PETER GREENBERG
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
1 95% worthless
Given the massive changes in airline policies and security since 9/11, the vast majority of the advice in this book is no longer applicable.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.
2 Too Much Schtick
If you would like to read Peter Greenberg's stand up act, get this book. If you are looking for clear, concise travel tips, keep looking. Reading this book, it feels like jokes outnumber useful tips 10 to 1. The first 10 pages are Jay Leno's take on traveling!?!? That's not what I call useful travel tips.
3 Waste of time for anyone with travel experience
If you have very little travel experience you may be able to get something out of this book but for the rest of the world it is a waste of time.
4 Stop Complaining
There are quite a few good tips in the book, but all of them could have been combined into two chapters. The author seems to ramble on about all of his travel problems, things that have happened to him. That's great if you show us an example, but not a third of each chapter. Also, there is a lot of redundent info. For instance, the chapter about crusie lines buying used boats and renaming them and saying "New to our fleet" as to inply that the ship is brand new not an old ship. He goes through about 30 examples of this.. One would have been enough.
5 Great Basic Advice !!
What a great book of secrets, tricks and advice!! Now more than ever it is important to be mentally prepared before taking that next trip to Grandma's, the board meeting or dream trip to Fiji. In conversational laymen's terms, Peter Greenberg spells out the ins and outs of traveling less stressfully and how to speak to those we deal with in the travel industry! Bravo Mr. Greenberg!
6 It Paid for Itself
I'm almost reluctant to promote this book, because I won't be able to feel like a savvy, in-the-know traveller if everyone can buy the secrets. Greenberg's book may be somewhat incomplete, and offer some less-than-useful information, but I saved [money] the first time I booked a ticket using his advice, so that's good enough for me.
I'm inclined to wonder if, in the days of loyal-customer clubs, Greenberg's tips for getting upgrades and other preferential treatment really benefit the occasional traveller. Still, just reading the book evokes globetrotting dreams, so it's worth reading even if it's not often used.
7 Readers must be detectives to find useful information
This book spent many weeks during 2001 on the best seller lists. To see what the hype was all about, I finally checked the book out from my local library. I urge you to do the same before making a committment to buy it.
When I first opened the book, I went right to the Index to see what Peter wrote about courier flights, one of my favorite topics. I was pleasantly surprised that he wrote a few pages about that topic, since it was listed as appearing on 5 pages. However, there was really less than one page of courier information and none of it was useful; the rest of the 5 pages was for Bereavement fares. My guess is that the Indexer made a mistake.
So, now disappointed with the lack of information about courier flights, I decided to start from the beginning. In the first few pages, Peter tells us that he gave "The Savvy Traveler" his moniker and relates a story about Jay Leno sleeping with candy in his ear. Lovely! Do you love good stories? Peter spins long-winded tales throughout this book. You have to be your own detective to find the helpful items hidden within the stories. If you would rather be informed than entertained, then skip this book.
Reviewed December 2001 by Charles McCool
8 Lots of $$$ saving tips mixed in with sardonic anecdotes
I'm mostly impressed with Peter Greenberg's "The Travel Detective", but first I'll get my gripe out of the way: The back cover provides a bulleted list of insider secrets you'll learn from reading this book. While these "secrets" are all covered in the book, a couple are given such an incomplete treatment that you might not find what you're looking for:
á Which coach seats on which planes are better than first class: Some airplane types on about half a dozen airlines are covered. However, I'm an Alaska Airlines frequent flier and could not find my airline nor the planes I fly on.
á Which cruise-ship brochures lie: This is not even close to an all-inclusive list.
Also, Greenberg does not cover train or bus travel.
There IS a lot of useful information, but it's intermixed with anecdotes, many of them Greenberg's humorous tales of grievances with airlines, hotels (like the one who charged him for receiving a FedEx package), and rental car companies. Some reviewers complain about Greenberg's sardonic writing style, but I find Greenberg's tales of his predicaments both outrageously funny and informative.
While every reader will have a different level of travel knowledge and savvy, there's so much information in the book that I think the vast majority of readers would learn something useful and money saving. In addition to the topics on the back cover, Greenberg covers the hazards of putting dogs and cats in a plane's cargo section, airport scams, things to look for when choosing a hotel room, the most economical way to make phone calls from a hotel, rental car rip-offs, helpful travel and weather related websites, and much more. I found the back-to-back ticket concept especially ingenious, but Greenberg cautions the reader that this strategy can result in being bumped from your flight if the airline finds out about it.
