ELLIOTT’S E-MAIL
July 1, 2008
Read this week’s issue online or subscribe to the RSS feed.
In this issue …
• Paging the travel therapist!
• US Airways fires skycaps, replaces them with Wall-E
• 7 secrets to keep smiling this summer
• Travel agent rescues cancer patient’s scuttled cruise
• Don’t be duped by all-in-one airline fee guides
• How to reach yours truly
• Support this site
This issue of Elliott’s E-Mail is 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!
FIRST | Random thoughts about the week in travel
Paging the travel therapist! Did someone beep me? Well, if that was you, please have a look at this week’s newsletter. Complexes are treated. Problems are solved. It’s a feel-good issue of Elliott’s E-Mail.
Burning question … Have you been rescheduled — again and again? Has your future flight been rescheduled several times, because of recent cutbacks at airlines? I’m looking for your stories about having to rework your itinerary to fit your airline’s. How many stopovers can they ask you to make before you ask for a refund and start over? Send me a note and please don’t forget to include your full name, city and occupation.
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Elliott’s E-Mail is also underwritten by ExpertFlyer, which empowers the frequent flier like no other site. Get the details here.
BLAZIN’ HOT BLOG POST | What’s burning up my bandwidth this week?
US Airways fires skycaps, replaces them with Wall-E — US Airways is firing its skycaps and replacing them with Wall-E in 23 cities — in a manner of speaking. (From Elliott Blog) JOIN THE DISCUSSION — leave your comment!
Elliott’s E-Mail is also underwritten by skoobadesign.com, designers of top-rated, award-winning cases and accessories for laptops and other tech/travel gear. Named “best buy” by a major independent consumer magazine, 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 ELLIOTT20 at checkout. Some restrictions apply. Here are the details.
SIGHTINGS | Noted Elliott appearances online and offline
Help, my leg is missing — When Karen Kernohan discovers part of her flight from Calgary to Rome is missing, British Airways claims “extraordinary circumstances” are to blame and refuses to compensate her. Is she really out of luck? (From The Troubleshooter)
7 secrets to keep smiling this summer — This summer will very likely trump last year’s horrid travel season, but not in the good way. There will certainly be discontent — frustration over high gas prices, new and questionable fees, declining service — but we’re not dealing with it very well. (From MSNBC.com)
Elliott’s E-Mail is also underwritten by Carrentals.co.uk, which provides the easiest and quickest way to search for car hire on the web. Our car rental search engine will compare the market in seconds and provide you with prices from up to 40 car hire suppliers. Cheap car hire is one search away!
BLOGGED | New posts on Elliott’s Blog
Are car rental companies preying on careless drivers? — If you don’t like paperwork, you’d better steer clear of rental cars. There’s fresh evidence that rental agencies are preying on customers who gloss over their vehicle inspections, broadsiding them with surprise bills after they’ve returned their car. (From Elliott Blog)
Travel agent rescues cancer patient’s scuttled cruise — Don’t tell Jennifer Pulles that travel agents are obsolete. Her travel professional saved the day for her parents, underscoring the value of using a human travel agent for important trips. (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.
ON TRIPSO | Blog postings from the last honest travel site.
Don’t be duped by all-in-one airline fee guides — With a barrage of new airline fees coming at us this summer, it was just a matter of time before visitor-starved sites introduced their comprehensive, look-nowhere-else guides to surcharges. But if these references aren’t deeply flawed yet, they soon will be. (From Tripso)
Los Angeles airport employees plan march to protest bad service — Airline passengers complaining about bad service? Yawn. But when airport employees plan a march on a major airport to protest bad service — well, that kind of thing doesn’t happen every day. (From Tripso)
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TALKBACK | How to sound off about this site
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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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