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Christopher Elliott

@elliottdotorg.bsky.social
258 followers 8 following 978 posts

Author, journalist and consumer advocate. Founder of Elliott Advocacy. I'm here to help. Email chris@elliott.org

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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 13h
Tracey Croisier's $1,866 Lenovo Yoga couldn't last a 10-mile drive on battery. After five repairs, a rep told her to turn it off in the car. www.elliott.org/problem-solv... #Lenovo #ConsumerRights
elliott.org
Help! My $1,866 Lenovo Yoga is an expensive paperweight
A $1,866 Lenovo Yoga died on short drives and ran hot after five repairs. What a warranty owes after repeated failed fixes, and how she got her refund.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Swiss moved a Florida couple from premium economy to economy. Then it said an Easy Cash card at the Zurich airport had covered their refund. They never got a card. www.elliott.org/the-troubles... #travel #airlines
elliott.org
Help! Swiss bumped us to the back of the plane, and now our refund is gone
Swiss downgraded a couple from premium economy, then claimed it had paid them with a cash card they never got. What EC 261 actually owes for a downgrade.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Experian had three business days to lift Robert Boisvert's credit freeze. He waited three months. The only help on offer came with a paid protection plan. www.elliott.org/advocacy/exp... #CreditFreeze
elliott.org
Experian said his credit was unfrozen. So why couldn't he buy a car?
The credit bureau insisted his credit freeze was lifted. His account said otherwise. What the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires — and how to break a bureau standoff.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Britain's travel permit costs twice what it did at launch. The U.S. ESTA went from $21 to $40.27. Here's what every entry fee costs now. www.elliott.org/on-travel/tr... #Travel #TravelNews
elliott.org
Travelers are facing more entry and exit fees than ever. Here's what you need to know.
New Zealand, the UK, the US and more now charge to enter. What every travel entry fee costs, which ones fund conservation, and how to dodge fake visa sites.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Our advocates read every complaint. Too many arrive already broken, usually by a single word. "I'll sue" is one. Here's what else sinks a case. www.elliott.org/blog/these-7... #ConsumerAdvocacy #CustomerService
elliott.org
These 7 phrases will doom your consumer complaint
Here's what each one costs you — and what to write instead
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Resorts are soft targets, and guests make them softer. Security experts say magnetic stripe key cards at older hotels can be cloned in seconds. www.forbes.com/sites/christ... #TravelSafety #Hotels
forbes.com
Is Your Hotel Room Safe? The Mistake You’re Making Right Now
A wave of resort security amnesia is sweeping through hotels, turning savvy travelers into easy marks. Here’s how to stay safe on your next trip.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Airlines say showing the full fare up front would confuse you and raise prices. Airbnb switched to total pricing in 2025, so I checked what happened next. www.elliott.org/blog/honest-... #Airfare #Travel
elliott.org
Honest pricing works in travel. Just ask Airbnb.
Airlines say showing the full airfare would confuse you and raise prices. Airbnb switched to total-price display and kept growing. The case for honest fares.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Residents of Freiamt, a Black Forest village, raised more than $1 million in eight weeks for their first wind turbines. Now tourists book tours to see them. Saving the planet wasn't the reason. www.forbes.com/sites/christ... #SustainableTravel #BlackForest
forbes.com
This German Tourist Attraction Runs On Wind And Firewood
Freiamt, a village in Germany’s Black Forest, built its energy system for reasons that had nothing to do with saving the planet. Now travelers book tours to see it.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Queenstown's jet boats hit nearly 60 mph on gas. The prototype electric one weighs a ton too much to spin the same way. www.elliott.org/destinations... #NewZealand #SustainableTravel
elliott.org
How Queenstown, New Zealand, is creating a greener adventure capital
Queenstown wants to be the green adventure capital. Inside the push to electrify jet boats and bungee jumping, and the weight problem holding it back.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A $1,856 GE washer bangs into the walls on every real load. Five technician visits. One tested it with no water and no clothes. GE closed the case because it couldn't duplicate the problem. www.elliott.org/problem-solv... #ConsumerAdvocacy
elliott.org
My GE washer is a heavy metal drummer, but I didn't buy tickets to the show
A GE washer that banged the walls passed every technician's test on empty loads. What the warranty law actually requires after repeated failed repairs.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
He prepaid his Spain and Portugal tour 10 months early to lock in the price. Then Overseas Adventure Travel billed him $670 more. www.elliott.org/the-troubles... #travel #consumerrights
elliott.org
My tour operator promised a price lock—and then broke it
A price-lock plan should mean no surprise charges. This traveler prepaid a year early, then got billed $670 more. What the fine print and federal rules say.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Robert Logan paid $489 for two Daryl Hall tickets in Denver. Hall canceled. Logan called StubHub six times and got the same line: we'll escalate, give us 4 to 5 days. The refund never showed. www.elliott.org/advocacy/whe... #ConsumerRights #StubHub
elliott.org
When your Daryl Hall concert is canceled but the refund is out of touch
A canceled concert should mean an automatic StubHub refund. It took six calls, a chargeback tangle, and an advocate. What the FanProtect fine print hides.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Travelers are buying more trip guarantees than ever, in the quietest Atlantic storm season on record. Caribbean bookings through Squaremouth are up 21% over last year. We read the fine print on what pays out. www.elliott.org/on-travel/is... #travel #travelinsurance #consumeradvocacy
elliott.org
Is it worth paying extra for a "risk-free" vacation?
