Forget for a moment that any travel booking tool that integrates with Microsoft Outlook is pretty cool. Here’s the real question: What happens when the company that offers this innovative application decides to drop all booking fees? If you said everyone ignores it, you’re right.
April 2007
The room rate for a discount hotel near Disneyland is $60 a night. The “upgrade” fee for accommodations with two queen-size beds: $50 a night. Something doesn’t seem right about that to Michael McKernan. But getting Priceline to help him is proving impossible, despite assurances from its executive office. What should he do?
For years, airlines have had an unofficial policy for passengers who couldn’t make it to the airport because of circumstances beyond their control. The so-called “flat tire” rule allowed them to be booked on the next available flight at no extra charge.
To kick off the summer travel season — and my new show, “What You Get For The Money: Vacations” — Fine Living TV Network is giving away a vacation a day for a whole month. Sound too good to be true? Yes, but it is true.
Many of you have asked me how Kate Hanni’s fight for a Passengers Bill of Rights is going. As you know, Kate was one of several people who testified in a Senate hearing yesterday, and the mainstream media coverage of her cause was pretty positive.
ELLIOTT’S E-MAIL Travel tips, news and information April 11, 2007 And the armies of evil surrounded the capitol … Oh, all right. I’m being overly dramatic. But not by much. The good guys are going to Washington later this week to testify on Capitol Hill about the need for a Passenger Bill of Rights. And [...]
Mary Wiebusch returns her Air New Zealand ticket to Orbitz after she inadvertently spells her husband’s name with an extra “e” when she makes his reservation. She sends the tickets back to the online agency, but now they have gone missing. How does she go about getting Orbitz to send the tickets back to her? And should she have returned them to Orbitz in the first place?
The term “vacation inflation” is often used in a timeshare pitch. The price of everything else is going up, your salesperson warns. But if you buy your timeshare today, you’ll avoid vacation inflation.
Do air travelers want a Bill of Rights? Apparently they don’t — or at least they shouldn’t — according to the Air Travelers Association, which this morning issued a press release saying that the proposed legislation is “feel good, but ironically will not do good for passengers.” The statement is impeccably timed. Later this week, key players in the bill battle will testify on Capitol Hill.
I’ve never been a big fan of travel insurance — or of any insurance, for that matter. You either have to pay a high deductible to use it (health insurance) or you have to die (life insurance) or it’s no good at all. That certainly seems to be the case with many forms of travel insurance these days.
Can a business that takes its customers for granted — in some cases, even hates them — still rake in record profits? Does it deserve to? Those aren’t academic questions. They’re actually issues that this week’s events should have raised, but that haven’t.
Readers of this site have followed the brave efforts of Kate Hanni as she’s fought for a Passengers Bill of Rights. And many of you have told me that you think it’s time for our elected representatives to take some action. Well, I received a call from one of Kate’s people yesterday, and now it’s time for us to put up. Kate’s going to Washington — and she needs your support.
ELLIOTT’S E-MAIL Travel tips, news and information April 4, 2007 When I opened my newsletter, I was surprised to find … The redesign of Elliott’s E-Mail and elliott.org is done — and you’re gonna love it. This week I’m introducing new features, new corporate underwriters, a new logo and design. Everything’s new! Plus, catch the [...]
Her sister’s first flight on Delta Air Lines to Corpus Christi, Texas, is canceled. Her second one is delayed and by the time she’s cleared for takeoff, she has missed her job interview, so decides to stay home. Now Marie Darna wants her money back. But what, if anything, does her online agency owe her?
Forget writer’s block. How about writer’s regret? Like the story I penned about kids on planes that suggested we just ban all babies. Readers loved it, but then I had kids of my own. And now the joke’s on me.
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