Some complain that the information in the book is dated since September 11, 2001. At a September 2002, Seattle-area book lecture, Greenberg said everything in the book still applies. Well, almost everything applies, even in the air travel section, although Greenberg's comments on the safest place to sit on the plane in the event of a hijacking sound awfully flip, and of course the packing tips for carry-on bags need updating. Also, some airlines will no longer allow you board a plane for for no extra charge later in the day if you miss your flight.
If you don't mind a smart-allecky writing style, there's a lot of useful travel information in "The Travel Detective".
9 Save your money
It's people like Greenberg that give travellers a bad name. Pity the poor travel professionals that have to deal with people like this. It's the travellers that he pokes fun of that subsidize his offensive tactics.
10 A few real gems among the fluff and now outdated material
I am a frequent traveler, often traveling for business or pleasure once a month. I looked forwarde to Peter Greenberg's travel book as a source for new ideas and tips. I was disappointed that there was not a lot new there for me. I was also reminded of how the world has changed since September 11,2001--much of the information written in this book in 2000 is now outdated.
But to give this book its due, and its three stars, there were some real gems I found among the rough. I finally had explained to my satisfaction, the rules of bumping and compensation for volunteering to give up your seat. I checked out on my next flight that yes, the offers did increase as it got closer to flight time. I also got a really great tip on how to redeem frequent flier miles when it appears there are no seats when you want to travel--I wont spoil it for you but see page 100. I got the answer to some questions that dont come up often but of which I wasnt sure--like medical evacuation insurance for trips and optional insurance and other charges for rental cars.
What I didn't like were the jokes section-often pages at a time--which is not what I wanted in this book. He also tells stories for too long without just coming to the point.
So forewarned is forearmed--get the book for the background info and be ready to skim. Or better yet, wait for a revised version or get one of his newer, post-2001 books. Happy traveling.
11 Tell me something NEW!!!
I found this book to be filled with clich's and worn out information. Peter is a great correspondent however, in this book he restates the obvious, and relies heavily from a previously published travel book, the Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel. Both books provide good information although I feel that the Penny Pincher's Passport provides more real life tools to enhance service.
12 Save your Time
It's a great book if you want to read about Mr. Greenberg's life. However, with respect to travel info it falls far from offering any useable advice.
13 Worth it!
This was written pre 9/11, so some of his kvetching about security measures and carry-on limits must be read with a grain of salt, but this is a great primer for anyone who travels regularly. I learned a great deal.
14 What A Jerk! Don't Buy This Book!
Mr. Greenberg's sneers, smugness, snobbishness, and I-know-more-than-you tone interferes with any really useful information contained in the book. I've read only 2.5 chapters and already want to send it back. It's a chore plowing through his arrogant and discourteous attitude not only toward the travel industry but his readers. Why insult me and honest travel industry employees to make a point about travel?
I might have taken comfort had those chapters included any information I could use, but what I've read so far seems to be a lo-ong introduction to something down the road. At this point, I feel like a donkey facing a carrot on a string, which may be what the writer wants.
I am beginning to travel a lot, as part of a new career, and collect books on this subject. Of the 3 foot (and growing!) high stack I own, this is the first loser I've encountered, and my dislike is based chiefly on this writing. This is the sort of writing one finds in *People* magazine, or from Joan and Melissa Rivers on Oscar night. I didn't expect to find it in a "serious" travel book.
The only reason I gave it one star is because I'm hoping there may be at least one or two nuggets of wheat that may be found in this... pile of chaff.
Please, save your money and use it to buy something that's fun to read as well as useful. So far, after 2.5 chapters, this book is neither.
15 awesome book!!
This was a realy cool, informative book for those who travel a lot. Ever been to a hotel and the water pressure in your shower is non-existent? This book teaches you how to get the room with "fire-hose-pressure" in the shower, and much much more! Lots of great, useful tips to make your traveling better, whether you are going by plane, cruise ship or by car! Check it out!
16 Save your money--his bad timing makes matters worse
One thing that stuck me is the bad timing. I'm sure he would not have written the book with such a smug tone especially regarding security issues after 9/11. He suggests having another unknown passenger carry your extra carry on bags (you are not allow to bring on) and that security will not be an issue if you are going on the same plane--HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT FOR SURE!
