Elliott's E-Mail 01/21/2014

□ WHAT ELSE SHOULD THEY ALLOW ON A PLANE? 
Can we look past this ridiculous debate about cellphones on planes? Can we ignore, for a moment, the breathless opinion polls, the pompous declarations by airlines that they'd never allow wireless chatter in their cabins, and the heated discussions you've read in your favorite travel blog? The real debate is in this week's USA Today column. Be part of it! 

□ WHAT DO YOU THINK? 

Timing is everything, isn't it?
Have you ever experience a "time limited" offer in travel, like an expiring fare, a one-day special or a "buy now" deal? I'm working on a story about the psychology of timed offers up to and including companies like LivingSocial and Groupon, which sometimes offer travel products. What have your experiences been? Do you mind being told to act now, before the deal is withdrawn? Or do you think it's a cheap sales ploy? Here's my email address. As always, don't forget include your full name, city and occupation. 

Take the survey that could change the way you travel
It's just a few questions, but your response will help more than you can imagine. Here's the poll. 

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 

In 2014, beware of the word "free"
How dumb do they think you are? As the dust settled on the now-finished holiday shopping season, I couldn't help but wonder. Details are in my Mint.com column. 

When do you check out of your hotel early?
Sometimes, your hotel visit gets cut short by unexpected circumstances. Here's when you should consider calling it a day. 

It's the end of the airline industry as we know it
Airlines don't exist. I came to that somewhat Magrittesque conclusion after hearing from Julie Eisenberg, a loyal United Airlines customer who last year spent $1,700 per ticket to fly her partner and herself from Washington to Sydney. Read the details. 

When your credit card gets compromised at a hotel
A day after Sheilah Reardon checked into the Bellagio Las Vegas, she received an e-mail alert from American Express warning that her credit card had been compromised. Among the fraudulent charges: a $67 bill from an online memorabilia store. Who did it? Find out. 

Expedia double-charged me — can I get a refund?
Laura Pang has two airline reservations on Expedia. But she only needs one. Now the online agency refuses to refund the second charge. Is there anything she can do to persuade it to help her? 

Stuck with a pair of shoes – and confused about Sears' refund policy
Olga O'Hara wants to return the shoes she bought at Sears.com, but she's getting mixed signals from the company about how to do so. Is she stuck with her purchase? 

Hey, where'd the money go for my Hawaii condo?
Today's question isn't about whether I should try to mediate Deb DiSandro's case. She paid $3,203 for a vacation rental in Oahu that she obviously didn't get. I'm going to try to help her. But how? 

□ MY PARTING SHOT 

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

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