Deep Dive with Shawn Christopher Elliott - Travel Like a Champ (Hacking Your Way Around the World)
Post-pandemic travel poses unique challenges. Prices for vacation and car rentals have soared. Flights have been delayed and canceled as airlines have struggled with demand. And cruises started leaving port again after more than a year off the water. In this new travel landscape, I thought it would be a good idea to talk to an expert about consumer rights and expectations as the industry warms up again. So, today I’m talking to Christopher Elliott – founder and chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a consumer rights organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and help those who can’t, as well as the author of numerous travel books (including How to be the World's Smartest Traveler and Save Time, Money and Hassle, and Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals). Christopher also writes numerous regular columns for outlets such as Washington Post, Seattle Times, USA Today, National Geographic, and Forbes. He is also a contributor to NPR, Smithsonian, and Travel and Leisure. And, because he’s not busy enough, he also publishes the Elliott Report, which is a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a subscription newsletter that contains travel news and customer service.
In this conversation, we talk about the challenges consumers face, and the rights consumers enjoy, related to flights, vacation rentals, cruises, car rentals, and travel insurance. Things like:
- When and how to get your money back for a delayed or canceled flight
- Warning words to look for in vacation rental ads.
- How to find the location of a vacation rental even when you don’t have the address
- When you can get a refund from Airbnb or VRBO
- If cruises are safe
- If you should get travel insurance
- How to avoid surprise post-facto car rental charges
- And, the best approach to take when appealing for a refund or an apology
Mentioned:
Hichee.com
The Verge
Recommended:
Elliott Advocacy
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Majestic Earth - Joystock