Ed Perkins
Travel columnist Ed Perkins is a nationally recognized reporter and consumer advocate. His weekly columns focus on how travelers can find the best deals and avoid scams and misleading promotions.
Perkins recently retired as founding editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, one of the country's most influential travel publications, known for its consumer-oriented research and reporting. From 1992 until 1997 he was the principal author of the annual "Best Travel Deals" books (Consumer Reports). He has also written for the London-based Business Traveler magazine.
Perkins' travel expertise has led to frequent television appearances, including spots on ABC's "Good Morning America," "This Week with David Brinkley," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," CNN, and numerous local TV and radio stations.
Before Consumer Reports Travel Letter, Perkins spent 25 years in travel research and consulting with assignments ranging from national tourism development strategies to the design of computer-based tourism models.
Ed Perkins Samples
Seniors on the Go: Beware: Hotel gotchas
Booking a hotel you haven't previously visited is always something of a gamble. Resort fees. The problem for you, as a consumer, is that the initial rates displayed on your screen are less than you really have to pay. Not really a hotel.
Getting the best rental car prices
If you plan on renting a car this summer, a bit of forethought can help you knock quite a bit off a potential rental bill. Check alternate airports. -- In New York City, the $411 rate at JFK was about $40 less than the rates at La Guardia or Newark.
'Enforce the law? Who, us?'
Despite having authority to regulate airline fees on international tickets, the U.S. Department of Transportation decided on Nov. 6, 2012 not to enforce its statutory requirement.
Seniors on the Go: The change-fee gouge: Worse than you thought
The travel press has been full of reports that the four giant legacy lines -- American, Delta, United and US Airways -- just hiked the fees to re-issue "nonrefundable" tickets.
Frequent flyer seats: Big differences among lines
Your best chances of scoring a "free" frequent flyer domestic seat are on Southwest and JetBlue, concludes the latest Switchfly Reward Seat Availability Survey; you'll have the toughest time on Delta and US Airways.
Seniors on the Go: Boeing's 787: Fly or wait?
Boeing's radical 787 "Dreamliner" has turned out to be anything but a dream for Boeing and the airlines that ordered the plane. Why you should like the 787.
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