Your Rental Car Gets Flooded

These days, most hotels guarantee you'll get the lowest rate by booking through the company's website. If you can prove there's a cheaper price through a booking engine or travel agency, the hotels say they'll match that rate--and sometimes give a discount. But there are exceptions. The guarantees only extend to rates that are advertised or found on a website. Opaque bookings through sites such as Priceline don't count--because you don't learn what you're buying until after you've bought it. The product HotelConxions, a New York City-based agency, recently announced that it would promise "exclusive deals" to customers who book over the phone through the end of the year (800/522-9991, hotelconxions.com). Because prices aren't advertised or displayed on the Internet, the hotels are under no obligation to match them. Customers can expect to receive as much as 20 percent off a hotel's published rates, claims HotelConxions. "A lot of branded hotels, such as Marriott and Starwood, give us lower opaque rates," says HotelConxions president Anil Patel. "They just don't want us to disclose them on the Internet." Unlike with a booking through Priceline, however, HotelConxions' customers know the price and name of the hotel before their credit card is charged. The test We compared HotelConxions' rates versus booking direct at 10 hotels. We requested price quotes for the same date and style of room to make sure we were comparing apples to apples. The results (left) were muddled. HotelConxions' prices were lower half the time. For the Ramada Plaza Hotel in New Orleans, the agency's Internet rate was actually better than what it offered over the phone; both were substantially less than the book-direct price. In instances when HotelConxions' rate was lowest, we called the hotels to see if they would match or do better than HotelConxions. No one bit. The verdict A 50 percent success rate isn't bad, but it's also not exactly reliable. Chalk this up as yet another example of how there's no choice but to shop around to ensure you're truly getting a deal. We compared hotel website prices with offers from HotelConxions. The results were mixed. Ameritania Hotel, New York City Hotel Website: $429 Hotel Conxions Website: $395 Hotel Conxions Via Phone: $395 Bentley Hotel, New York City Hotel Website: $429 Hotel Conxions Website: $395 Hotel Conxions Via Phone: $395 InterContinental Buckhead, Atlanta Hotel Website: $209 Hotel Conxions Website: $239 Hotel Conxions Via Phone: $219 L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington, D.C. Hotel Website: $169 Hotel Conxions Website: $209 Hotel Conxions Via Phone: $178 Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, Chicago Hotel Website: $149 Hotel Conxions Website: $149 Hotel Conxions Via Phone: $140 Ramada Plaza Hotel, New Orleans Hotel Website: $149 Hotel Conxions Website: $115 Hotel Conxions Via Phone: $124 The Argent Hotel, San Francisco Hotel Website: $139 Hotel Conxions Website: $145 Hotel Conxions Via Phone: $145 Holiday Inn City Line, Philadelphia Hotel Website: $138 Hotel Conxions Website: $125 Hotel Conxions Via Phone: $125 Hotel Helix, Washington, D.C. Hotel Website: $129 Hotel Conxions Website: $185 Hotel Conxions Via Phone: $172 Days Inn Intercontinental, Houston Hotel Website: $42 Hotel Conxions Website: $55 Hotel Conxions Via Phone: $55

Stage one: When it happens Act quickly Say you're at a hotel and the air-conditioning is feeble or a lightbulb is out. Contact the front desk immediately. If the representative can't or won't remedy the situation, place a call to the company's toll-free customer-service number or, better yet, the frequent-guest rewards program (you did join, right?). When a Holiday Inn in Salem, Va., told Michaelene McWhinney, a BT reader from Greensburg, Pa., that it was out of hangers, McWhinney got in touch with Priority Club customer service. "We had hangers delivered to us within an hour," she says. Control your emotions "I can tell you that, hands down, being polite and reasonable when you complain will get you the farthest," says an airline reservation agent who prefers to remain anonymous. "My coworkers and I often talk about how we dig our heels in when someone talks down to us, screams, swears, or threatens us." Bear in mind that you want action, not simply a chance to vent. "If customer-service employees think there's nothing they can do to make you happy, they won't bother," says David Rowell, publisher of The Travel Insider website. The goal is to be firm and clear, without coming off as insulting or aggressive. Maintain your cool throughout all correspondence: Reps will be noting in your record how you behave, so there's little use in turning on the charm after a history of tirades. Build a case Keep track of the names of anyone you speak with and the chronology of events. Hold onto receipts, estimates, confirmation numbers, and brochures. You never know when the info will come in handy. Simply noting what the rep was wearing can help. If the behavior of a Continental Airlines staffer is in question, for instance, the airline will want to know if he or she was wearing a red jacket, which distinguishes customer-service representatives from other personnel. Companies say that having photos to accompany your complaint is unnecessary, and probably won't affect their final decision. If it comes down to your word versus an employee's, however, the right photo just might tilt the outcome in your favor. Certainly, no company wants a photograph painting it in a bad light circulated on a website or anywhere else. Stage two: When there's no quick fix Take a smart approach If you used a travel agency, it should work as your advocate before, during, and after the trip. But the responsibility of badgering a company often falls to the customer. While corresponding with a company by letter or e-mail is time-consuming, calling can be frustrating in a different way--you may have to repeat the same story as you're passed along from one employee to another. Often, the issue isn't resolved with a single call. Include relevant facts Don't give the company an excuse for dragging its feet in making a decision. Always include your name, address, and phone number, as well as the reservation number, how the reservation was made, and the dates and places involved. You don't have to write a cohesive essay; bullet points will do the job fine. Try flattery It never hurts to note the great experiences you've previously had with the company. If you're a member of that company's rewards program, say so. "Mention the overall business you've given them," says BT reader Marie Wilson, of San Carlos, Calif. "If you've logged 50,000 miles with an airline or stayed a lot of nights at that hotel chain, the company will want to know." Be open-minded about compensation "I let the agent come up with a solution, rather than demand something specific," says Lesley Woodward, a reader from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. "His or her offer is sometimes better than I could imagine. If it isn't acceptable, I ask for alternatives." Most companies are extremely reluctant to hand out cash. "If your flight is overbooked, you can ask for a ticket on the next flight out and an upgrade," says Chicago reader Concetta Phillipps. Discounts and vouchers for future bookings with the company are also fairly easy to come by. Stage three: Following up Be persistent Whenever you're not satisfied, press your case with someone else. Call back and try your luck with a different representative, or ask to speak to a supervisor. "If there's nothing else that the manager can offer, ask for the name and number of the district manager," says BT reader Ruthann Galarza of Milwaukee. Go public Newspaper travel sections and Budget Travel and other travel magazines want to hear about consumer experiences--especially instances of fraud. They can sometimes shame a company into giving you what you want. File a complaint with consumer-affairs departments or, in the case of airlines, the Aviation Consumer Protection Division. The agencies are rarely able to intercede, but at least there will be an official record of your dissatisfaction. If you want to warn other travelers, post a note at a user-review site like Epinions or TripAdvisor. The companies we spoke to say such entries don't make a difference in how they resolve complaints. Many companies won't even admit to looking at these sites--which is silly, because potential customers certainly are.

