Elliott's E-Mail 01/14/2014

 □ BECOME A 2014 UNDERWRITER

If you love the consumer advocacy on Elliott.org, please consider renewing your site membership for 2014. Here's how to do it. 

□ ARE HOTEL RESORT FEES ABOUT TO CHECK OUT?

U.S. hotels collected an estimated $2.1 billion in resort fees in 2013, about double the amount from a decade ago. Customers hate these travel surcharges. They wish companies would just quote an honest rate that includes all required fees. Maybe they're about to. Details are in my USA Today column. Join the discussion. 

□ THANK YOU, AIRPORTPARKINGRESERVATIONS.COM 

When it comes to booking travel, people have learned to shop smart, using the web to find the best deals on flights, hotels, vacations, and more. At AirportParkingReservations.com, travelers can do the same with airport parking. Plus, AirportParkingReservations.com is a proud sponsor of this site and newsletter. Please give them your business. 

□ WHAT DO YOU THINK? 

Have travelers lost their common sense? I'm interested in your thoughts about common sense among travelers. Are passengers in touch with reality, and if so to what extent? What's the most egregious example of a lack of common sense in travel that you've seen lately? Come on, you have to tell me! Here's my email address. As always, don't forget include your full name, city and occupation. 

Help us make travel better
Are you tired of just reading about the latest consumer problems? Do you want to do something about it? Well, now you can. We need volunteers with strong research, mediation and analytics skills to help build a next-generation consumer organization. It's gonna be big, and it launches in 2014. Here's how to get involved. 

Become a much smarter traveler
Pre-order my new book, How to Be the World's Smartest Traveler (and Save Time, Money, and Hassle). It'll help you navigate the ins and outs of the travel industry and save lots of time and money.Details are right here. By the way, if you're heading out somewhere on a trip and need help with something, I'd be happy to email you a draft of a chapter, whether you order the book or not. 

Let's talk!
The stories you see in this newsletter are just a starting point. I hope you'll take a minute to leave a comment, whether you agree or disagree with something I've written. Let's continue the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Google. I'm listening. And of course, I'm also here if you need me. Here's my email address. 

□ POSTS YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO MISS 

5 Ways to Make Sure You Get the Lowest Price Every Time
No one wants to overpay for a product or service. But how do you know you're getting the best rate? And if you're not being offered the lowest price, how do you negotiate it? Here's the answer. 

What are your rights as a hotel guest?
If you're staying at a hotel, your rights are spelled out in your state's lodging laws and in the property's terms and conditions. But don't lean on those for better customer service. I explain what to do. I have the answer in this week's videocast. 

Why do airlines hate it when you know your rights?
No industry understands that better than airlines, which parcels out information about itself on a need-to-know basis, if it does at all. Don't believe me? Then maybe you weren't one of the thousands of air travelers affected by last week's polar vortex, and who were stranded and left in the dark about their flights. Read more. 

When a beach isn't really a beach, and other travel disappointments
To call Smathers Beach in Key West, Fla., a beach might be a little stretch. The sand is imported from the Bahamas. On a recent windy day when I visited, there were no waves. Mostly, this island's signature beach doesn't have the scene you'd expect from a tropical resort, such as a boardwalk with concession stands. It's not alone. 

When renting a car, no good deed goes unpunished
After Chandra Bhandaru points out a few scratches on a Hertz rental, the car rental sends a bill — and then another bill. Now the company wants to refer the matter to a collection agency. What happened? 

Wireless company failed to deliver modem, then pocketed my money
Klaus Schuller's wireless modem doesn't arrive before his trip to Europe. It doesn't arrive while he's in Europe. Instead, it's waiting for him when he gets home. Why can't he get a refund for a hotspot he never got to use? 

Want to live debt free? 4 signs you might be getting ripped off
If you're a regular reader of my consumer advocacy columns, you probably already know that the word "free” should trip all kinds of alarms. But that's not all. 

Does this "disgusted” passenger deserve a full refund?
Airlines often speak from both sides of their mouth. They say their seats are unique products, and loathe the idea of "commoditization” which says all seats are basically the same. At the same time, they're unwilling to promise these amazing seats in writing. (In fact, most contracts won't even guarantee your flight will run on schedule or even you'll be offered transportation.) And they're more than willing to overlook their uniqueness to sell you a codeshare ticket on another airline. Read more. 

□ MY PARTING SHOT 

What's that, you haven't become an underwriter yet. Come on, here's how to do it.