March 29, 2007

ELLIOTT’S E-MAIL
Travel tips, news and information
March 29, 2007

Redesign, interrupted. This week’s theme: chaos. I took a week off from publishing Elliott’s E-Mail to spend time with my brother and to redesign my site and newsletter. The good news … the site’s almost done. The bad news? It’s almost done. You’ll find lots of uneven formatting, broken links, odd-looking graphics. No worries, it’ll be fixed by next week. Plus, there’s lots of other fun stuff in this issue, from leaked memos to delayed passports.

» Read this week’s newsletter online.

FIRST | Random thoughts about the week in travel

Burning question … Are you domesticated? — With new passport rules (see related blog entry) and tougher entry requirements into Canada, and perhaps even Mexico, are you staying in the country this year for your summer vacation? And if you live outside the U.S., here’s a question for you: Are tougher new visa requirements and Homeland Security issues keeping you from visiting the States? Send me a note or shoot me an IM (celliottlive on AIM).

About that LinkedIn invitation … If you subscribe to this newsletter, you’ve probably received an invitation this week to connect to me through LinkedIn, a useful networking tool. If you haven’t already accepted, please do … you’ll be able to leverage your connections (and mine) to reach an audience of other travelers and travel professionals.

SIGHTINGS | Noted Elliott appearances online and offline

A filthy room at the inn — When Stacie Heflin checks in at a Hampton Inn in Mississippi, she finds that her room isn’t clean. Among the items Heflin discovers lying around: a hairpin, a rubber band, a clothespin and a pill. Afraid that her toddler will help himself to some of the items, she ends up cleaning the room herself. Is she entitled to her money back under the hotel’s money-back guarantee? She thinks so, but the hotel isn’t responding to her queries. (From The Troubleshooter)

No luggage, no refund — Jim Mesick and his wife make the flight to Montego Bay, but their luggage doesn’t. When they pay $133 for new clothes and toiletries, and ask their airline for a reimbursement, they’re turned down. The reason? They went shopping too soon. Or did they? (From The Troubleshooter)

When UFOs land, it’s time for a nap — Business travel is a lot like space travel. I should know. I used to direct the fatigue countermeasures program at NASA, where we studied the effects of space travel on astronauts. And as an independent scientist, I am constantly traveling on business, so I see how frequent fliers handle exhaustion. (From The New York Times)

BLOGGED | New posts on CSR and Ellipses

‘Members of an Inadmissible Class’ — So you finally got a passport, eh? Might not be enough to get you into Canada — or other countries, for that matter. Our neighbors to the north have been cracking down on members of what they call an Inadmissible Class, which includes travelers convicted of shoplifting, theft, assault, dangerous driving or unauthorized possession of a firearm. (From Ellipses)

Two more overboard! — Were they re-enacting that scene from Titanic, where they stand at the bow of the ship and scream, ‘I’m the king of the world!’? We may never know. But what we do know is that an American couple fell off their balcony of the Grand Princess and into the Gulf of Mexico last weekend. (From Ellipses)

Warning: State Department passport backlog — We shoulda seen this one coming. The State Department apparently has a significant backlog of passport applications, which could affect the vacations of tens of thousands of Americans this summer. (From Ellipses)

US Airways explains last weekend — By now you’ve probably read accounts of last weekend’s weather-related airline delays, most of which affected US Airways. But what does the airline have to say about the incident? In an internal memo from US Airways’ CEO Doug Parker to employees, the carrier analyzes the event and draws a few interesting conclusions. (From Ellipses)

FLASHBACK | A retrospective from the Elliott archives

More on passport missteps …

Wrong name on my ticket — My husband and I recently purchased two roundtrip tickets to Rome from OneTravel. As soon as I had keyed in the purchase, I realized that I had listed my husband’s name as Jack Finegan. In fact, his legal name is John Andrew Finegan. (From The Troubleshooter)

The hunt for a valid ticket — My 20-year-old son booked his first trip to Europe recently through Travelocity.com. When he was asked for his full name, he typed in the one he always goes by, Hunt. It’s a derivative of his given name, Huntley. (From The Troubleshooter)

POSTCARDS | The latest from Elliott’s personal photo blog

Play ball! — Spring training is over. Let’s play ball! (Oh, alright, this isn’t a baseball … but who cares!)

Hey, Babe — Uncle Dustin seems to be keeping me at arm’s length. He cringes whenever someone says the word ‘projectile.’ I have no idea why.

The boys on spring break — We’re hanging out with Uncle Dustin on his spring break. He’s fun to play with.

That way! — Uncle Dustin is like a horse. You tell him where to go, and he goes there!

On the train — Dad is doing funny stuff with the camera, again. I don’t normally look this artsy.

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Elliott’s E-Mail is published 50 times a year by Christopher Elliott. (c) 2007 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.

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