He has such a smart-ass tone to the book it becomes increasingly annoying and ruins much of the little value in has. I expected so much more about cruises. The well-traveled person would get very little out of this book. He spends page upon page speaking of things like confusion of airport codes when he does not cover other actual important areas well or at all. I am more than half way through the book and for the first time in my life I want to stop reading as I beginning to dislike this author. I have nothing to do with the travel industry other than being a frequent traveler. Others may have some retribution in mind for this man but I just don't like the book. We is a bragger that seems to take so much enjoyment he gets out of publicly sticking it to companies that may deserve it but not in such a joyful manner. He smugly tells of how he used to book loads of seats in his youth to make certain he could get on the plane as a standby passenger. He has already referred to the "Star Wars" bar scene three or four times, I guess he has little depth in movies or that is the only one he owns. His arrogance comes out loud and clear and what could have been an average book based on the value and information in it now just is annoying and hardly worth the extra star I gave it. Buyer beware.
17 $ for common sense plus a few tidbits of good information
I thought I'd get more out of this book than I actually did. Some of the suggestions seem like common sense to me--watch the airline arrival times to see if your departing plane is coming in on time for example. Greenberg also sounds a little too snide and know-it-all for my taste. This may be just a personal taste 'thing'.
There is some good detail (good 'hidden' seats for example) but it seems to me that a lot of this information is already available or is easy to figure out on one's own. Try reading 'Frommer's Budget Travel Mag' regularly, for example.
18 Such a disappointment
I concur with the many reviewers who see this book as lacking any redeeming value to any traveler. (However, it is certainly a tribute to Mr. Greenberg's escapades within the travel industry). I cannot believe that he passes himself off as trying to gain "the best service" by the way he treats those who work for the travel industry. Certainly with the new regulations in the travel industry, Mr. Greenberg's will likely end up in jail.
If you buy this book-I have some swampland for sell.
19 Do Not Buy This Book
This is, without a doubt, the dumbest book I have ever read - on any subject.
The core of the book is based primarily on the author buying the cheapest possible tickets and hotel rooms, and then magically being upgraded to first-class and oceanfront suites at no extra charge - every time. All he does is ask for it. Apparently he has the world's greatest personality because everyone he meets can't wait to give him free upgrades. It is truly unbelievable how many people all over the world are tripping over themselves to help this guy out.
The author also stresses that his loyalty to one airline makes him a valued customer, and therefore results in frequent upgrades. I find this hard to believe since he always pays next to nothing for his tickets (something he constantly brags about). If airlines track their customer's flying histories, like he claims they do, his airline would see that he is nothing more than a freeloader who generates very little revenue for the airline compared to the amount of service he consumes. Why would an airline continually reward him for doing nothing for
them? It's not like he actually pays for anything he gets.
Every time I fly I always ask the gate agent for a complimentary upgrade to first-class, and every time I am politely denied, usually with a little chuckle from the agent. We all know that in the real world things don't work like the author claims they do. So if you believe in Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy go ahead and buy this book. If not save your money.
20 Greenberg knows his stuff
This is the one essential book for everyone who travels, whether he or she is going somewhere for the first time or is a seasoned traveler. Greenberg has provided a clear, concise and much- needed book that the consumer--the person who wants to get the best deals from airlines, hotels and travel agencies--can use. And it also tells you what to do if something goes wrong (as it always does) on a trip. It's also fun to read, even for the armchair traveler. There are not a lot of books out there that cater to the consumer. This is the best. Pack this one with your carry-on so the airline doesn't lose it with the rest of your luggage.
21 Great travel book for "beginners"
Peter Greenberg gives some great inside stuff. With regards to the airlines and how they book and how you can ensure the most for your dollar (and spend less of them). Some rather ingenious ways to save across the whole travel spectrum, really - air, water(cruise), hospitality...
Of course, anyone who has done much travleing (or even just a couple trips per year) may not find too many new ideas that they have not already learned.
Finally, the book is more about how to get the best "deals" rather than how to get the best experience (actually, I prefer the latter). But, then, that is why you've discovered this book - to save money. And this book has some good points in that regard.
Ę...
22 Pedantic and unorganized
Why a writer would chose to insult his readers is a mystery. Perhaps that is why he is the "Detective."
His attitude towards not only the travel industry, but the READER as well, is so negative as to make this book almost unreadable.
Actual travel tips are few and far between.
Don't bother buying this one.
