Christopher Elliott
Christopher Elliott is a journalist and consumer advocate.
His articles, columns and essays offer advice for people who want to become more informed travelers.
Elliott is National Geographic Traveler's ombudsman, a nationally syndicated columnist through Tribune Media Services, a columnist for MSNBC.com and a commentator and independent producer for public radio.
He's also the host of "What You Get For The Money: Vacations" on the Fine Living network.
Most of Elliott's career has been spent as an independent journalist. He's founded numerous Web sites dedicated to consumer advocacy, including _Tripso_, which he currently edits.
He's penned regular travel columns for ABCNews.com, CNN.com, Kiplinger.com, MarketWatch.com, MSN, The New York Times and USAToday.com. His essays have appeared on nearly every major U.S. newspaper's op-ed page.
Elliott is a contributing editor to SkiSnowboard America & Canada, the leading ski guide book in North America.
He has been featured as a travel expert on CBS, MSNBC, NPR, CNN, and Britain's ITN network. Other radio appearances include public radio's Marketplace and Sound Money, CNET Radio, and numerous ABC network affiliates. He's also been quoted as a travel expert in a variety of publications, from BusinessWeek to The Wall Street Journal.
Before he became an independent writer, Elliott worked for Dow Jones & Co., where he frequently wrote about the stock market and initial public offerings for The Wall Street Journal. He also served as a section editor for Travel Weekly, a travel trade publication. Elliott completed seven editorial internships, including stints at the Los Angeles Times, The Dallas Morning News and Reuters.
Elliott is a 1990 graduate of the University of California at Irvine, where he majored in humanities. He completed his Master of Journalism degree in 1991 at the University of California at Berkeley and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 1996.
Christopher Elliott Samples
Air Travelers, Let Your Voices Be Heard
The federal government is giving travelers an extra month to comment on proposed new consumer rules for airline passengers.
You Missed the Scratch on the Roof
XXXXX. When an Enterprise employee points to a scratch on the roof of Sandy Lamke's rental car, she's assured the company won't charge her for the damage. XXXXX. Q: I hope you can help me with a dubious repair bill I received.
Oh No, You Didn't! 5 Ways Travelers Have Lost Their Manners
They're loud. What is it about travel that makes people jettison their manners? Whether it's the Ugly American or the Entitled Elite, travel has no shortage of unflattering stereotypes. Hard to say. But the anecdotes.
Travel Complaints That Fail: 5 Kinds of Emails You Should Never Write
What kind of a complainer are you? Maybe you're the squeaky wheel -- the guest who keeps writing back over and over, even after you've been told "no" in a dozen different ways.
Hey, What Happened to My Internet Connection?
XXXXX. Michael Rosenthal is promised a high-speed Internet connection when he reserves a room at the Ramada Charleston through Hotels.com. Problem is, there's no Wi-Fi in the Ramada's rooms when he checks in. What now? XXXXX.
Revenge of the Hotel Clerks: 5 Things They'll Do to Difficult Guests
If you think your hotel clerk is out to get you, you might be right. Hotel employees are people, too -- people under a lot of pressure. Result: Hotel employees are grumpier than ever.
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