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In this issue …
• Surviving shrinkage
• 4 secrets to cope with airline downsizing
• 10 best clothing-optional resorts in the world exposed
• Ex-American CEO: “Simply curbing speculation will not solve our long-term energy problem”
• How to reach yours truly
• Support this site
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FIRST | Random thoughts about the week in travel
Surviving shrinkage. The airline industry is contracting right before our eyes. But your next trip doesn’t have to be affected. This week’s issue is filled with survival strategies that will help you pull through.
Burning question … business travel mistakes? What are the biggest mistakes you’ve made as a business traveler? What have you learned from your errors? Send me a note and please don’t forget to include your full name, city and occupation.
Tour de Southern California. For the next two weeks, this blog and newsletter will look a little different. We’ll be in Southern California, taking lots of photos and blogging about the experience. Tune in to find out whether a trip with three young children, two grandparents and random members of the extended family can be survived.
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.
SIGHTINGS | Noted Elliott appearances online and offline
Help, my ticket fell through the cracks — Susan Null books two business-class tickets on British Airways using her Alaska Airlines frequent flier miles. But when she checks her reservation, she finds nothing. Alaska Airlines says her booking has “slipped through the cracks.” Can they retrieve it in time for her trip? (From The Troubleshooter)
4 secrets to cope with airline downsizing — Airlines have canceled twice as many flights in the first half of 2008 as they did last year — about 65,000 — and they have no intention of tapping the brakes. In fact, domestic airlines are expected to cut the number of flights by up to 15 percent during the next year, which is the biggest reduction in service since 9/11, and maybe ever. (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
Airport payphones are ripping off travelers — Payphones may be an endangered species, but they are not unprofitable. Not if they’re in places frequented by travelers. (From Elliott Blog)
Northwest’s pesky call center fee is refundable — if you know who to contact — Contrary to what your airline might tell you, those highly annoying “call center fees” it charges for buying your tickets by phone aren’t necessarily nonrefundable. Not if you know who to contact. (From Elliott Blog)
Watch out — Spirit is socking passengers with surprise fees! — You’ve probably heard about Spirit Airlines’ crackpot seat reservation fee. But there appears to be more — much more — awaiting the unsuspecting passenger. (From Elliott Blog)
10 best clothing-optional resorts in the world exposed — Clothing-optional tourism is a $400 million industry, according to the American Association for Nude Recreation. And while several myths about nude tourism linger, the growth of this segment is undeniable. (From Elliott Blog)
Elliott’s E-Mail is also underwritten by skoobadesign.com, 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
ON TRIPSO | Blog postings from the last honest travel site.
Ex-American CEO: “Simply curbing speculation will not solve our long-term energy problem” — Bob Crandall, the former chairman and chief executive at American Airlines, thinks the airlines are wrong — and he’s not afraid to say it. (From Tripso)
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.
• Call me. My direct phone number is (407) 699-9529.
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• Find out what I’m doing now on Twitter.
• Post a response below an article, in the “Comment on this article” field.
Please note: Unless you specify otherwise, all e-mails, letters and phone conversations are considered “on the record.” That means your name could be used in a future article.
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