23 An OK book
If you don't know much about traveling ins and outs this book will be very useful to you, if however you are a seasoned traveler to even a slight degree - you will not learn anything new from this book!
24 DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK UNLESS....
If you know absolutely nothing about ways to get good travel deals, this book is an excellent place to start learning about them.If you know ANYTHING about travel deals, do not buy this book. It is patronizing and useless.
25 Do not bother.
Most of the "tips" in Mr. Greenberg's "book" can be obtained by talking to any frequent traveler yourself. Simply, the "book" does not deliver what it says it will. He talks more about the history of cruise ships than how to get a great deal on a cruise. He does not discuss how to get great service, he tells you how to make yourself a nusance with the people in the hospitality industry. Mr. Greenberg's negativity toward travel in general is also apparent. If you want to read a book on all the bad things about the travel industry, this book is for you. If you want to read a book about how to circumvent the ups and downs of the travel indsutry, you need to read another book.
26 This book is great!
This book is great! Clearly the people who have given this book a low rating work for the travel industry and are trying to deter sales. That's how much they don't want you to have the imformation...and that's how valuable it is.
27 Best travel book I've read to date!
I'm amazed at all of the tips and tricks that Peter Greenberg puts into this book. It is literally the book that the travel agents, airlines and car rental companies DON'T want you to see!!! It runs the gamut from how to decode those "stinkin' airline codes", to getting the best airline deals, and what NOT to do, like the rest of the sheep on your flight! This book keeps your sheep out of the reach of the airline wolves! Read it, buy it, do whatever you can to find the information contained in this book. It's the most useful tool since the food processor!!! Literally everyone will go away with AT LEAST ONE more tool they can use to LEGITIMATELY beat the airlines at their own games! Peter, if I ever meet you flying anywhere, drinks at the Admiral's club are on me! Woohoo! d:)
28 Don't believe everything you hear from travel "experts"
Mr Greenburg talks of airlines trying to scam everyone and making sure customers cannot use their mileage, but by advising flyers to request to speak to 'supervisors' everytime they don't get what they want he's not only giving them false hope (a supervisor is just a customer care rep and they cannot and will not give a seat that isn't available) but he's putting negative ideas in people's heads before they even call. i work for an airline and talk to hundreds of passengers everyday. Yes, sometimes it can be frustrating to use mileage, but there are also instances where someone needs to fly last minute and a tkt would cost thousands, but they can use their mileage and pay nothing. Many people are very happy with their mileage awards. Those who complain they can't use their mileage, are usually the ones who call in March to go to FL in April-the busiest time of the year. So airlines aren't the only ones out to make a buck, Mr. greenburg is feeding off consumer frustration to make his own buck.
29 Just Horrendous
Apparently some books sneak through the editorial process untouched and eventually emerge as literary abominations, as is the case here. "The Travel Detective" is greatly in need of major revision or just plain euthanasia. Presented in a whimsical and "organizational structure be damned" style, this book buries whatever useful information it has in a maze of humorless humor (often in the form of pointless stories) and illogical logic. It basically boils down to an unending stream of adjacent thoughts, facts and rhetorical questions. Greenberg, along with his editor, should be embarrassed by this attempt at bookwriting and should stick to writing articles for magazines. I HIGHLY recommend leaving this book alone.
30 Did this book have an editor?
Like a few of the other reviewers, I too read this book with a highlighter. However, I didn't find many useful tips to highlight. Instead I marked hundreds (literally!) of grammar mistakes, typos, etc. I don't believe that the manuscript made any stops between typewriter and printing press. The author and publisher should be embarrassed. I plan to send in my marked-up copy to them (the text is useless, anyhow). However, I don't expect that a second edition will ever be printed. Aside from the poor writing and editing, the book had few useful hints for anyone with any travel experience. I fly over 100,000 miles a year, and I know better tips than those suggested, and I also know that some of his tips are obsolete.
31 The Book's Obsolete....
This book has one distinction: It is responsible for wiping out every advantage travelers ever had with the travel/hospitality industry. The first few people who used the tips probably prospered, but with widespread use, the airlines and hotel chains wised up and closed every loophole. It's a lot like that useless "Free Money" book you see sold on late night TV. If everyone knows about it, nobody benefits. E-books are the way to go for advice books. They're always more current. The information in books like this is two years old by the time it's printed.
32 Give me a break
Being a frequent traveler myself, I picked this book up expecting some insight into the travel industry. I was utterly dissappointed. This book is useless. Many things the author writes about don't even make sense, as mentioned in another review about exiting through the arrivals area. Even those who know nothing about flying etc should not, for any reason, buy this book.