Believe it or not, the humble baguette was headed for extinction not long ago. In the 1960s, boulangeries scrapped old-style methods in favor of industrialized baking, and the bread lost its flavor. But the French came to their senses by 1998. It's now against the law for a boulangerie to make bread by machine (it must be mixed and baked on-site) and good loaves are once again on the rise. In Paris, there's even a Grand Prix de la Baguette to name the best of the year. At most boulangeries, the least expensive baguette (often referred to as ordinaire and costing less than a euro) will not reflect the full talents of the baker. Spring for a baguette traditionelle or any of the house's other special loaves. Here are five places to get the very best. A block west of the Jardin du Luxembourg, Bread & Roses is well-known for its celeb clientele. (Among the frequent customers are actress Catherine Deneuve and designer Inès de la Fressange.) But the nearly two-year-old organic boulangerie is also making a name for itself with its Puissance Dix baguette ($2). Literally translated, the name means "the power of 10," a reference to the 10 flours--including chestnut, buckwheat, corn, and rye--incorporated into the dough. 7 rue de Fleurus, 6th arr., 011-33/1-42-22-06-06. Métro: Notre-Dame-des-Champs. In the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, Le Quartier du Pain turns out eight different kinds of baguette--some flavored with olives, herbs, or bacon--six days a week (closed Sundays). In 1997, master baker Frédéric Lalos--just 26 at the time--was named one of the best bakers in France. Before Lalos mixes sunflower, flax, and sesame seeds into the dough for his Baguette Céréale ($2), he toasts them, to bring out maximum flavor. 74 rue Saint-Charles, 15th arr., 011-33/1-45-78-87-23. Métro: Charles-Michels. At Le Moulin de la Vierge, a boulangerie housed in a mill built in 1356, Basile Kamir bakes his baguettes in an antique wood-burning oven out back. In 1975, when he bought the place, Kamir introduced his clients to sourdough, a leavening agent now used in an organic wheat baguette called the Flute Bio ($1.75). It's the perfect foil for the artisanal fig, raspberry, and clementine jams from Burgundy ($6.25) that are also sold on the premises. 105 rue Vercingétorix, 14th arr., 011-33/1-45-43-09-84. Métro: Pernety. Anis Bouabsa took over Au Duc de la Chapelle in 2005, and at 27, he's already placed in the Grand Prix de la Baguette. One taste of his Baguette Tzara ($1.25) is an indication why. He doesn't use a levain (sourdough starter), so there's a sweet rather than sour taste, and his dough is kneaded entirely by hand. The result: bread that's light, airy, and moist, with a crust that tastes faintly of caramel. 32-34 rue Tristan Tzara, 18th arr., 011-33/1-40-38-18-98. Métro: Marx Dormoy. The whole-wheat La Monge baguette ($1.25) is the most popular loaf at Eric Kayser, a chain of boulangeries with eight locations in Paris, including the original on rue Monge. The baguette takes 12 hours to produce and uses a secret blend of flours. The La Monge can be found on some of Paris's top tables, including upscale bistro Dominique Bouchet. 8 rue Monge, 5th arr., 011-33/1-44-07-01-42. Métro: Maubert-Mutualité.

"I'm not a hotelier, I'm a customer," says Sinclair Beecham, cofounder of the British sandwich shop chain Pret A Manger. "And I don't like being ripped off." He launched his latest venture, The Hoxton hotel--which opened near London's financial district September 1--with this in mind. The 205 rooms are identical, with wood paneling, flat-screen TVs, and down duvets and pillows. Instead of an overpriced minibar, rooms have a fridge filled with free mineral water and milk. The grim lobby buffet has been replaced with Pret Lite Breakfasts (a pot of yogurt, a banana, and fresh orange juice) left on a hook outside each door. One of Beecham's biggest hotel peeves was getting gouged on phone calls. It's no surprise, then, that at The Hoxton, local calls are 6¢ a minute, calls to the U.S. are 10¢, and Internet and Wi-Fi are free. And the hotel's pricing structure is modeled on those of the budget airlines--including the occasional £1 special--making it a very good deal indeed. 011-44/20-7550-1000, hoxtonhotels.com, from $111.