The Travel Detective: How to Get the Best Service and the Best Deals from Airlines, Hotels, Cruise Ships, and Car Rental Agencies (Paperback)

by Peter Greenberg (Author) "Most of us love to travel..." (more)
Key Phrases: surcharge exempt, fare basis code, bereavement fare, Los Angeles, New York, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The good news, according to travel writer Peter Greenberg, is that Americans are traveling more than ever before. The bad news is that we hate the process--the delayed flights, lost suitcases, overhyped cruises, and overpriced hotel rooms. We are a nation of unhappy but addicted travelers, doomed by our own inadequate travel planning and geographical ignorance. Never fear, though, the original savvy traveler has written the guide to end all guides on how to get to your destination and have a good time, too, by beating the airlines, hotels, cruise lines, and rental car agencies at their own games, playing by their own rules.

Greenberg is hands down the right man for the job. Here is a guy who, just for laughs, checked in a double porcelain sink as a carry-on, crisscrossed the country on six different airlines over two days to see if the flights would be on time, and tested credit-card company claims of offering global assistance in an emergency by getting stuck in a ghost town in Death Valley. Not only that, he's traveled to 120 of the world's 187 countries.

A tourist, says Greenberg, is a victim waiting to happen. The travel world is full of ridiculous and draconian rules, but there are no shortages of ways to finesse them. You just have to know what to avoid and how to ask the right questions. Greenberg explains how to get the cheapest fares, beat the Saturday-night-stay requirement, and the importance of Rule 240. He tells you the truth about frequent-flyer programs, where the secret flights and even secret seats are, and how to avoid being a PAWOB (passenger without bags). He's got tips for traveling with kids and pets, and the truth about the safety of infants flying on laps (as well as that infamous first-class flying pig). Once you've made it to your destination, he'll fill you in on the best time to call to get the lowest hotel rates, the right question to ask to get a room with good water pressure, and how to avoid hotel and rental-car rip-offs. He's even got advice for finding a cruise that lives up to its seductive description. This is one useful, fun, and readable guide. --Lesley Reed

From Library Journal
In this entertaining book, Today show travel editor Greenberg reveals many insider secrets on how to get the lowest fare, make plane reservations, get the best airplane seat, negotiate the best hotel room deals, and much more. Greenberg, who is also the chief correspondent for the Discovery Network's Travel Channel and editor at large for National Geographic Traveler, devotes about three-fourths of the book to air travel, delighting in offering well-deserved criticism of the airlines. His air travel tips are useful and deserving of all serious travelers' attention, especially those traveling on a budget. Though the book omits three areas of travel that form an increasing part of America's traveling experience organized tours, travel by car, and train travel it is packed with valuable information and features an authoritative, and quite funny, voice. Recommended for all libraries. George M. Jenks, Bucknell Univ., Lewisburg, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1st edition (April 24, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375756663
• ISBN-13: 978-0375756665
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #746,943 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Won't save a cent but could cost you a bundle, August 13, 2005

By	Hoke (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

As a seasoned traveler and having worked at a large hotel as Front Desk Manager I have to say most of what is given in this book is worthless. In fact if you try some of his "tactics" in a normal hotel you might get stuck with a hefty bill. I read this book to see how scammers might try to take advantage of my staff. None of my staff ever fell for any of what he suggests and many have tried.

Someone tried the double reservation game with us when we were fully booked. It ended up costing him two nights for both reservations. He tried to not pay and called his credit card to complain about it. Surprisingly the credit card company sided with us on that one. Hotels, as everyone else in the tourism industry, are onto the little scams this guy tries to put out as tips. Also reservations are a form of contract and depending on the state can be hard to break.

His advice on airlines was remedial at best even before 9/11. Now it is completely useless. I read a one page article on airline tips in a Reader's Digest and it had more practical advice.

You can be pretty sure that if you try any of these tactics you will not get an upgrade of any sort. More likely the staff will be onto you and look at you distrustfully for the duration of your travels with that company. If you want to insure bad seats, bad rooms, and bad everything else then try these tactics. Sometimes a bad customer is not worth having. On several occasions I "fired" guests. This is a good guide to making that happen. If you are a true frequent traveler then you should be getting perks already as a valued customer. You won't need this.

