This is why the bad service you get is your fault

By Christopher Elliott |

Bad service is your fault. If you’re stuck in an uncomfortable airline seat or have to pay an exorbitant resort fee for a hotel stay, you don’t have to look too far for the reason. Just find a mirror.

At least that’s what travelers like Gene SirLouis, a manufacturer’s representative from the District, believe. “We want everything cheaper and cheaper and cheaper,” he says. “That’s why the size of an average airline seat is smaller than the size of an average human. We have to take some of the blame.” Read more “This is why the bad service you get is your fault”

Is this the worst travel agent ever?

By Michelle Couch-Friedman |

Christopher Anderson believes he might just have discovered the worst travel agent ever — one who lacks even basic geography skills. Just how bad were those skills? Well, Anderson and his wife asked this “professional” to plan a vacation to Cabo San Lucas. But she booked them a trip to Cancun, on the opposite side of Mexico. Then to make matters worse, this geographically challenged agent expected the couple to pay for her mistake.

What is going on here, and can the Elliott Advocacy team help?  (updated) Read more “Is this the worst travel agent ever?”

I wanted my baby to fly in his own seat. What went wrong?

By Christopher Elliott |

Isla Hale-Burgess’ son Jack is an “active” 18-month-old, so when she booked a flight from Seattle to London to attend a family wedding next month, one thing was clear: Her baby had to have his own seat.

She says she paid for an infant seat when she booked her flights on British Airways through Hopper, a popular flight-search app. But then she didn’t get one. Read more “I wanted my baby to fly in his own seat. What went wrong?”