Christopher Elliott
CONSUMER ALERT: Airlines are hiking bag fees—again
Don’t look now, but the cost of checking your luggage is quietly rising again. American Airlines just raised the price for a second checked bag for tickets issued on or after February 20.
Your airline might be spying on you — and it should be illegal
When Cary Tatkin searched for the lowest airfare to Europe, he didn’t realize Lufthansa might be running its own search for the highest price it could extract from him.
Will an Iran war ground your travel plans?
If you’re holding a ticket to Europe or Asia, you might want to check your flight status after you finish this article. The U.S. military is massing an impressive amount of hardware in the Persian Gulf, with reports suggesting a decision to attack Iran could come within the next week.
This is the most dangerous thing you can do when you travel
It never crossed my mind that the most dangerous thing in Nairobi would be on the road. A mosquito carrying an exotic disease or a hippopotamus, maybe. But when I boarded a bus — and then gripped the seat in front of me in panic as it nearly collided with several vehicles on the road — I knew I was wrong.
Beware the Vortex! How a $197 hair gadget sparked a three-month fight with American Express
Joanne Pantaleo thought her pricey high-frequency wand would grow hair, not headaches. After the gadget died, the merchant vanished, and American Express sided with the fraudsters. Is she stuck with a broken gadget?
I paid Holland America for a cruise, but now it wants another $800!
Greg Rothman thought his Holland America cruise was locked in: a seven-day Caribbean sailing in a veranda stateroom for $650, courtesy of an MGM casino certificate. He pays in full and then books non-refundable airline tickets from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. Hours later, a second invoice arrives — this one demanding another $800 or threatening to bump him down to a windowless interior cabin.
My Enterprise rental car broke down! Do I deserve a refund?
When John Sand landed in Munich and picked up his rental car from Enterprise, he was ready for a fun-filled European road trip. Instead, he took an unexpected detour that left him without wheels for 36 hours and forced him to navigate a Kafkaesque customer service maze.
Has travel gotten too expensive? Yes, and here’s what to do about it
Does it cost too much to travel?
For people like Tim Plyant, the answer is yes. This summer, he plans to avoid travel entirely — it’s just too expensive.
CONSUMER ALERT: Why your next flight might be stuck in the slow lane—and what to do about it
If you’re heading to the airport this weekend, you might want to pack a little extra patience. As of midnight Friday, the Department of Homeland Security is out of money, and that means the people keeping our skies safe are back to working for IOUs. (We discussed the effectiveness of federalized security screeners on Saturday, and we’re still having a great conversation if you want to join.)