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ELLIOTT'S E-MAIL
http://www.elliott.org

November 21, 2004

>> Inside <<

* Controversy? Click Here
* Bad Restaurant Recommendations?
* We're Here For You
* This Week in Travel
* An R&R Resort for the Troops
* BOHICA
* One Fine Mess
* Promises, Promises
* Flashback: Mr. Fixit's 2003 Columns
* ATA's Mileage Mishap
* Disney Disaster
* No Refund for Ruined Pants
* Unsolved Travel Mysteries

>> First Off <<

** Controversy? Click Here
This newsletter never shies away from controversy. Just check out this week's issue. In it, James Wysong takes on airline acronyms, John Frenaye blows the lid off travel fees, and I address the problem of broken promises. That's not enough, you say? Well, we've got you covered in Flashback, where we examine a series of columns in 2003 that were so controversial, they nearly killed this travel writer's career. (Fortunately, they didn't.) Happy reading - and happy Turkey Day!

>> Underwritten By <<

** BookingBuddy.com
Find the lowest airfare for your next trip at BookingBuddy.com. Enter your departure and arrival cities and travel dates, then click on any of the travel providers to get their best fare offers. You can choose from the major travel sellers as well as top airlines. BookingBuddy.com is the fastest way to find the lowest price on airfare. > Compare fares now.

>> By The Way <<

** Bad Restaurant Recommendations?
Ever gotten a restaurant tip that turned out to be terrible? When you travel, everyone from your hotel concierge to the free "restaurant guide" tries to tell you where to eat. But what happens when their recommendations don't live up to your standards? Share you story with us. Please e-mail us. As always, please include your full name, city, and what you do for a living.

** We're Here For You
It's Thanksgiving week in the United States. And if the projections are true, it will be the busiest such holiday for travel ever. Other travel newsletters shut down. Not us. We'll be here with new columns, and Travel Notes will continue to post every day. Count on us.

> Be part of the debate and win Travelpro luggage. Anyone who e-mails us for any reason will qualify for a luggage giveaway (your comments don't have to be published). So if we have your e-mail address on file, you're automatically entered in the drawing.

> Trying to e-mail me? Please read this first.

>> This Week in Travel <<

News, opinion and analysis from Elliott's Travel Notes.

> Travel Industry Braces For T-Day (11/19)

> Crime Wave Hits Brazil Visitors (11/18)

> Record Thanksgiving Travel Predicted (11/17)

> Longer Airport Layovers More Common (11/16)

> TSA Orders Airlines to Hand Over Data (11/15)

> See archived blog postings or catch up on today's news.

> NEW! Sign up for Travel Notes by e-mail. Find out more.

>> Also Underwritten By <<

** Net-roamer.com
Access the Internet anywhere in the World through a local call, keeping your own email address and home ISP at a reasonable cost per minute. User-friendly point and click software enables analog dial-up, ISDN, and broadband. Thousands of access points, many "all-cities" and "toll-free" with access throughout the country that you are visiting. No sign-up fees. No minimum usage or monthly quotas. Pay for usage only. Detailed usage reports. First half-hour free. Professional, personal service. > Check it out.

>> On Elliott.org <<

** An R&R Resort for the Troops
Shades of Green, an exclusive resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, caters to military personnel. Reporter Christopher Elliott talks with soldiers who are vacationing after completing recent tours of duty. > Details in National Public Radio.

>> On Ticked.com <<

** BOHICA
Many responded to last week's short reference on airline acronyms, so just for fun, I thought I would print a full list this week. > In A Frank Steward.

>> On Travelcomment.com <<

** One Fine Mess
Fine print is all around us and the travel industry leads the pack. While the terms and conditions are always available somewhere, they rarely are clear and concise. More often than not, they are so onerous and restrictive that the consumer does not have a fighting chance. Once again, when it comes to the tiny print (or that terms and conditions button) the best advice seems to be - buyers beware. Take a recent ad for Northwest Airlines' holiday fares, for example. Lansing to Washington: $59. But the small print tells a different story. > In John Frenaye's column.

>> On Triprights.com <<

** Promises, Promises
If bad weather grounds your flight on a stopover, what should your airline do to help you? According to most airline contracts, the answer is "nothing." But after one passenger experiences a string of delays on her way from Memphis to Vail, Colo. - some of them mechanical-related - the airline's claim that it's off the hook starts to ring hollow. Now her daughter is stuck with a hotel bill that the airline agreed to pay. Find out who is responsible for what - and how you can prevent this from happening to you on your next flight. > In Fix My Trip.

>> Also Underwritten By <<

** FirstClassFlyer.com
Want to fly first class for less than what others pay for coach? Looking for free and purchased upgrades, 2-for-1s, advanced ticketing techniques, and a fast-track to elite status strategies? Look no further ... these hot deals and more are available at First Class Flyer's Web site.

>> Flashback: Mr. Fixit's 2003 Columns <<
In 2003, The Travel Troubleshooter was so controversial that it almost flamed out. I'll spare you the details. Here are a few of the most memorable cases.

** ATA's Mileage Mishap
When his hard-earned mileage voucher never shows up in his mailbox, a despondent traveler asks ATA to reissue the ticket. No can do, says the carrier, and asks him to recheck his mail. Can't the airline just print another voucher? After a frustrating exchange of e-mails with the airline, the frequent flier asks the Travel Troubleshooter to investigate. > In Fix My Trip.

** Disney Disaster
A theme park ride accident leaves a visitor in pain and ruins the rest of her vacation, she says. But should Disney offer her a refund? It would be nice, but the Mouse isn't even returning her phone calls at the moment. In fact, it's been stonewalling her for the better part of a year. Is it time to call in a professional? > In Fix My Trip.

** No Refund for Ruined Pants
A water leak in the room above his ruins a pair of expensive pants. Although the hotel offers a refund for the night, it balks at buying him a new pair of slacks. Does he have any recourse? And does the hotel really owe him a new pair of pants to begin with? In a hotel stays gone wrong issue. > In Fix My Trip.

** Unsolved Travel Mysteries
Not every case that crosses my desk is solvable. Sometimes, a travel company refuses to help a traveler with a legitimate gripe. Here are two such complaints, one of which involves an airline that is openly hostile to journalists who try to help their passengers. And it's a story about how, finally, a carrier with a notoriously bad customer service record does right by a customer. > In Fix My Trip.

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** Journeyware.com
The new destination for exceptional luggage, business/tech cases and travel accessories from leading brands like Travelpro, Lewis N. Clark, RoadWired and more. Great prices, fast, free UPS ground shipping on orders of just $50 or more! All with a level of uncompromising, personal service that you might not be used to getting these days (especially if you are a frequent traveler). Enter coupon code ELLIOTT and click "update" at checkout for an additional 10% off any order.

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>> Who's Reading Elliott's E-Mail? <<

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