Therapy sessions are extra
Often when I fly, my seatmates confuse me with their therapists. I try to stick to my routine of reading a book or listening to my iPod, but once in a while I can’t help myself.
No flight, no refund - no fair!
American Airlines canceled her flight to Cozumel, but it is only offering vouchers for the $2,000 she spent for her tickets. Margaret Anderson wants a refund. Her online travel agency says she’s entitled to one under “Rule 240.” But is she?
An Enterprising ding
One minute, Shirley Kuhl was returning her rental car to the Enterprise lot in Baltimore. The next, she was on a shuttle van to the terminal, $500 poorer.
The bump grind
Airlines could be in for an unpleasant surprise: a passenger revolt against their tried-and-true system for keeping everybody happy if too many bodies show up at the gate.
Too many drop-off dollars
The Dollar Rent a Car agent takes 45 minutes to complete Chelsea Grogan’s reservation. Then the car’s lost on the lot and Grogan is sent out to find it. Then Dollar bills her an extra $350 for the car.
Missing a connection
I’ve traveled nearly two million miles in my personal quest to reach 100 countries, a goal that I achieved in 2004, picking up my seventh continent, Antarctica, and membership in the Travelers’ Century Club.
A fuel surcharge for my cruise?
Lee Askern made a deposit for a cruise next spring, and agreed on a price. But now American West Steamboat is imposing a $40 fuel surcharge on Askern’s floating vacation. Can it do that? And what recourse does anyone have when prices change?
I can’t use my airline credit
She changes her plans to fly from Miami to South Bend, Ind., on ATA. But when Jane Marie Russell tries to rebook her flights through her online travel agent, Orbitz, she’s in for a shock: ATA no longer flies out of Miami. Her only choice is an inconvenient flight from Orlando to Chicago. Is a refund in order?
Playing the last card
For several years, rumors have circulated on the Internet about privacy concerns with magnetic cards. The rumors appeared to originate in 1999, when the police department in Pasadena, Calif., investigated a claim that personal information had been extracted from a hotel key card.
Ripley’s odd warehouse
For most people, Ripley is just another synonym for strange. Since Robert Ripley published his first Ripley’s Believe It or Not cartoon nearly a century ago, the company that bears his name has expanded into a major franchise.
One of the company’s signature attractions are its museums, which display the pieces from the Ripley collection of [...]
My seatmate is deceased
Shortly after takeoff on a cross-country flight, I noticed that the middle-aged man in a business suit next to me looked a little pale. A few moments later, he slumped over. “Are you O.K.?” I asked. He didn’t answer.