33 Get Real
I have been a traveler for over 20 years, and I have seen many changes in the travel industry. What I know for certain is that this book is completely unrealistic and by following this advice you are certain to end up paying more for your travels. Today's travel environment is such that airlines and hotels are not putting up with those who try to manipulate their systems. More specifically following these TRICKS will result in losing your frequent flyer accounts, club memberships,or even air tickets-resulting in the need to pay a full fare to continue on your trip as well as, any number of sanctions that the travel industry can impose. Over, my past 20+ years of travel, I have found many great and legitimate ways to save money, never having to compromise my integrity and values. Therefore, I caution one about following the advice within this book.
34 No specifics
Ok, so if you want to know tales about travel, then this is your book. However, if you want specifics on how to save money and travel in style, this is NOT for you.
35 Don't
If you have never traveled before now or taken close to zero plane rides, then this book is for you. Regardless, the content contain within could easily be edited into a magazine article.
36 Just isn't worth it and has only done more harm than good
After coming across it as a featured book in B&N, I was pretty intrigued and it looked like a pretty darn good book.
But really, all of your advantages have been totally wiped out. When these loopholes were new, it worked because literally nobody knew about it. Now, it was so widespread, the companies closed every open loophole.
Greenberg's strategies are actually risky. Hotels and airlines aren't happy with those trying to manipulate their systems, and you actually pay more than save more while risking your memberships in any affinity programs, clubs, etc.
Not to mention throwing in the outrageous price of the book itself.
The Travel Detective is just like one of those "free money" sales pitches on TV. It doesn't do any good and has only done lots of harm. The inside is everything and anything BUT what it looks to be on the cover.
37 Great tips, for ANYONE!
I saw this book today, and I was instantly enthralled by it! Mr. Greenberg is very knowledgeable about the subject of travel and its idiosyncracies, including the much maligned customer service issues, which have plagued the industry. I once saw Mr. Greenberg in a spotlight on online travel websites on a Cable channel, and thoroughly enjoyed his tips on travel-planning. I will definitely purchase a copy for myself, but also for a dear friend, who is a world traveler, in the City by the Bay (you know who you are!). I recommend this book for anyone who is even contemplating traveling, or even works in the industry.
38 The Travel Detective
Excellent learning tool for travels. Learn to use the airlines, cruise ships and car rental agencies to your advantage. This is a win-win for the consumer who use the knowledge that they gain from this book to trave.
39 Very Interesting!!!
I love this book- very interesting and a quick read! I bought it expecting to just flip through and get some useful travel information, but found it so interesting that I read it from cover to cover. I'm an avid researcher when it comes to purchasing anything- especially travel! This book had a lot of neat ideas. Although I'm not sure I would actually try all of them, it's interesting to know the possibilites and to learn some of the background of the travel industry as well as some of the airline rules that I never would have known otherwise. I definitely found enough useful information to make this book worth while. I can't wait to start planning my next vacation and put some of the information to use!! There are a lot of interesting stories throughout the book which adds to the enjoyment.
40 Tell your friends to get their own copy
This book is full of great information. I was going to share with friends but we all decided to get our own copies. When you read through the book be sure to keep a marking pen handy to hilite information that is especially helpful to you.
41 A must for travelers!
I laughed when I read this book! Well-written and such valuable information included, that it would be unwise for any traveler not to have this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the tips and the stories - and learned a number of important tips to keep in mind next time I make a trip!
Bravissmo, Mr. Greenberg!
42 Essential Reading for Biz Travelers
The Travel Detective is a non-fiction page turner full of useful suggestions and surprising revelations. I've written down some of the FAA regulations Greenberg mentions in my address book so that I'll be able to refer to them the next time I'm stuck at an airport
43 good and bad
This was good however a bit too simple. There really is nothing to new for most travlers.
44 Tongue in Cheek
This is a tongue-in-cheek book about travel, full of anecdotes, little useful information. Stories about Jay Leno and other travelers.
45 Tips for novices
If you are a frequent traveler you already know most of what is in this book.
