What’s new on Elliott? Dot-bomb travel bookings, Joe the skunk and very large green alligators

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(This week’s newsletter is transmitting a day early. I’ll be on assignment in Washington for the rest of the week.)

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This week’s burning question: how can government help travelers? Since I’m going to be spending the balance of my week meeting with legislators and lobbyists, I thought I’d ask: What, if anything, can the government do to make travel better? Are the airlines regulated enough? How about hotels, car rental companies and travel agencies? Please share your thoughts, and don’t forget to include your full name, city and occupation.

Swine time. The most useful item I’ve seen about last week’s swine flu outbreak is this map of casualties.

Dot bomb! When your online purchase goes bad, how do you fix it? In my latest MSNBC.com column, find out what to do when your dot-com purchase goes dot-bomb. And in this week’s Travel Troubleshooter, read all about one woman’s misunderstanding with her car rental company regarding “optional” insurance and how it was (and wasn’t) resolve.

Joe the skunk. The wedding is called off, but how about those nonrefundable, non-changeable airline tickets you bought for the honeymoon? Yes, there’s a happy ending to the tale of Joe the skunk. Plus, catch an updated version of my column on outrageous car rental fees and a detailed response from the American Car Rental Association. And find out how some car rental companies feel about a-la-carte fees (hint: they’re not crazy about ‘em). And learn about how one of Facebook’s most popular travel applications just got a facelift.

Giant green alligators If there’s a theme to this week’s Souvenirist adventures, it’s “alligators.” But first, let me point you to our Flickr site, where I’ve posted some nice photos of our weekend trips. We went to Christmas, Fla., to look for a hundred-foot alligator — the largest of its kind on earth — and shot this video. We also took a really fun boat trip in Winter Park, Fla., but alas, found no ‘gators.

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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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