Travelers are buying more trip guarantees than ever, even in a record-quiet storm season. Which ones pay out, and where the fine print hides the catch.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Gateside by TSA PreCheck lets vetted travelers without a ticket clear the checkpoint and walk to the gate at 13 airports. Free. It lands with the shoe rule gone and the liquids limit under review. www.elliott.org/forum/have-w... #TSA #airtravel
elliott.org
Have we forgotten the lessons of 9/11?
Gateside by TSA PreCheck lets visitors without tickets past the checkpoint at 13 airports. Is that a good idea?
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Freiburg, Germany, spent 40 years on sustainability. A visitor can walk the city and miss all of it. www.forbes.com/sites/christ... #SustainableTravel #Germany
forbes.com
In Freiburg, Germany, Sustainability Is Invisible — And Irresistible
The city has spent 40 years getting sustainability right. Almost none of it is visible, and that’s by design. Here’s what you’ll find.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Almost no one cancels travel insurance during the free look period. AXA says 2 to 3 percent do. Squaremouth says 1.1 percent. The window runs 3 to 21 days, and one ordinary move closes it early. www.forbes.com/sites/christ... #TravelInsurance #ConsumerRights
forbes.com
Your Travel Insurance Policy Has A Refund Policy. Here's What's In Yours
Almost no one uses the “free look” period when they buy a trip insurance policy. Here’s how it works, what ends it early, and what to read before the clock runs out.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
An algorithm set your airfare. Another answers your complaint with a non-answer and waits for you to give up. AI reached travel years ago, and no one is pacing that frontier. www.elliott.org/blog/pace-th... #AI #TravelNews
elliott.org
Pace the frontier? In travel, AI is already making our lives miserable
From setting airfares to deflecting consumer complaints, computer algorithms are already making travel unbearable. A few simple rules might fix it.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Janice Lintz canceled her Nepal trip over civil unrest. Her credit card insurer said that isn't terrorism, so her claim hit a wall. www.elliott.org/safe-travels... #TravelInsurance #Travel
elliott.org
Is travel insurance useless in a crisis? Here's what you need to know
Coverage often excludes civil unrest, covering only official terrorism. Why the gap exists, and how to actually protect a trip to a volatile place.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A Santa Ana dog owner says his Ring camera caught the Rover sitter shut in a back room for 17 of 24 hours. His dog swallowed something and nearly died. Rover denied the $5,272 vet claim. www.elliott.org/problem-solv... #ConsumerRights #PetCare
elliott.org
Rover left my dog home alone for 17 hours, and now it refuses to pay the vet bill
A Rover sitter left a healthy dog alone for hours, the owner says, and it turned critically ill. Why Rover denied his $5,272 vet claim, and what he recovered.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Princess quoted $1,449 for a suite upgrade. The confirmation said "paid in full." Months later it added $3,967 and said: pay, downgrade, or lose the cruise. www.elliott.org/the-troubles... #cruise
elliott.org
Can Princess Cruises charge you more after you paid in full?