46 More Entertaining than Useful
There is little information that's useful in this book for a traveller who wants to get the best service and the best deals. There are some VERY interesting anecdotes that give background about why different things happen, or how things came to be--For instance, until reading the book I had not understood the idea behind the airlines that remove seats from their aircraft (as American is now doing, and TWA did a few years ago). The few new ideas I saw weren't followed up on--For instace, "Use repositioning flights to travel long distances at cheap rates" but with no information on how to search out such flights from the wealth of flight information available on the internet. Unless you are a total novice at this stuff, I don't think you'll learn much that is useful in achieving the goals listed in the title. If you ARE a novice of that type, the book is okay.
47 Same Old Same Old
I found this book to be filled with clich's and worn out information. Peter is a great correspondent however, in this book he restates the obvious, and relies heavily from a previously published travel book, the Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel. Both books provide good information although I feel that the Penny Pincher's Passport provides more real life tools to enhance service.
48 A guide for the "do-it-yourselfer"
If you, like many of us, have developed the knack for making all your own travel arrangements in order to get exactly what you want, this guide is for you! Peter Greenberg, no dear friend to the travel industry (the airlines especially) fills you in on their tricks and offers great ideas on how to save money and get where you want to go when you want to be there. While it is certainly not all new information for those who have paid attention over the past few years, it is a useful tool and an easy, enjoyable read. I got online after reading it and checked out some ideas - and quickly found a way of saving $1600 on my family's next trip to Costa Rica. THAT made this book a pretty good investment!
49 Skip this one
This monumental tribute to the author's ego offers little more than pointless anecdotes. Much of the advice is, in my opinion, questionable. For example, on the surface it might seem like you are beating the system by exiting an airport via the arrival area, but the reality is that in many international airports this stunt will earn both you and the person picking you up a traffic ticket with a hefty fine. Try it if you don't believe me. Also, the ancecdotes tend to suggest that being confrontational with gate agents and airline stewards will somehow get you better service. My observation and experience is that this is the absolute best method of securing a bad time for all.
Skip this book.
50 Refreshingly helpful
Greenberg's guide differs from many such efforts in that his tips, if heeded to the letter, can indeed help one overcome travel related impediments and deceptions-by-omission that have resulted from deregulation. That's not to say you won't have to muster a good deal of chutzpah when dealing with reservation clerks over the phone. It's a bit like knowing cold one or two phrases in a foreign language, but little more. Unless you're fully prepared to carry out the author's suggestions all the way to a successful conclusion, you may find the savvier agent calling your bluff. With that caveat in mind, buy this book and then forge ahead!
51 Looking for the "beef" (info)
I found this book to have about a three page hand-out of useful tips and several hundred pages of travel "war" stories. If you have NEVER flown on an airline, it will scare you to death. If you have, there is nothing new.
52 Best weapon in the war against airliners and their prices
Incredibly informative and useful book. Man, getting a great fare on an airplane seems to be just as much as a science as winning the jackpot in Las Vegas. However, Peter Greenberg cleverly navigates the reader through the complex pricing schemes that airliners engage in on an hourly basis and breaks it down to its simplistic terms for us, novice travelers, can understand. The ..(price)..price tag that I paid for the book will one day save me hundreds and even thousands of dollars in airfare costs down the road.
53 A Must Have for the Intelligent Traveller
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!
54 An excellent guide to savvy traveling.
This is a great book... easy to follow, funny, and above all -- EFFECTIVE. It's about time that someone wrote a travel guide for REAL traveler-addicts like me! If you demand good service, and want great travel experiences, this book gives step-by-step advice and guidance on how to make it happen every time you leave your home.
55 If you are a frequent traveller, you NEED this book!
Are you a frequent traveller? Have you ever lost your luggage, your children, your pets en route? How about your self-respect in a heated moment of frustration, or better still, how about temporarily losing your sanity? Many a traveller has taken all the precautions to plan the most well-organized vacation, only to find their "holiday paradise retreat" has turned out to be a "living nightmare in the tar pits and a challenge in survival". A hot shower can mean little more than a leaky faucet with water desperately looking for a place to run. Double occupancy does not guarantee the other occupant is human, and "ammenities included" may mean you do not have to walk a mile to the nearest bathroom facilities, although you may have to share the facility with twenty other hot, frustrated, angry, discontented travellers.
If this sounds like it could be you, you need this book. It is humourous, and so true to life. This author has certainly done his homework and anyone who has spent so much time and energy learning the tips and tricks of successful travelling has written a book worth reading. From air travel to accommodations this book is filled with smart advice. I positively loved this book; the author knows how to take a lot of crinkles and frustration out of global travelling.
