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In this issue …
• Dealing with an unexpected death on the road
• What’s your least favorite airline fee? Pillows and blankets, says new poll
• Green like money: airlines release deceptive 2007 “annual report”
• How to reach yours truly
• Support this site
• Change your subscription
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FIRST | Random thoughts about the week in travel
Burning question … a deal that didn’t turn out to be a deal. Have you ever found what you thought was a travel bargain, and booked it, only to discover that it wasn’t such a deal? Tell me about it. 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 bill, but no reservation — Wendell Mrugala makes a hotel reservation through Orbitz. But when he contacts the online agency to confirm his room, he’s told there’s no reservation. Mrugala makes another reservation, but is surprised when he learns the first reservation has gone through. Is there any hope for a refund? (From The Troubleshooter)
Dealing with an unexpected death on the road — No one expects to come home in a casket. But more Americans are. The number of claims made on death benefits by On Call International, a travel assistance service in Salem, N.H., has almost doubled in the last three years, rising from 125 claims in 2005 to 247 last year. (From MSNBC.com)
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BLOGGED | New posts on Elliott’s Blog
United Airlines loses food fight, reverses hot meal plans — United Airlines is reversing its decision to charge economy class passengers for meals on international flights. Here’s its “open letter” sent to customers this afternoon. (From Elliott Blog)
What’s your least favorite airline fee? Pillows and blankets, says new poll — Quick, name your least favorite of the new airline fees? If you said “pillows and blankets” give yourself a pat on the back. A new poll by online travel agency Lessno found that JetBlue’s decision to charge for pillow and blankets is the worst. More than one-third of of those polled chose it as the most unpopular of the new fees. (From Elliott Blog)
New airline ground delay rules need a lot of work — As we observe the American Labor Day holiday today, here’s a document that could probably use a little work: the government just released a draft of its contingency plans for lengthy airline onboard ground delays. (From Elliott Blog)
Is hotel “deposit protection” program a sign of things to come? — Airlines are not the only ones getting creative with fees. One hotel now offers optional “deposit protection” that turns your nonrefundable room deposit into a fully refundable one. (From Elliott Blog)
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ON TRIPSO | Blog postings from the last honest travel site.
Green like money: airlines release deceptive 2007 “annual report” — Nine months into the year, the Air Transport Association has released its annual report — for 2007. The document (PDF) casts U.S. airlines as both progressive, sporting catchy slogans like “thinking green about our future,” and as innocent victims of economic circumstances. (From Tripso)
TALKBACK | How to sound off about this site
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