ELLIOTT’S E-MAIL
First aid for travel
June 27, 2007
The skinny on clothing-optional vacations. Leading off this week’s travel blog is an item about the growing popularity of nude vacations. And since it’s the middle of what is shaping up to be a hot summer (in more ways than one) I figured I’d throw in a few archived columns about vacationing in the buff, too. But there’s a lot more to this week’s issue of Elliott’s E-Mail, including a new troubleshooter column, new travel scams that you need to know about, and deep thoughts on customer service in the airline industry.
» Read this week’s newsletter online.
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
Burning question … When it comes to travel, I wish there were more information about [fill in the blank] online. You can find just about anything on the Internet, right? Maybe not. This week I’d like to know what kind of travel information you’d like to see more of on the Web. Send me a note or shoot me an IM (celliottlive on AIM).
Good news/bad news. A draft version of last week’s newsletter was inadvertently sent to some subscribers, which contained information about the “What You Get For The Money: Vacations” sweepstakes. The contest has already ended. That’s the bad news. The good news? You can catch a brand-new episode of “What You Get For The Money: Vacations” on Saturday at noon ET on the Fine Living TV Network. Don’t miss it.
Sign up for the RSS feed! You don’t have to wait until Wednesday to get the great content from Ellipses and the Travel Troubleshooter. Subscribe for Elliott’s RSS feed and you’ll get the news as it happens.
SIGHTINGS | Noted Elliott appearances online and offline
Too many pesos for my room — Bernard Horwath is quoted a room rate of $425 a night at a Mexican resort. But when he checks out, he’s in for an unpleasant surprise: $276 in additional charges because of currency conversions from dollars to pesos. His agency, American Express Platinum Travel, tells him the extras are his responsibility. But are they? (From The Troubleshooter)
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 Ellipses
Have nude vacations gone ‘mainstream’? — Americans are more interested in nude vacations than golf, mountain biking and tennis, a survey released by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell/Yankelovich Partners as part of its 2007 National Leisure Travel Monitor has revealed. The YPB&R findings conclude that nude recreation has gone “mainstream.” (From Ellipses)
Here’s a clever way to beat airline change fees — Thanks to an absurd post-9/11 policy called “no waivers, no favors,” most airlines will charge you either a $100 change fee or force you to pay for a new ticket when you make an innocent mistake while booking your flight — like typing your maiden name instead of your married name. (From Ellipses)
Airlines profitable, but customer service is circling the drain — The Bureau of Transportation Statistics has finally confirmed what industry soothsayers have been predicting for a while: Airlines had the first profitable January-to-March quarter in seven years. (From Ellipses)
Card dispute saves iffy vacation club purchase — A credit card dispute is usually the final option when you’re having trouble with a travel company. But for Carl and Helen Quesnell, it became the first choice — and apparently the best one. (From Ellipses)
Anyone else experienced the gas gauge scam? — Car rental companies are among the most inventive in the travel industry when it comes to fees and surcharges designed to line their pockets. But just when you thought you had heard it all, along comes a new scam. (From Ellipses)
Summer preview: fewer flights, more passengers? — If the first three months of this year are any indication, air travelers are in for one hell of a summer. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics this morning released traffic figures for the first quarter of 2007, showing that in March, domestic airlines operated fewer flights but carried more passengers. Claustrophobic travelers, beware. (From Ellipses)
When will the runway strandings end? — News of yet another trapped-on-the-tarmac episode is making the rounds this morning, with reports that a Cathay Pacific Airways flight bound for Hong Kong spent more than seven hours parked at a San Francisco International Airport gate yesterday. (From Ellipses)
FLASHBACK | A retrospective from the Elliott archives
More about clothing-optional getaways. The bare facts, if you will.
5 myths about nude vacations — As a college student hiking through the French Alps many years ago, I accidentally uncovered one hotel’s shocking secret. I didn’t mean to reveal it. It was a blistering hot day in Grenoble, and my traveling companion, Nate, wandered toward a swimming pool behind the resort while I stocked up on water and provisions. Moments later he returned, pale-faced. (From Destinations)
Who is the nude cruising judge? — Here’s a question that has troubled Canada’s highest court for several months: Which supreme court judge cruised in the buff? (From Ellipses)
Elliott’s E-Mail is also underwritten by the Alaska Travelgram, which gives you the inside scoop on Alaska, with information on activities, accommodations, hot air fare deals and secret insider tips — from the folks who live there. Subscribe here. It’s free.
POSTCARDS | The latest from Elliott’s personal photo blog
Beach bum — Aren walks along the beach at Anna Maria Island, Fla. Actually, this was the closest he came to the water. The waves were unusually large for Florida’s West Coast today, and he preferred to keep a safe distance.
What’s in there? — Aren, Iden and Oma take a look inside the fish tank at Ana Maria Island’s outdoor festival. They saw horseshoe crabs, conch and hermit crabs. The exhibit was sponsored by Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Fla.
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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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