Author ∣ Advocate ∣ Journalist
Smart Consumer is a weekly syndicated column that offers smart, actionable advice to customers. If you’re interested in publishing this feature, please contact Elliott directly at chris@elliott.org or (202) 370-7934.
Finding the best vacation rental is a lot harder than it looks — unless you use a new feature called a Trip Board.
Decisions about vacation rentals are usually complex and collaborative. It’s you and your significant other, kids, grandparents, maybe even a travel agent. And in the past, that meant emailing or texting a lot of property descriptions to a group that, if it’s like my family, never agrees about much of anything.
Read more “A new trick for finding the best vacation rental”
There’s no place like home, according to a survey by Virtuoso, a network of travel agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel. A new analysis by the company of the best vacation spots in the world found that the United States ranked first.
The Virtuoso study is one of several lists released just as the busy summer travel season gets underway. The surveys suggest that when it comes to the hottest travel destinations, closer is better. But beyond a few always-popular places, there’s not much agreement among the experts.
Read more “These are the best vacation spots in the world”
The best and worst hotels, airlines and online travel websites are not necessarily what you think they are, according to a new study. The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) just released its authoritative travel ratings, and there are a few surprises.
Alaska Airlines, JW Marriott and TripAdvisor top the 2019 rankings, which are out just before the busy summer travel season gets underway. Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines, Motel 6, and Priceline round out the bottom.
Read more “Here are the best and worst airlines, hotels and travel websites”
Last week, researchers from Wichita State University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University released the closely-watched Airline Quality Ratings (AQR). Yesterday, the team responsible for the ratings sat down for an exclusive conversation with me to explain what the scores mean. Their airline secrets may help you have a smoother flight this year.
In case you missed it, the 2018 Airline Quality Rating showed Delta Air Lines in first place, followed by JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines. Spirit Airlines, American Airlines and Frontier Airlines came in last.
Read more “These airline quality secrets will make your next flight better”
It’s going to be a big year for travel insurance. Really big. But do you have the right travel insurance?
A survey by the travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth predicts 24% more travelers will insure their international trips in 2019 than last year. Generali, the travel insurance company, says travelers spent an average of $139 per trip on insurance in 2018, unchanged from the previous year.
Read more “How to choose the right travel insurance for your next vacation”