This author tries to paint travel industry professionals as some sort of enemy. It is this guy and his tricks that make travelers look bad and eventually cost the industry so much that they end reward programs for honest travelers. The people in this industry work exceptionally hard. They have bad hours, work holidays, and receive poor pay. The worst part of it is dealing with jerks like this and people that take out unrelated travel frustrations that people encounter. They put up with all this and are expected to say thank you and smile.

This is their job and they know it, but people like this author and his "advice" are not acceptable.

Here are a few tips on hotels that I hope you will find useful:

1. Your best general rate is going to be available via internet reservations.
2. Online discounters get a good mark up on the rooms they book for you. The hotel gets a very low rate and will give you a "run of house room" this means they will give you whatever is available. Even if you call and get a confirmed reservation for a certain type of room the hotel can change it at will as that is in the agreement with the discount broker. The discount broker is actually the contracted guest, not you.
3. Check the local area out on the web and find out what businesses frequent the area. If you have ever purchased a product of theirs you can justifiably claim you are a buyer and do business with them, the hotel may book you at their negotiated rates. I would leave out the fact that you purchase relatively small quantities.
4. Hotel room rates fluctuate on expected vacancy. The more filled the hotel the more likely they are to charge you their "rack" rate. This is their full price, every other rate is a discount off of this rate.
5. If the hotel is charging rack rate because they are expected to be fully booked then go to your travel agent. Your travel agent will be able to get you a better rate for this instance only. Otherwise avoid your travel agent at all costs.
6. Always always get confirmation numbers and if absolutely necessary get a faxed or e-mailed confirmation letter and check the dates thoroughly. A lot of people find out they were booked for the wrong days.
7. The more you call the more likely someone will screw up your reservation. Know what you want in advance and put your requests in all at one time. If you start to annoy the reservationist they may screw up your reservation. The reservationist likely won't be at the hotel when you show up and things are screwed up.
8. Requests for adjoining rooms can be exceptionally difficult. Most hotels will try to accomodate requests like this but will rarely guarantee them.
9. Most business-class rooms have special lounges or amenities available during business days only. On the weekends these services may not be offered.
10. Hotels offer a room to stay in. Unless you are paying sky high rates don't expect a palace. More likely you are paying for the location. If you are booking a downtown hotel in any medium sized city or larger expect to pay seperately for parking. Almost no hotel can afford a parking structure in a city. The property taxes alone would force you to pay an unimaginable rate. Ask how much parking will cost. Remember the hotel will most likely have no control over this so don't complain to them about it. In big cities this can be a daily rate of $20-$30. Not a good surprise.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars 95% worthless, April 15, 2003

By A Customer

Given the massive changes in airline policies and security since 9/11, the vast majority of the advice in this book is no longer applicable. Greenberg focuses so much on flying - almost 240 of the book's 375 or so pages of content - that you'd think there was nothing more to travel than the flight. There's also a bizarre jump from an abbreviated pet-friendly lodging section (a whopping two paragraphs) smack into the middle of a discussion on how to get the best deal on a hotel room. Clearly, whoever edited this cut a big chunk out, and deprived the reader of who-knows-how-much information. There are some useful tips and hints in here, but not enough to justify owning it.

96 of 113 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for the Intelligent Traveller, May 2, 2001

By	Heidi Hyndman (Charlottetown, PE Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While returning from Florida a week ago, via a major airline, I was almost driven to air rage when the passenger ahead of me fully reclined his chair. My legs were practically around my neck and my tray table lodged in my abdomen. I decided that I would NEVER again fly this airline and that I would SEARCH for a book that had the insider information that I needed to get a better seat on a plane. This book is that and soooooo much more. DETAILED seat information on specific planes was just the beginning. I advise reading with a hightlighter as there is a lot of information to digest. He also includes a great reference section at the end with web sites, phone numbers, etc. For those who like to take an active part in travel plans, this book is a must read..........otherwise, call your travel agent and hope for the best!