When he cancels his trip to Istanbul, Kevin O’Connell tries to get a refund for the taxes and fees on his flight. But his online travel agent, Priceline, is giving him the runaround. How does he get his money back?
From the monthly archives:
October 2008
You’ve probably heard about checkpoint-friendly bags, which allow you to go through airport security screening without removing your laptop. But there’s a catch.
Here’s another reason to call your hotel before checking in: Your online travel agency may say you have a reservation and your credit card may show a charge for the booking, but that’s no guarantee you’ll have a room.
It’s no secret that hotels are tightening their rules to lift faltering earnings. But how far will the lodging industry go to bring in more money? If you said “too far” then you must have read Matt Holly’s mind.
Read this week’s issue online or subscribe to the RSS feed.
In this issue …
• Undecided traveler? 5 questions to ask before voting
• Escape from checked bag fees: 3 tips
• Study finds travel bidding sites can be a traps
• How to reach yours truly
• Support this site
This issue of Elliott’s E-mail is underwritten by FirstClassFlyer.com, the [...]
Airlines have started charging $15 for your first checked bag. Here are three clever ways to avoid this extra surcharge for your luggage.
What’s a year? If you said 365 days, you obviously don’t work for an airline. Air carriers apparently have another definition, as many passengers learn when they decide to recycle their ticket credit for another flight.
Planes nearly fly themselves these days. Why not remove the pilots to cut weight? Oh, and while they’re at it, here are a few more things they could take away.
Tom Gainor pays for a rental car through Hotwire.com, but when he gets to the car rental counter in Mexico, an agent strong-arms him into buying insurance that more than doubles the cost of the car. Neither Hotwire, nor the rental company seems to care. Is there any way of getting his money back?
Here’s a bit of good news on what is likely to be another Black Friday: Customer service isn’t a lost art in the travel industry. At least not at one hotel.
Susan Ervin and Geraldo Flores were supposed to fly to Rome today to set sail on a two-week Mediterranean cruise aboard the Azamara Quest. But then their travel agent went missing, leaving the fate of their floating vacation in doubt.
Just when you thought you’d seen every car rental scam in the book — and if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably do — along comes another clever way of separating drivers from their money. Call this one the flooded engine rip-off.
Read this week’s issue online or subscribe to the RSS feed.
In this issue …
• How airlines have betrayed us
• Do travel sites use cookies to dupe you into paying more?
• As oil prices plunge, airlines continue to lie about fees
• How to reach yours truly
• Support this site
This issue of Elliott’s E-mail is underwritten by [...]
Here’s another good reason to use a competent travel agent: When Jay Wendt read one of my columns in the Portland Oregonian that recommended using an agent, he decided to give it a try on a business class ticket for a transpacific flight. He was floored by what he discovered.
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