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In this issue …
• Unfair fares: Avoid the bait-and-switch
• Secrets for sleeping on a plane
• Oh, sh#t! The barbarians are at the gate and they’re demanding a refund
• How to reach yours truly
• Support this site
This issue of Elliott’s E-mail is 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.
FIRST | Random thoughts about the week in travel
Thanks for reading Elliott’s E-Mail. Every week, I try to inform and enlighten travelers with the content on my blog and in my columns. Got any suggestions? Send me a note.
Burning question: Do you believe the latest travel surveys and polls? There’s no shortage of polls in the travel industry. They tell you where to go, what to do and what to see. But do you believe the latest round of “readers choice” awards — or are they just marketing tools? Send me a note and please don’t forget to include your full name, city and occupation.
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SIGHTINGS | Noted Elliott appearances online and offline
A ski vacation that was all downhill — Colleen Bosler prepays for a hotel at a ski resort during Christmas. But she misses her plane, forcing her to reschedule. The resort offers her credit, but she has to cancel her make-up vacation, too. The hotel is giving her until May to use the credit, or it will expire. Is that fair? (From The Troubleshooter)
Unfair fares: Avoid the bait-and-switch — With a little research, a skeptical attitude, steering clear of the worst companies and finding professional help, you can avoid falling for the oldest trick in the book. (From MSNBC.com)
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
BLOGGED | New posts on Elliott’s Blog
Secrets for sleeping on a plane — How do you get a little shut-eye while you’re on a flight? Here are three tips that will practically guarantee you’ll catch a few zs. (From Elliott Videocast)
“You have no idea what this tube of toothpaste could do to a plane” — Maybe it was the word “extreme” that made the Transportation Security Administration Security agent at Los Angeles International Airport nervous. Crest with Scope Extreme. I had bought a little tube of it at the grocery store before boarding my red-eye flight to Orlando yesterday evening. Contraband, according to the TSA. (From Elliott Blog)
‘Understated’ is no cliché at Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara — When it comes to upscale hotels, the word “understated” is so overused that it’s almost lost its meaning. Not at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, where I happen to be speaking at a conference today. (From Elliott Blog)
More bait-and-switch madness: Fare isn’t fair on Sun Country — No one likes to see an airline in bankruptcy, except maybe bankruptcy lawyers. But the least you’d expect is for a carrier in Chapter 11 to honor a fare. Maybe that’s asking too much from Sun Country Airlines. (From Elliott Blog)
Double trouble: Travel agent goes bust, taking Cayman vacation with it — Nanci Moll was looking forward to spending her five-year anniversary in the Cayman Islands. But her travel agent had other plans. He apparently was looking forward to spending the $1,488 Moll had paid him. (From Elliott Blog)
Foreign ATM sucks $391 out of a traveler’s account — and his bank lets it — How’s this for a nightmare scenario? You visit an automatic teller machine while you’re in Europe. You ask for 270 euros. But it gives you nothing. When you return to the States, your bank insists on charging you for the transaction. (From Elliott Blog)
Elliott’s E-Mail is also underwritten by MagicalMousePlans.com which provides complete travel planning for all Disney vacations – Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Lines and Adventures by Disney. Free Concierge Service. We beat Disney prices! Check us out at MagicalMousePlans.com
ON TRIPSO | Blog postings from the last honest travel site
Oh, sh#t! The barbarians are at the gate and they’re demanding a refund — Like a horde of barbarians at the gate, a crowd of angry travelers is gathering at the travel industry’s front door. They want a partial refund for their vacation. We should probably give it to them. Here’s why. (From Tripso)
Oh, the irony! Airlines decry oil speculation — then lose money doing it — Oh, the irony! The domestic airlines, which only a few months ago were asking for your help in stopping oil speculation, are losing money — lots of money — because they speculated on the price of oil themselves. (From Tripso)
Batten down the hatches! We’re in the middle of travel awards season — In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of the travel industry’s awards season. It’s the time of year when every other media organization releases its list of “best” airlines, hotels and cruise lines. Best airlines. Hah. That’s funny. (From Tripso)
Elliott’s E-Mail is also underwritten by Skooba Design, 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.
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.
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BECOME AN UNDERWRITER | How to support Elliott
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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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