Tight connection on honeymoon
Q: My fiancee and I booked two roundtrip tickets on Orbitz to Auckland, New Zealand, for our honeymoon. The tickets are on American Airlines and Air New Zealand.
About a week ago, Orbitz sent me an e-mail saying that our itinerary had been revised. Two of the changes were minor ones - one to our outbound [...]
The hurricane ate my refund
Q: Last March I made hotel reservations through Travelocity to celebrate Labor Day weekend at the Ocean Pointe Suites in Key Largo, Fla.
But my plans were foiled by Hurricane Frances. The hotel cancelled my reservations for the weekend because they were evacuating the island. I was given a cancellation number but no further details on [...]
Stormy night in Phoenix
Q: We needed to buy a last-minute ticket from New York to San Jose, Calif., recently. We called America West and were offered a reasonable fare — $224 — going through Phoenix.
When we arrived at the ticket counter, an agent confirmed that they had the fare but struggled using the computer system. She booked several [...]
Retailers offer rebates
For years, travel agents have fretted as Internet discounters and airline/hotel/cruise sites have dangled prices that agents couldn’t match. Now the agents have a new come-on: rebating part of their commission from charter flights, tours, and cruises.
Wish you weren’t here
Q: My family and I recently traveled from Connecticut to Maui on a vacation sponsored by the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a group that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Because of heavy snow, our American Airlines flight from Connecticut to Dallas was delayed by two hours. We realized we would miss our connection to [...]
Citrus outbreak threatens crop
An outbreak of citrus canker is making the Florida citrus industry’s recovery even more difficult after the punches landed by this season’s hurricanes. There is no known cure for the disease that debilitates citrus trees. The only way to fight it is to destroy infected groves, which ends fruit production for seven years.
Two bills from Travelocity
Q: I recently booked a hotel room through Travelocity for an eight-day business trip. I ended up having to stay only five nights. When I checked out of the hotel, I was surprised to find that the price I was being charged was $30 less a night than Travelocity’s.
I was happy. I invoiced my [...]