Princess added nearly $4,000 to a booking marked paid in full, then said pay, downgrade, or lose the cruise. What paid in full should mean, and your options.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Frontier charged a passenger $99 for a carry-on that fit inside its own sizer. He had the photo. Frontier said the fee was non-refundable. www.elliott.org/advocacy/fro... #BaggageFees
elliott.org
Frontier Airlines baggage fees: When the sizer says yes but the agent says no
Frontier charged $99 for a bag that fit its own sizer, and the passenger had the photo. Why airlines override the evidence, and how he got it back.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
A traveler took a film camera to Oman and gave himself 36 shots. He says the limit made him stop and look longer. Film and paper maps are coming back. www.elliott.org/on-travel/an... #travel #slowtravel
elliott.org
Analog travel: why film cameras and paper maps are back
Why travelers are trading digital efficiency for a slower, more memorable trip now.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Ten categories of flight delay leave the airline's column on Oct. 19. One is unscheduled maintenance, the delay that's supposed to get you a hotel and meal vouchers. DOT says it can't estimate how often it happens. www.elliott.org/forum/a-main... #travel #airlines
elliott.org
The government is letting airlines off the hook for some flight delays. Here's what it means for you.
New delay categories begin October 19. Is this the first step toward shifting the cost of maintenance failures to you?
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
A federal committee that's supposed to protect air travelers hasn't met since January 2023. It meets Sept. 22. The agenda: three items, all about posters. No votes. www.elliott.org/blog/an-air-... #AirTravel #ConsumerRights
elliott.org
An air travel watchdog woke up after three years. It wants to bark at posters.
A federal air-travel watchdog meets for the first time in over three years, with one consumer voice and an agenda of just posters. What it leaves out.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
A lodge near Glenorchy, New Zealand, makes more power in a year than it uses and sells the surplus to the grid. Across the lake, an 1868 tavern runs 171 solar panels. Where one owner's profits go is the surprise. www.elliott.org/destinations... #sustainabletravel #ecotourism
elliott.org
These New Zealand eco-lodges are redefining sustainability (and reaching for the stars)
Two eco-lodges near Glenorchy chase the same regenerative goal: the world's first Living Building lodge, and a solar retrofit of an 1868 pioneer tavern.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Amazon told Andrew Greenman in writing that $179 would be back on his card in 48 hours. It never arrived, and the company says the promise broke policy. www.elliott.org/problem-solv... #ConsumerRights
elliott.org
Help! Amazon said "yes" to a $179 refund—and then it said "no"
Amazon promised a $179 refund in writing, then reversed it over a closed return window. Whether a written promise binds a company, and how to fight back.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Dollar billed a Texas couple $1,858 for a Jeep they returned weeks earlier, then threatened repossession. www.elliott.org/the-troubles... #CarRental #ConsumerRights
elliott.org
Why did Dollar charge me $1,858 for a car they didn't have?
Dollar billed a couple $1,858 for a Jeep they had returned weeks earlier, then threatened repossession.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Budget gave the Oswalds a clean e-receipt for $312 at O'Hare. Five days later: a $450 bill for smoke residue, backed by photos that could show any white Mazda. Nobody in the car smokes. www.elliott.org/advocacy/hel... #CarRental #ConsumerRights
elliott.org
Help! Budget says I smoked in my car—but these photos prove nothing!
