Colleen Farmer’s flight to Mexico is rescheduled multiple times before she leaves on her vacation, but when she finally shows up at the airport, her airline demands an additional $948 for two one-way tickets. Now her online travel agency is balking at a refund for the second ticket. What can she do?
April 2010
Gay Swope owns a “mom-and-pop” travel agency called Travel World International in Lorain, