Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can't. He's the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can't solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter.
Santa Fe is great for families. For many reasons, it's an all-around perfect place to be, especially if you're traveling with your family.

Why Santa Fe is a hot destination for families

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What can I say about Santa Fe? It’s a hot destination, especially this time of year when the average daytime highs are in the mid-80s.

But I’m not talking about the temperatures or even the fiery-hot cuisine. (Beware of the salsa!) Santa Fe is now an all-around great place to be for other reasons, especially if you’re traveling with your family.

Yes, it's possible to keep your phone number when you switch providers or move. This is how you can go about porting your phone number to a new service.

He wanted to keep his phone number. What happened?

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All William Wilson wanted to do was keep his phone number. He’d had the same number for 36 years, and everyone — friends, family, colleagues — knew it. And, most importantly, he knew his phone number by heart.

But his new phone company didn’t seem to care. So when he switched service, it issued a new number, despite repeated requests. Since then, he’s been trying to get it switched back to his old, familiar number — and to get a refund for the costs he incurred. Why did the company make porting his old number so hard?

If you're traveling for the first time with your kids this summer, I have some advice for you: Don't panic! Parents make mistakes when they travel. I know.

Avoid these mistakes every new parent makes when they travel

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If you’re traveling for the first time with your kids this summer, I have a little advice for you: Don’t panic! Parents make mistakes when they travel, and I know because I’ve been one of them. But I can help.

I would love to share an anecdote about the worst moment I ever experienced while traveling with my family. It would involve sugared-up toddlers, full diapers, angry hotel guests, crying infants, and some kind of sweet liquid spilled on a computer keyboard. But that scene has repeated itself so many times that I wouldn’t know which example to choose.

Because I spent 16 years at National Geographic, people often ask me: What's the best camera for a family vacation? Well, I have good news and bad news.

What is the best camera for a family vacation?

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Because I spent 16 years at National Geographic, people often ask me: What’s the best camera for a family vacation?

Then I have to deliver the good news and the bad news. The bad news? I wasn’t a photographer for the Society. (That’s what everyone in the building calls it, as if it’s some kind of secret society.) I wasn’t even at the Yellow Book (more NatGeo-speak for National Geographic Magazine). I was just the reader advocate for National Geographic Traveler.

The good news is: I didn’t waste any opportunity to learn from the photographers I met. And I met plenty of them. They taught me a lot about photography and then sent me on my way to document the last 17 years of family travel