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.

What’s the correct compensation for this Delta flight delay?

January 23, 2024November 19, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

John Esser’s recent return flight north “headed south,” so to speak. He’d like the airline to make things right.

Fly a mile, earn a mile? No, that would make too much sense

January 23, 2024November 18, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

Looking back, Jill Constable’s mistake wasn’t flying to Australia on American Airlines and Qantas. The connections from Dallas to Sydney, Ayers Rock, and Cairns made sense, from a scheduling point of view.

Do you have enough time to make your flight connection?

January 23, 2024November 17, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

When Mike Conrad bought an airline ticket from Washington to Berlin, the last thing he considered was his connection in Frankfurt, Germany.

Why are families drowning in travel fees?

January 23, 2024November 16, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

After Eric Kodish finished making his reservation at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani in Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach for the upcoming Christmas holiday, he tried to tie up one loose end: ensuring the two rooms he’d booked for his family were connected.

Dish’s billing system is broken and I can’t fix it

January 23, 2024November 14, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

Dish deducted $94 from William Leeper’s account without crediting him. Now it’s turned off his subscription TV service for non-payment. What gives?

Betrayed by a company? Here are 5 secrets for avoiding it

January 23, 2024November 13, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

The call between Frank Alioto and his favorite cruise line went down like something straight out of a made-for-TV drama. You know that turning point where the hero actually turns out to be the villain? Just like that.

I have until Friday to cough up $14,000 – should I pay?

January 23, 2024November 12, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

Given my backlog of cases, it’s unusual to cover about something I just heard about a few hours ago. It’s even more unusual to redact the name of both the passenger and the airline.

What is an airline credit really worth?

January 23, 2024November 10, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

It happened to Louise Andrew twice last month. She made reservations on the United Airlines Web site, tried to cancel them within 24 hours for a full refund, and was told that the airline would be happy to issue a ticket credit instead.

Are “custom” airfares good – or evil?

January 23, 2024November 9, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

One way or another, the way you buy an airline ticket is about to change.

Hey US Airways, do you really want my eyeball to explode on a plane?

January 23, 2024November 8, 2013 by Christopher Elliott

Jennene Colky can’t fly because she has a detached retina. Why won’t US Airways refund her ticket?