I‘m often asked about the worst “gotchas” out there, and given that I wrote the book on the subject, I ought to know. But as I discover in this week’s Mint.com personal finance column, the answer is constantly changing. You’ll want to read it to find out what scams to look for in 2012. I [...]
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Remember all that talk about the passenger rights a few years ago? Well, the chickens came home to roost with the likely passage of the FAA Reathorization bill and several new DOT rules, and the news is … well, it’s hard to say for sure.
A customer who cheats a company out of rightfully-earned revenue is the ultimate “man-bites-dog” story for consumer reporters. But what would you do if you could cheat — and get away with it?
It was inevitable. Sooner or later, I knew I’d have to come back to New York. So here I am!
Want to travel like an insider? Well, now you can.
What if you could take the Travel Troubleshooter on your next trip? Well, in a few days, you’ll be able to. I’m excited to introduce a series of ebooks that you can download directly to your iPad, Kindle or Nook, that will help you deal with any travel problem you might encounter. And best of [...]
I‘m only a few days — hours, really — from announcing my new travel project. The suspense is killing me! So here’s what I’m going to do: Tomorrow, when I’m on stage at the Philadelphia Inquirer Travel Show (I’m appearing from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.) I’ll make my announcement. But … if you want to [...]
I have some very exciting news.
It only takes a few seconds for the average credit card transaction to process. If you’re paying by cash, the money changes hands even faster. But getting money back? Ah, that’s another matter. In my Mint.com column this week, I’ll show you how to get a quicker refund.
This is the “after” picture of Christy Nidle’s Hertz rental last year in Perugia, Italy. “I changed lanes and scraped a car passing me from behind,” she says.
Welcome to 2012! I have a couple of really useful consumer columns to ring in the New Year on Mint.com, including your stories of being ripped off — and surviving it — my true confessions of being scammed (and what you can learn from it).
This is the time of year for the legendary “mileage runs” — the fabled flights to nowhere that elite-level frequent fliers take in order to retain their status. But in my latest National Geographic Traveler column, I wonder if the game is worth playing at all.
It isn’t too soon to start thinking about your New Year’s resolutions. If you’re a smart consumer, here’s 12 of them to consider from my Mint.com column. It’s the kind of advice that will help you avoid what I call the Money Apocalypse. Also, check out my rant on 7 holiday scams that can cost [...]
I’m leading off today’s newsletter with the unusual story about a passenger who says she suffered multiple bug bites on a recent flight. Did her airline do enough to help her?

Elliott is consumer advocate
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