Ticked-off travel columnist challenges travel industry to stop telling lies

Christopher Elliott is cranky.
The author of the “Travel Troubleshooter” column that appears weekly at DallasNews.com and The Dallas Morning News’ Arts & life Sunday section says, “I’m ticked off.”
He’s talking about the travel industry he covers — hotels, airlines and rental car agencies.
“I’m mad as hell,” he says, describing himself as “a grizzled consumer advocate who has seen so much.”
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In his new book – The Unauthorized Travel Manual: Secrets for a Smarter Trip — he goes off on the travel industry.
He self-published the book because he was tired of arguing with mainstream publishers who worried that his naming names could cause legal ramifications.
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“There were things I couldn’t write,” he explains in the book’s introduction. “I decided to bypass the censors this time. This is too important to be silenced by a corporation. You deserve to know everything.”
Industry lies?
He doesn’t hold back. He writes, “How can I put this delicately? The travel industry lies.”
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His columns are a joy to read. The Sunday columns usually begin with how a traveler goes through a terrible hardship with a travel company. It’s one bad thing after the next.
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Then Elliott swoops in and saves the day. Beaten-up travelers assisted by Elliott usually get a full refund.
“People like to see a resolution,” he told me. “I don’t like failure.”
Nomadic lifestyle
He’s busy. He writes five columns a week, plus two newsletters. He is helped by several volunteers. He doesn’t charge travel victims for his services.
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Fun fact: He doesn’t own or rent an apartment or a house. He’s always traveling. When I talked to him about his book, he was in Germany researching a story on sustainability. His next stop is a family reunion in Greece.
Company contacts
He also runs a website that lists hundreds of contacts at big companies all the way up to CEOs.
For this, “we get fairly regular threats from companies to either take down their CEO’s personal email address or they’ll see me in court. But I’m protected by the First Amendment.”
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“I want to help people help themselves,” he explains.
Find the listings on Elliott.org.
Chris Elliott’s new book on travel pulls no punches. Screenshot
Value of journalism
He decided he wanted to help consumers through a Q&A style when he was only 18. In a family scrapbook, he came across a newspaper column in which his mother asked a question, and the answer appeared in the newspaper.
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“I read it and thought, “This is awesome. This is the best! I want to do this.”
Elliott has been a travel writer — a job he describes jokingly as “vigilante journalism” — for 26 years. (One of his jobs before that was as a Morning News intern in 1989.)
He urges travelers to slow down, absorb native customs and avoid trips that rush you from one touristy stop to the next.
I like his conclusion: When traveling, “a smile and kindness go a long way. These principles aren’t just about saving money or avoiding problems. They’re about embracing a different way of travel — one that’s more intentional, more respectful and more rewarding.”
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He knows he can’t solve everybody’s problem, but he’ll settle for, as he says, “changing the world one small problem at a time. People are having their life changed because of journalism.”
In the Know
Here are some key points from Chris Elliott’s new book, The Unauthorized Travel Manual: Secrets for a Smarter Trip.
Don’t play the part of the ugly American. “Pay attention to the volume of your voice,” he writes. “Don’t be loud, rude or entitled.”
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When visiting a foreign country, learn to say “thank you” in the native language. “You’ll become not only a better traveler but also a better global citizen.”
Never pay full price for travel. Avoid that by not accepting the first price offering you find. Consider the first price an opening bid.
Ask companies for a better deal so you can stay within your budget.
Loyalty programs are “scammy,” he says. They lock you into a company — and with fees, you may pay more, not less.
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Cut up your affinity cards tied to travel companies and switch to cash-back cards.
When it comes to packing for trips, travelers often overpack. Don’t. “Black goes with everything,” he writes.
You can apply for a second passport. That comes in handy when you must submit your passport for a visa. Keep each in a separate bag.
On trips, dress modestly so you are not immediately identified as an American. “Avoid wearing logoed T-shirts, baseball caps on backwards and sneakers, too.”
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In some countries, tipping might be a sign of disrespect. Do your research on local customs.
Is travel insurance worth it? Elliott says yes. He’s used it a number of times.
From his own experience, he writes, “rude guests almost never receive the same high level of services as polite travelers. … In other words, your good manners get you preferential treatment and keep you out of trouble.”