Looking for advice from the Elliott Advocacy team? This is where you will find it. These are the tales from consumers who have asked for our assistance.
Now that vacation season is over, it’s time to start thinking about ways to improve your travel literacy — loosely defined as your ability to get around without looking like a clueless tourist — before your next trip.
Please welcome Carson Harris to the exclusive club of air travelers who have been downgraded. It happened to Harris on British Airways, which presented him with an involuntary flight downgrade on one segment of a roundtrip flight to Bucharest.
There’s no quick answer to the question, “How do I find the best hotel room?” That’s because no two hotel rooms are exactly alike. They defy easy SeatGuru-ization, which is to say you can’t create a reliable online directory of room sizes and amenities.
The quoted rate for an “amazing” three-bedroom condominium in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, looked too good to be true. The unit, which featured flat-screen TVs, beds with “lush, warm comforters,” a gourmet kitchen and a lanai overlooking Lake Pend Oreille, cost only $1,900 for the month. And guess what? It was too good to be true.
What happens when a cruise line forgets your amenity? That’s the question facing Carol McHale, who ordered a birthday gift for her father from MSC Cruises, who was on his first solo trip since his wife’s death.
His present got lost at sea.
Brent Bowen may be America’s leading airline critic, but he’s also a frequent air traveler. Of course, he has a few air travel secrets. His advice on flying better may help you have a problem-free flight.
When it comes to the best hotel review sites in the world, the real winners aren’t the usual suspects. They are “none of the above.” This may be good news for discerning travelers looking for accurate lodging advice.
Of all the hotel annoyances, the one that bothers Louise Sattler the most is the smells.
“Scents,” she says, “and smoking in hotel rooms.”
Tipping is a hot topic again, thanks to a controversial ballot measure raising the minimum wage for restaurant workers in Washington, D.C., and recent social-media campaigns such as the #tipthebillchallenge that have drawn attention to low server wages.
With mortgage rates edging higher, and housing market uncertainties ahead, applying for a home loan is trickier than ever. But, as always, it’s the fine print that’ll get you.
