The London Times recently reported that many glowing reviews about airlines, hotels, cruises and other travel destinations, are phony. Showing up on the web as authentic experiences from individual travelers, the reviews entice people to patronize the allegedly wonderful product. In one example, researchers found that false reviewers posted hundreds of highly favorable letters under different names to promote a poor quality, overpriced hotel.

Seniors planning trips do best by researching options personally, as well as by asking a trusted travel agent to recommend hotels, cruise lines and other options. If the agent values you as a customer, your chances of suffering a bad travel experience are considerably less.