What’s new on Elliott: kids in first class, new TSA rules and Mayan ruins

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This week’s burning question: cell phone roaming charges? Have you been hit with high cellular roaming fees on your last international trip? Tell me about it. Were you forced to pay, or did your carrier remove the charges? Please share your thoughts, and don’t forget to include your full name, city and occupation.

Kids in first. This week, you can read the long-awaited sequel to the “kids on planes” column on MSNBC.com. Let the debate begin! Plus, a Travel Troubleshooter about a rate reversal at the Residence Inn, a technologist review of the new TomTom navigation system and an exclusive interview with Mark Mitchell, the head of customer service at American Airlines.

TSA scare tactics? So what’s the deal with Secure Flight? Wrong question. What’s not the deal? I have an answer right here. Here’s a Carnival refund that turned into a real circus. Plus, how long should you wait for a refund from an airline?

Apparently pirates do golf. At least they do on our new video travel site, Souvenirist. Here’s what happened when we visited Pirate’s Cove in Orlando. Yes, we’re pretending to be tourists! And tag along as we visit the legendary Mayan Courtyard in Maitland, Fla.

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  • John Royse

    HEY! It sounds this week like you are saying no kids in first class; put them somewhere else e.g. In with the rest of us to suffer. No fair! FOUL!

  • http://ericcloninger.blogspot.com Eric

    Well-behaved children who are reading a book, talking quietly, or playing their gameboy with headphones present no problems. They are better than the obnoxious middle manager giving the world an earful while talking over his Crackberry.

    The problem is there is no universal standard for good behavior, as we are reminded every time we leave home. As frequent travelers, we learn to cope with the situation or else let it ruin the trip.

  • Carver

    No matter how hard I try, I cannot wrap my head around automatically excluding a class of people from sitting in first class. On a trip last week, this lady and her two exceptionally well behaved children sat next to me in first class. The children were little angels.

    I’m also not convinced that someone in first class is more entitled to a kid free or trouble free flight than anyone else.