Budget charged a $450 smoking fee five days after a clean receipt, with photos of no car in particular.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
More than 20% of luxury hotel reviews were AI-generated last year. Double the 2022 rate. And 57% of the fakes carried five stars. How to spot the bots behind the praise, and why the tells are fading. www.elliott.org/on-travel/ho... #FakeReviews #AI #TravelTips
elliott.org
How AI bots are deceiving travelers—and what to do about it
Fake AI travel reviews have doubled since 2022 and skew heavily five-star. How to spot the bots behind the glowing praise, and why the tells are fading.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Dirk Shearer lost $15,000 in what he says was a fraudulent Western Union transfer. We turned him down. Three reasons, and our podcast is back today to explain all of them. www.elliott.org/blog/why-i-t... #ConsumerAdvocacy #Scams
elliott.org
Why I turned down a $15,000 case
We're rebooting our podcast today with a look at our failures (and there are many)
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
JetBlue announced a first class cabin on Sept. 1. Southwest announced lounges the next morning. Neither airline had either one for 25 years. I asked JetBlue what happens to main cabin legroom. Still waiting. www.elliott.org/forum/a-week... #airlines #travel
elliott.org
A week that changed everything for air travelers
Bags fly free and open seating are gone. Lounges and first class are coming.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Travel insurance premiums are up as much as 20 percent for some travelers. One reason is coverage you already pay for twice. www.elliott.org/safe-travels... #travelinsurance
elliott.org
How to save money on travel insurance without giving up the coverage you need
Premiums keep climbing and the checkout keeps pushing add-ons. The coverage you already carry may be paying for itself twice.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
She overpaid her Comcast bill by $4,762. Xfinity refunded it on a prepaid debit card. The balance now reads $82, and no one at the company can explain why. www.elliott.org/problem-solv... #Comcast #consumers
elliott.org
How to find $4,762 when Comcast says it's gone
She overpaid her cable bill by thousands, got it back on a prepaid card, then watched the balance quietly vanish.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Avis billed an Uber driver's card several times a day. His bank froze it as fraud. He asked Avis if he should return the rental and got: "Text when you're ready." Two days later a tow truck took the car. www.elliott.org/the-troubles... #Avis #CarRental
elliott.org
Avis said his car was stolen, but he was just waiting for a new debit card
The company repossessed an Uber driver's rental and banned him two years after his bank froze the account over its own erratic billing.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
A gate agent told Athena Smith she'd paid for her JetBlue flight with a stolen voucher. She had a credit card statement for $468. JetBlue banned her anyway. www.elliott.org/advocacy/ban... #JetBlue #TravelScams
elliott.org
Banned by JetBlue after booking through the wrong website
A gate agent said she'd paid for her flight with a stolen voucher. Here's how the scam works, how to get unbanned — and how to get your money back.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
A traveler in Tokyo had the newest luggage and a color-coded itinerary. One gate change later, he was arguing with airline staff in English, louder each time. www.elliott.org/on-travel/do... #travel #traveltips
elliott.org
Do you have a high travel IQ? Here's how you can tell
Shouting English louder. Panicking at a gate change. Dressing like a walking target.The signs of a low travel IQ are easy to spot, starting with your own.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Flock Safety rewrote its privacy rules after towns tore down its cameras. Airport face scanning is expanding to hundreds of checkpoints, with far less scrutiny. www.elliott.org/forum/americ...
elliott.org
Americans are tearing down surveillance cameras. Why not at the airport?
Flock Safety rewrote its privacy rules after a public revolt, but airport face scanning keeps expanding
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
The FTC wants companies to admit when your price is based on your data. I pushed for this months ago and got told I'd gone soft. The agency just proved me right. www.elliott.org/blog/the-pri... #FTC #ConsumerRights
elliott.org
The price on your screen is fiction
The Federal Trade Commission says sellers should admit when your personal data determines the price you pay. It doesn't go far enough.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Queenstown, NZ gets 3 million visitors a year and a lot of diesel exhaust. One tour operator says it's serious about closing the gap between what travelers claim to want and what they book. Here's how. www.elliott.org/destinations... #Travel #Sustainability
elliott.org
Can you turn tourists into conservationists? How one tour operator is trying to close the "say-do" gap
Travelers claim to care about the planet, then book on price. How one New Zealand tour operator is trying to turn 3 million visitors into advocates.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Brian O'Leary, 68, filtered for ADA seating to see Bruno Mars at Soldier Field. The map showed seats. Checkout said no, every time. Next day they were back through resellers at a markup. What the ADA requires: www.elliott.org/problem-solv... #Ticketmaster #ADA #ConsumerRights
elliott.org
The Bruno Mars ticket glitch that only affected fans with disabilities
ADA concert seating vanished at checkout, then returned through resellers at a markup. What the law requires, and the exchange right most fans never hear about.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Christine Grosart returned her Avis rental early in Spain after a family emergency. Her bill nearly doubled. A $673 charge landed on her card, and nobody had mentioned an early return fee. www.elliott.org/the-troubles... #CarRental #ConsumerRights
elliott.org
Avis charged her for returning a car early. Then things got complicated
An early return fee nearly doubled her Avis bill after a family emergency. Here's what a rental company must refund—and what it can keep.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The Westin Hilton Head caps pets at 40 pounds, two per room. Terry Reilly counted German shepherds, collies and pointers in the elevators. An accident on the carpet sat for 24 hours. His wife is allergic. The GM never wrote back. www.elliott.org/advocacy/how... #Hotels
elliott.org
How to get a refund when your luxury hotel stay goes to the dogs
The resort publishes a clear rule: pets up to 40 pounds, two per room. Terry Reilly counted German shepherds, collies and pointers. Then things got worse.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Average trip size fell from 2.14 travelers in 2020 to 1.95 in 2025, according to Squaremouth. Kiosks and QR menus finished what noise-canceling headphones started. Our new column on why airports feel so empty. www.elliott.org/on-travel/th... #travel #airtravel
elliott.org
The Great Disconnect: Here's why travel is lonelier than ever
Efficiency was supposed to make travel better, and in most ways it has. So why does an airport feel less like a place now and more like a corridor you pass through without meeting anyone?
