But now, like a television series that has worn out its welcome, it is being canceled - that is, the tourist attraction at the Las Vegas Hilton is closing its doors.

Only unlike a TV show that has run out of gas and scores poorly in the weekly Nielsen ratings, Star Trek: The Experience seems to be as popular now as it was when it opened Jan. 3, 1998, even though there was a reported lull in attendance in midlife.

"I went out the other day, and the lines extended back into the corridor," Chad Boutte, operations manager and director of marketing of the Experience, said of the visitors who pay $40 or more per person to get into the 65,000-square-foot attraction that features two interactive experiences and a "History of the Future" museum of "Star Trek" lore.

Those long lines once got the Las Vegas Hilton in trouble with gaming regulators, who frowned on children who were waiting to get in standing next to slot machines near the attraction's entrance. The Hilton eventually had to pay a fine.

Even the merchandise racks have a price as Star Trek: The Experience tries to sell out its inventory Aug. 15 before closing the attraction at the Las Vegas Hilton. SAM MORRIS / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

So why is it closing if it's so popular?

That's what millions of "Star Trek" fans are asking, and no one seems to have a good answer.

On June 30, it was announced the Experience would close Sept. 1 because the landlord Las Vegas Hilton and tenant Cedar Fair Entertainment Co., operators of the attraction, couldn't reach agreement on a lease. The current lease is up Dec. 31, and when an agreement couldn't be reached by the end of June, it was determined that the company would need three months to break down the sets, box up the props to send back to "Star Trek" franchise owner CBS, sweep the floors and turn the site back to what it was before the place opened.

Isn't it ironic? For a show filled with optimism about mankind's future with characters endowed with attitudes of universal coexistence and the ability to resolve disputes peacefully, a stalled lease agreement is the attraction's demise. It seems so un-"Star Trek"-like.

Boutte said the "Star Trek" franchise still has legs, especially since an 11th "Star Trek" movie is scheduled for release in May and the various TV series spinoffs appear regularly on cable channels such as Sci Fi.

Boutte said he has received more than 5,000 e-mails and a nearly 6-foot stack of petitions from fans trying to stop the closure. Many of them are directing their anger at the Las Vegas Hilton.

"Some of them are saying they are so upset that they'll never stay at a Hilton again, and some of them say they'll never come back to Las Vegas again," Boutte said.

Boutte has enjoyed his Las Vegas experience and has his own interesting history.

He may be the only person to be able to truthfully proclaim that he went from Borg drone to corporate management. The former director of the Alzheimer's Association in New Mexico had a passion for his acting hobby and moved to Las Vegas five years ago when the Experience opened the Borg Invasion 4-D attraction. He was one of the Borg drones attacking guests.

He later took the role of a Starfleet officer before deciding to get back in the administrative side of business.

Now, he doesn't know what he'll do next.

"I'll probably be here awhile after it's closed to finish up a few things, but I honestly don't know what's next," he said.

He and his colleagues are proud of what they've done over the more than 10 1/2 years the attraction has been open.

"I've worked in many different venues, but this was first time I have ever had a staff so dedicated to their jobs," said Boutte, who guaranteed that many tears would be shed as the closing date nears.

He said although the performances in the interactive experience aren't the longest running in Las Vegas, he's confident the actors have performed the most shows in town, considering they occur every 20 minutes, every day.

Boutte said he would forever cherish memories of seeing cast members interact with people with disabilities who have said that in the "Star Trek" universe, they feel as if they're accepted as they are and could escape the world of their physical ailments.

Boutte said he has no idea what would happen next in the Experience's space. Las Vegas Hilton spokesman Ira David Sternberg echoed that, saying it hasn't been determined what will go there.

"There's no timetable, no rush to make a decision," Sternberg said. "I think all options are on the table. It's an interesting venue."

Those options could include another themed experience, some kind of theater show or more gaming positions, he said. Rumors that the company is in negotiations with Michael Jackson for a show (which, incidentally, has put Jackson on many Trekkers' black list) are just that, rumors, Sternberg said.

My wife suggested that the Hilton could be in negotiations to offer "Batman: The Gotham Experience," but I don't think I'd put my money there.

When Sept. 1 arrives, the Experience's last public show will occur around 8:30 p.m. Then, it will be open for a VIP event with a guest list of hard-core fans compiled by the attraction's management to give those loyal over the years one last crack at mixing with Borg, Klingon and Ferengi. Some celebrities have been invited as well.

