gmail.com, Kim LiangTan at KimLiangTan@aol.comor log on to www.airfarewatchdog.com.