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In this issue …
• All over the map
• Shoulder-season savvy: 4 secrets for the perfectly timed vacation
• “No customer will be denied boarding until we have asked for others to volunteer”
• State Department follies
• How to reach yours truly
• Support this site
This issue of Elliott’s E-Mail is underwritten by skoobadesign.com, designers and makers of some of the most acclaimed, innovative carrying cases and travel accessories for laptop computers and other tech gear. Skooba Design’s products have been named “best buy” by major independent consumer magazines, as well as leading technology, travel and general interest publications. Elliot’s E-Mail Subscribers get 20 percent off, plus free shipping (UPS Ground/48 States) on all Skooba Design orders of $50 or more. Just enter coupon code enter ELLIOTT20 at checkout. Some restrictions apply. Here are the details.
FIRST | Random thoughts about the week in travel
All over the map. This week’s newsletter features must-read stories and blog postings about refunds, travel insurance, vacation strategies, TSA shenanigans and government bureaucrats. And I’ve been all over the map in the literal sense, too — I just returned from a week-long conference in Calgary (more on that in next week’s newsletter). Happy travels!
Burning question … What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever seen in the fine print? Ever read the contract on your rental car or airline ticket? Seen anything funny, interesting or outrageous? Here’s your chance to sound off. Send me a note and please don’t forget to include your full name, city and occupation.
Join the discussion — leave a comment! See something you disagree with? Want to add something to a story you see on this site? Then please consider leaving a comment (just scroll to the bottom of the page you’re on). Your ideas will be read by thousands of other travelers, and you’ll become part of a site that’s dedicated to helping travelers.
Thank you! Many thanks to all of your who supported this site during the last fundraiser. I’ll be sending premiums out next week. If you have won the luggage, please send me your mailing address so that I can send your premium.
ExpertFlyer offer … going, going. Remember ExpertFlyer, the cool subscription service for frequent fliers I recently wrote about? The special offer for readers of this site is valid through the end of the month, so don’t wait. Either sign up for a 15 percent discount using the coupon code GUCFOGAQ. Or you can give ExpertFlyer to a friend or loved one here. The gift certificate is for one full year of premium service (normally costing $99, which is a $20 discount from the monthly premium membership price of $120 a year). So you get a double discount when using the coupon.
SIGHTINGS | Noted Elliott appearances online and offline
Two years later, still no refund — Gayle Grafstrom-Corman is promised a refund on her daughter’s Lufthansa ticket. But two years later, the 890 euros she’s due is nowhere to be found, and neither her travel agent nor her airline know why. Is this a lost cause? (From The Troubleshooter)
Shoulder-season savvy: 4 secrets for the perfectly timed vacation — If you’ve seen one tourism brochure that refers to itself as a “year-round” destination, you’ve probably seen them all. They lie, of course. (From MSNBC.com)
The insurance question — Even with Hurricane Dean taking aim at Cancun, Mexico, last August, Miguel Guillen wasn’t worried. After all, he had insured his vacation. (From The Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
E-mail etiquette for your wireless device — Technology changes quickly, but often so does the rules on how to use it. Take wireless e-mail, for example. You could be checking your Office Live Small Business or Windows Live Hotmail account on your smartphone, completely unaware that you’re either offending those around you or the person to whom you’re sending. (From Microsoft Office Live)
10 strategies for enticing visitors to buy — When it comes to your Web site, the number that really matters isn’t visitors. It’s customers. And the question that has occupied marketing experts since the beginning of the commercial Internet is: How do you convert these browsers into people who will buy or take other desired actions on your site? How do you get them to sign up for your e-mail newsletter or download a white paper? (From Microsoft Office Live)
Elliott’s E-Mail is also underwritten by Priceline.com, the leading travel service for value-conscious leisure travelers. With both Name Your Own Price and everyday fixed low prices, no other travel service gives more ways to save on their airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises. No one does deals like Priceline.com!
BLOGGED | New posts on Elliott’s Blog
What could an airline possibly gain by not posting its contract online? — The Cayman Airways Web site is a slick, gorgeous online brochure for one of the world’s best diving destinations. There’s information about everything from snorkeling in Stingray City to attending the island’s famous Pirates Week. But if you want to know what your rights are on a Cayman Airways flight, you’re out of luck. (From Elliott Blog)
“No customer will be denied boarding until we have asked for others to volunteer” — The airline industry is one of only a few businesses that is allowed to sell more of its product than it has. When a carrier overbooks one of its planes, it has what’s delicately called an “involuntary denied boarding” situation on its hands — meaning someone’s not going to get kicked off the flight. And until now, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, because the airline asked for volunteers, which it rewarded with vouchers, cash, hotel rooms, meal tickets and other compensation. But is this system of paying off customers quietly being eliminated? (From Elliott Blog)
TSA saves us from five-year-old “security threat” — They’ve done it again. The Transportation Security Administration, our last line of defense against the terrorists hijackers, has singled out a a five-year-old boy as a possible “security threat.” Matthew Gardner, on his way to Los Angeles from Seattle with his mother last week, was tagged by agents because his name was on the dreaded “no-fly” list. (From Elliott Blog)
A user guide to the new State Department travel site — Just in time for the 2008 travel season, the State Department’s dated travel Web site has been given a facelift. While some of the changes are merely cosmetic — changing the late 1990s look and feel — others are more substantive. The overall result is a better site for travelers to and from the states. (From Elliott Blog)
Elliott’s E-Mail is also underwritten by Cheapflights.com, which lets you search and compare flights to find the lowest-priced airfare for your next trip. Get the details at Cheapflights.com.
FLASHBACK | A retrospective from the Elliott archives
State Department follies. Our taxpayer dollars at work.
‘Members of an Inadmissible Class’ — So you finally got a passport, eh? Might not be enough to get you into Canada — or other countries, for that matter. Our neighbors to the north have been cracking down on members of what they call an Inadmissible Class, which includes travelers convicted of shoplifting, theft, assault, dangerous driving or unauthorized possession of a firearm. (From Elliott Blog)
Should the travel industry give passport laggards a break? — News that the State Department has modified its passport requirements for U.S. citizens traveling to several popular destinations is coming as a relief to the summer vacation crowd. But is it enough? (From Elliott Blog)
Elliott’s E-Mail is also underwritten by FirstClassFlyer.com, the only tool you need to fly first class for the price of coach — or close to it. Looking for free and purchased upgrades, two-for-ones and a fast-track to elite status strategies? Look no further than FirstClassFlyer.com
TALKBACK | How to sound off about this site
Read something you disagree with? Got a story idea or a gripe? Here’s how to be heard:
• Send me an e-mail. I’m at elliottdotorg on every major e-mail provider — AOL, Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo. I’m also reachable at the same e-mail address I’ve always had, of course.
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Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.
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