Boutte said hundreds of fans have asked to get on the VIP list and have offered big bucks to go on the last "mission." He's considering auctioning five tickets for the final mission on eBay because of the tremendous interest.

At 10 p.m. at the entrance to the attraction, Boutte said there would be a decommissioning ceremony, the kind that occurs when a crew leaves a ship for the last time, open to the public.

And that will be the end.

Or will it? As most "Star Trek" fans know, a big piece of the franchise is that the heroes emerge from overwhelming odds to fight another day.

Is it possible that Star Trek: The Experience could emerge at another Cedar Fair location? After all, the company runs Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., and its signature theme park, Cedar Point, in Sandusky, Ohio.

Trekkers the world over are awaiting the answer.

Was it un–American? — You may have heard the story about the Army National Guardsmen in Texas who was charged $100 by American Airlines for an extra suitcase for his military gear.

It turns out the story was repeated with some important details left out and, thanks to the Internet, the story was blown out of proportion, leading to a flood of angry e-mails and phone calls to the airline.

In reality, the fee was charged and reimbursed through a military program. But when military interest groups and veterans got ahold of it, American Airlines' patriotism was called into question.

American Airlines officials say troops traveling on duty are allowed to fly with nearly 200 pounds of gear at no cost. They can carry a 100-pound bag, a 50-pound suitcase and 40 pounds in a carry-on bag. If a soldier has a third bag, it's assessed the $100 third-bag fee that American has implemented, but that's the one military personnel can get reimbursed.

American spent much of last week trying to explain what happened, but it didn't stop the public hammering it received.

Meanwhile, American's big Dallas rival, Southwest Airlines, took advantage of the situation by publicly reiterating its policy on checked bags for military personnel. Southwest waives fees for overweight and oversize bags of up to 100 pounds and 80 inches total of length, width and height for active duty military personnel.

More 737s for American — American Airlines also announced last week that it is adding more Boeing 737-800 jets to its fleet to replace less fuel-efficient MD-80 jets.

American will add 76 of the new 737s in 2009 and 2010, and 11 in 2013.

That's good news for Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air, which has negotiated some good deals to take MD-80 jets off the hands of previous owners. Allegiant has continued to increase its route map and does so by adding to its MD-80 fleet. Although the jets aren't as fuel-efficient as some of the planes being manufactured today, Allegiant realizes some financial efficiencies by having one type of aircraft - a strategy that Southwest Airlines has long employed.

Wild Montana skies — And speaking of Allegiant Air, it's newest destination from Las Vegas is Gallatin Field Airport near Bozeman, Mont. For those unfamiliar, that's the northern gateway to popular Yellowstone National Park.

Allegiant will fly to and from Bozeman Thursdays and Sundays beginning Oct. 9 with flights leaving McCarran International Airport at 7:05 a.m., arriving at 10:05 a.m., returning at 10:45 a.m. with an 11:40 a.m. arrival in Las Vegas.

Allegiant has done a lot of expansion recently, but most of it hasn't affected the Las Vegas market. Since Aug. 6, the airline, duplicating its Las Vegas success by taking travelers to tourist destinations, has announced new flights connecting its Mesa, Ariz., base to Bismarck, N.D.; Bend, Medford and Eugene, Ore.; Great Falls, Mont.; and Springfield, Mo.

FAA sued — Should the airspace at busy airports be auctioned to the highest bidder?

That's what the Federal Aviation Administration wants to do in New York and has set in motion a plan to auction slots for takeoffs and landings at John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia International and Newark Liberty International in the New York City area.

The FAA believes that it can generate cash to pay for an upgraded air traffic control system and reduce congestion over New York skies.

Imagine airlines with shrinking financial resources having to bid for the right to use airports in what is arguably the most lucrative U.S. market.

The FAA thinks airlines will use their largest planes for New York to generate as much revenue as possible per slot. Critics say one of the downsides of that is that commuter traffic from small airports to New York would disappear because it won't be financially feasible to use a slot to bring in a commuter plane.

Last week, the Air Transport Association, a trade organization representing many of the nation's airlines, sued the FAA to halt the auction plan. The petition was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.

"The FAA's plan is not only unlawful, it is both surprising and perplexing," said James May, chief executive of the Air Transport Association.

May says if the plan goes through, he expects airlines would bid for and try to pack more flights into the busiest times of the day. The association is challenging the legality of the FAA conducting an auction without rules in place.

The association also fears that auctions would occur in other crowded airspace, forcing commuter flights out of those airports.