ELLIOTT’S E-MAIL
Travel tips, news and information
February 28, 2007
Driven to distraction! If you’ve been cut off by a driver who was chatting on a cell phone, then this issue of Elliott’s E-Mail is for you. In addition to the first-rate travel commentary and news you’ve come to expect from this newsletter, there’s a question about distracted driving that you’ll definitely want to answer. Plus, archived stories about bad drivers and much, much more.
» Read this week’s newsletter online.
FIRST | Random thoughts about the week in travel
Burning question … Ever been a victim of a distracted driver? — Have you been run off the road or gotten into a car accident with someone who was distracted by a cell phone or BlackBerry? Or have you ever gotten into a fender-bender because your mobile phone was ringing and you tried to answer it? This week, I’m looking for your distracted-driving horror stories. Send me a note or shoot me an IM (celliottlive on AIM).
How do you reach 35,000 travelers with your product? It’s not a trick question. Starting this spring, Elliott’s E-Mail will restart its corporate underwriter program, and your company can be a part of it. Being an underwriter is hands-down the most cost-effective way to reach a core group of dedicated and savvy travelers. E-mail me for details.
SIGHTINGS | Noted Elliott appearances online and offline
Whose ticket is it, anyway? — Blake Robinson cashes in his US Airways frequent-flier miles for a ticket on a partner airline, United. But is the ticket valid? A US Airways representative insists it is, but a United ticket agent disagrees — and requires Robinson to buy a new one. Is he entitled to a refund, and if so, from whom? (From The Troubleshooter)
A 10,000 mile commute to New York — I live in Bali, where our workshops are located, and I work in New York. I’ve been known to make the 25-hour flight to Indonesia every month or so. It’s probably the world’s longest commute. (From The New York Times)
Cruise lines market to maiden voyagers — Before Gary Levinson embarked on his first cruise, he was just another skeptical landlubber who wouldn’t even board a fishing boat for fear of getting seasick. (From The New York Times)
BLOGGED | New posts on CSR and Ellipses
The airlines’ luggage quandary — Why haven’t more airlines begun charging passengers for their checked luggage? It’s easy money, and customer resistance to it seems relatively low. Here’s what is probably going on. (From Ellipses)
Does Delta get customer service? Maybe — One of the best parts of my job as The Travel Troubleshooter is seeing customer complaints resolved through normal channels, without need for my intervention. That happened twice this week with an airline that I would have considered an unlikely candidate: Delta. (From Ellipses)
Overlooked: court upholds pricey car rental fuel — In all the excitement over the latest runway-imprisonment incident and the prospect of a passenger bill of rights, the travel blogosphere has overlooked a small but important court ruling. Earlier this week, Avis Budget Group Inc., persuaded a U.S. District Court judge to dismiss a lawsuit against it that challenged the legality of its $5.99-a-gallon fuel. (From Ellipses)
Passenger bill fight gets dirty — Readers of this blog who were hoping for a day off from the Passenger Bill of Rights debate — sorry to disappoint you. This is just getting more and more interesting. I can’t not write about it. The latest: Big Air has denounced the proposed bill, saying it could cause more harm than good. (From Ellipses)
So many bills, so little time — Pity the folks who have to figure out what a passenger bill of rights should — and shouldn’t — include. As if JetBlue’s entry into the fray yesterday wasn’t confusing enough (after all, why would an airline advocate for its customers unless it had a hidden agenda?) it turns out there are lots and lots of proposed bills. (From Ellipses)
JetBlue’s apology — Since JetBlue’s Valentine’s Day meltdown, we’ve heard from passengers, critics and the airline industry apologists. But today, JetBlue reached out to its frequent fliers with the following apology. I’m running it here without comment. (From Ellipses)
FLASHBACK | A retrospective from the Elliott archives
More on distracted driving …
Cell phone rage boils over — Our friends at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration poured gasoline on a metaphorical car wreck earlier this week when they released a survey that suggested at any given time, about three percent of drivers are talking on hand-held cellular phones. Three percent! (From The Travel Technologist)
Get me there in one piece — Cab stories are like fish stories. Almost everyone’s got one to tell. Here’s Nora Daly’s: She hailed a taxi in Chicago recently and was taken on a circuitous ride through town. (From The Travel Critic)
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Elliott’s E-Mail is published 50 times a year by Christopher Elliott. (c) 2007 Christopher Elliott.
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