That’s not my hotel
Q: Our honeymoon has been ruined and we need your help. We booked a five-day, all-inclusive vacation at Oasis Akumal, an all-inclusive resort near Cancun, Mexico on Expedia.
I had read about Akumal in a travel book and had dreamed of visiting the remote romantic snorkeling haven to swim with the turtles. But when we [...]
A layover without a room
Q: My wife and I were on an American Eagle flight from Little Rock, Ark., to Chicago with a connecting flight to Norfolk, Va.
The flight was cancelled because of mechanical problems and we were told to go to the main ticket counter to get rebooked. We asked for a rental car to drive to [...]
Panic when a cellphone goes missing
As I got settled into my seat on a flight from Los Angeles to Florida last summer and reached for my cellphone to make one last call, I discovered, to my horror, that it had gone missing.
Now, you have to understand that my life is in that phone and I’m lost without it. I travel [...]
Rental companies push insurance
Christopher Elliott reports from Orlando, Fla., that car rental companies are looking at many ways to raise profits, even if it means pushing unneeded insurance on customers. (National Public Radio’s Day to Day)
Listen to the story.
Sunk cruise, no refund
Q: My family and I were scheduled to take a western Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody from Galveston, Texas. I had booked the entire vacation, including air fare, directly through the Royal Caribbean Web site. I even bought trip insurance.
We checked in at Buffalo Niagara International Airport on the morning our vacation was to [...]
And now a word from the sponsor
All Robert Herron wanted from the concierge at the Doubletree Hotel in Savannah, Ga., were directions to the Lady & Sons, a popular seafood restaurant. What he got was an aggressive pitch to dine elsewhere. And when he declined, he was sent to the wrong address.
Airlines decline
Delta Airlines slashed its fares this week. And - no more Saturday night stayovers needed. Other airlines are following, and others may never be able to compete. Christopher Elliott, Ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler, offers consumer tips on how to deal with all the news in the airline industry.
Refund or credit?
Q: I booked an Air France flight from Moscow to Bangkok on Expedia last summer. Unfortunately, I had a minor family emergency while I was away and had to return to the United States before I could continue to Bangkok.
Expedia offered me a $1,077 credit on Air France, minus a $100 change fee. But when [...]