January 10, 2006

ELLIOTT’S E-MAIL
Travel tips, news and information
January 10, 2007

Would you pay $15 billion for this airline? US Airways raised its bid in its hostile takeover attempt of Delta Air Lines this morning, offering Delta’s unsecured creditors $5 billion in cash and 89.5 million shares. Never mind that only a few days ago, US Airways chief executive Doug Parker vowed not to raise his original offer. The real question is: Is that too much to pay for a bankrupt airline? Is it not enough? What do you think? Send me a note or shoot me an IM (celliottlive on AIM).

» Read this week’s newsletter online.

FIRST | Random thoughts about the week in travel

What’s new this week? There’s more than Delta and US Airways news. Even though I’ve been away on assignment, it’s been busier-than-usual week for travel news. There’s a Troubleshooter column about a hotel reflagging and blog entries about Europe’s efforts to protect passenger rights, plus your thoughts on weather delays and a few lessons learned from the blogging world. And from the archives, I’ve selected a few stories about embarrassing moments on the road.

SIGHTINGS | Noted Elliott appearances online and offline

Hey, that’s not a Holiday Inn — Bill Wright prepays for two rooms at a Holiday Inn Express through Travelocity. But when he checks in, he discovers the Holiday Inn has been turned into an Econo Lodge. Does the online agency owe him anything? (From The Travel Troubleshooter)

I’ll have fries with that Champagne — At a recent wine tasting in Napa, Calif., my hosts made a tragic mistake: They served a big zinfandel with warm apple pie for dessert. The sweet pie stripped the fruit flavors from the wine, leaving us with mouthfuls of what tasted like tannic water. (From The New York Times)

BLOGGED | New posts on CSR and Ellipses

When rights are wrong — No one has probably ever accused the U.S. government of overstating airline passengers’ rights. Quite the contrary: The government and the airline industry are usually close allies. And the current administration is crazy about the airline industry, showering it with generous subsidies, tax breaks and favorable rules. (From Ellipses)

New rules for weather delays? — Airlines contracts have always been crystal-clear about what’s owed to passengers when weather prevents a flight from leaving: nada. But after a series of weather-related delays over the holidays — including one flight from San Francisco that was diverted to Austin, where it sat on the tarmac for eight hours — people seem to be rethinking the rules. (From Ellipses)

Keep ‘em seaparated — If you define a blog as a collection of personal thoughts and reflections that are published online, then I’ve been a blogger since 1997. That’s a decade — half an eternity by Web standards. And ever since I can remember, one of the unwritten rules about blogging has been that no one really pays attention to what you write. (From Ellipses)

FLASHBACK | A retrospective from the Elliott archives

Life’s more embarrassing moments — on the road.

Myths travel fast — In Las Vegas and New Orleans, a sophisticated crime ring is seducing visitors, drugging them and stealing their kidneys. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, bio-thieves are harvesting a variety of human glands from unsuspecting out-of-towners. And south of the border, they’re snatching travelers’ testicles. (From Power Trip)

Creative delays — Ever board a flight that went nowhere? Maybe the plane just rolled out onto the runway and then returned to the gate, or worse still, it never even moved? Happens all the time. (From The Travel Critic)

No room on Travelocity — booked a one-week to Vienna, Austria, through Travelocity at the beginning of October for Christmas week. Since I’ve been burned before by the online booking process, I took extra pains to ensure that the order for the flight and hotel was completed copasetic before clicking the execution of the order through credit card payment. (From The Troubleshooter)

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.

» Send me an instant message on Gmail.

» Shoot me a note or chat by video on AIM.

» Find me on MySpace.

» Link to me on LinkedIn.

» Post a response below an article, in the “Comment on this article” field.

» Contact me with this handy feedback form.

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.

BECOME AN UNDERWRITER | How to support Elliott

This site relies on support from travelers like you. If you care about journalism that’s uncompromising, cutting-edge and consumer-focused, then please consider becoming an underwriter. Here are the details.

SUBSCRIPTIONS | Manage your e-mail delivery preferences

You can manage your newsletter subscription here. You can also sign up for this newsletter’s RSS feed. Having technical trouble? Please send a note describing your problem we’ll do our best to help.

Here’s how to unsubscribe from this newsletter. (Sorry to see you go!)

Elliott’s E-Mail is published 50 times a year by Christopher Elliott. (c) 2006 Christopher Elliott.

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.

Be the first to comment