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In this issue …
• The danger issue
• Ticked off skiers launch grassroots effort to lift new baggage fees
• Remember my Alamo rate
• “The harassment has continued to escalate with each call”
• Turned away at the Terrace
• How to reach yours truly
• Support this site
This issue of Elliott’s E-Mail is 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
FIRST | Random thoughts about the week in travel
The danger issue. If you can’t get enough of presidential candidates under assault from nonexistent snipers or airline pilots discharging their weapons while in flight (accidentally, of course) then have I got an issue for you. Check out my MSNBC column about tourists coming home in caskets, and what to do about it. And there’s lots of danger on the blog, too — including travel companies that hassle their customers after their trip is over.
Burning question … stolen by the TSA? Ever had something stolen from your checked in luggage, and all fingers pointed to the TSA? If so, I’d like to hear about it. What happened next? Did you get compensated — or just get an apologetic letter from the agency? Send me a note and please don’t forget to include your full name, city and occupation.
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!
BLAZIN’ HOT BLOG POST | What’s burning up my bandwidth this week?
Ticked off skiers launch grassroots effort to lift new baggage fees — They may be a little late to the game, but then again, the first skiers who will probably be hit by these fees won’t see them until this summer (winter in South American ski resorts like Valle Nevado and Cerro Catedral). But a group of skiers is protesting the planned second-bag surcharge that United Airlines and US Airways have announced, hoping to enlist scuba divers, golfers and parents with strollers to their cause. JOIN THE DISCUSSION — leave your comment!
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!
SIGHTINGS | Noted Elliott appearances online and offline
Remember my Alamo rate — A recent stay at a Comfort Inn in Vancouver does not impress Richard Simms. His room is filthy, the shower runs lukewarm, and the coffee maker is busted. But when he tries to invoke the hotel chain’s “100 Percent Satisfaction Guarantee,” Simms is offered nothing more than an apology. Is he out of luck? (From The Troubleshooter)
Laughing — and dying — in the face of danger — There’s always been a fine line between taking a calculated risk and foolishly gambling with your life. At a time when more tourists are coming home in caskets, that line is becoming increasingly faint. (From MSNBC.com)
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.
BLOGGED | New posts on Elliott’s Blog
5 sexiest in-flight safety videos ever — In-flight safety videos are big news, thanks to Delta Air Lines’ spiced-up preflight announcements. So as a public service, I’ve reviewed the five sexiest in-flight safety videos online. (From Elliott Blog)
“The harassment has continued to escalate with each call” — And now a truly bizarre story about the darker side of customer service. CheapoAir.com is a site that sells discounted airline tickets, car rentals and hotel rooms. It also has one of the most aggressive collection departments you’ve ever come across. Or, to be more exact, that Melanie Dennis has come across. (From Elliott Blog) HOT POST!
Good grief! 3 tales of compassion-less customer service — Here at the travel industry’s unofficial complaints department, we count on having a day or two off, Good Friday being one of them. Not this year. Here are three recent stories of compassion-less customer service that arrived in the “in” box on what was supposed to be our “off” day. (From Elliott Blog)
“This lady was actually trying to intimidate me over the phone” — Ah, the lengths to which a car rental company will go to squeeze a few bucks out of a customer. Consider what happened to John Conkel of Las Vegas, Nev., when he rented a vehicle from Alamo in Denver recently. Kinda makes you wonder why they don’t just look up the IRS rebate calculator, like everyone else. But I digress. (From Elliott Blog)
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FLASHBACK | A retrospective from the Elliott archives
More vacation disasters. Horror stories? We’ve got plenty of them!
Turned away at the Terrace — Her reservation says she’s prepaid for three nights at the Georgian Terrace Hotel. But when Anita Nieves arrives, she’s in for a shock: There is no reservation and no room for her. Who’s at fault? The hotel? Her online agent? Or is she to blame? (From The Troubleshooter)
No room at the inn — A few months ago, I booked a room through Expedia at The Inn at the Opera Hotel in San Francisco. It was a special deal and required that I pay $531.16 — the full amount — in advance. On the day I was to arrive, I called the inn to confirm my reservation. They claimed to have no knowledge of my booking; in fact, they said the hotel had been sold out for more than a month. (From The Travel Critic)
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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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• Contact me with this handy feedback form.
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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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