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
American Airlines has been rebooking passengers off connections since 2023. The software is called AURA, and a Washington Post columnist discovered it this month. What the tool does and what the rules cover: www.elliott.org/forum/since-... #travel #airlines #AI
elliott.org
Since when does an airline change your itinerary without asking?
American Airlines' automated rebooking system has been running for three years. The well-publicized complaints about it are new.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Hackers emptied Amy Pollick's PayPal account. The bot offered a human, then repeated the offer word for word. She typed "Yes" four times. Four states require human review of some AI decisions. Losing $125 to hackers isn't covered. www.elliott.org/blog/every-c... #ConsumerRights
elliott.org
Every customer should have the right to reach a human
States are passing laws to guarantee customers can reach a real person. So why is Washington leaving some consumers trapped in AI chat loops?
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
A hurricane doesn't have to reach your destination to ruin the trip. Once a storm has a name, your insurance stops covering it. Here's what that rule means before you book: www.elliott.org/safe-travels... #TravelInsurance #HurricaneSeason
elliott.org
Why a hurricane that misses you can still ruin your vacation—and what to do about it
Hurricane travel insurance stops working once a storm is named. What the rule means, when CFAR is worth it, and what to ask a resort before you check in.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Jay Catelli's Alfa Romeo dashboard is pulling away from the air vents. His service contract covers interior wear. Mopar says the part number is on an exclusion list he never saw. The repair: $14,000. www.elliott.org/problem-solv... #ConsumerRights #Warranty
elliott.org
My Alfa Romeo's dashboard is falling apart and the warranty won't cover it
Mopar denied a $14,000 dashboard repair based on a secret exclusion list. Here is how one Alfa Romeo owner fought the warranty denial.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
A couple in their 70s missed their Delta connection in Atlanta after a weather delay. An agent told them to rest at Minute Suites and said Delta "might" pay. Then the airline downgraded their seats and denied both claims. www.elliott.org/the-troubles... #ConsumerAdvocacy
elliott.org
Help! Delta downgraded us and refused to pay for a place to sleep
The airline stranded them in Atlanta and downgraded their rebooked seats. Here's how they fought their refund denial.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Avis charged Tasha Huebner $450 for smoking in her rental car. She doesn't smoke. Her proof? A full gas receipt and a friend who doesn't smoke either. Avis' proof? Grainy photos of water spots. www.elliott.org/advocacy/avi... #JunkFees
elliott.org
Avis said she smoked in her rental car, but she had an alibi
Rental companies are increasingly using bogus smoking charges to boost profits. Find out how to fight a $450 cleaning fee if you are falsely accused.
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Christopher Elliott @elliottdotorg.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Ralph Velasco paid for first class and got a basket of snacks. The airline stopped serving meals on that route. Krista Kowalczyk packs her own coffee maker for $500 hotel rooms. An airline insider told me what's driving the cuts. www.elliott.org/on-travel/no... #travel
elliott.org
No-service summer: Why your vacation feels so cheap (but costs so much)
Airline meals, coffee makers and staffed front desks are quietly disappearing while prices hold. Why is this happening and how do you push back?
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