I read so many great tips on websites like flyertalk and on travel blogs that I'm often amazed at how amateurish the travel "consumer reporters" are in the media. Pauline Frommer comes to mind, but the hands down winner of "how does he get published" has to be Chris Elliott. Sometimes he writes pure nonsense, like the infamous front-page story about Airbus supposedly developing a standing-room-only airplane.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/op...07fe0f&ei=5070 But his day-to-day, nuts and bolts travel stories just seem so, well, misguided.
Take today's piece about how to get more value for your travel dollar. This is his top recommendation for saving money on airline tickets: "But perhaps the best inflation-fighter can be found offline: a trusted travel agent who knows how to find a high-quality air travel experience at a reasonable rate."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18475171/
Really? Do such people still actually exist? I know there are still corporate travel agents out there, and some folks who specialize in, well, specialty travel, but are there really still agents who you can call to help you book a cheap flight? That seems so, well, 1988. I certainly don't know anyone who uses a travel agent for routine leisure bookings, yet alone one who you'd hire to find you a low fare.
Elliott then goes on to tackle the rising cost of hotel rooms (a genuine concern). He cites one unnamed study that says the cost of an "economy " hotel room is now $164. That seems incredibly wrong. But then instead of just recommending websites like priceline, he offers this suggestion:
"Travelers are attacking this kind of vacation inflation by choosing alternative accommodations, like camping, staying with friends, or short-term rentals. New online sites such as Homeaway.com and Forgetaway.com are connecting travelers to some of these non-hotel options. One of the biggest shifts, though, is happening in the minds of travelers, as they begin to treat a room as nothing more than a bed to sleep in."
Huh? There's certainly something to be said for camping, but I know few people who do it as an alternative to staying in a hotel. And there's much to recommend a vacation rental, but cost isn't the primary consideration (space to spread out would be). I also see no evidence that consumers are suddenly flocking to "no frills" downmarket hotels to save money. To the contrary, it seems that a more affluent America is becoming even fussier with their hotel selections.
In short, this stuff is as full of holes as swiss cheese. Surely they can find someone who would be more helpful to their readers.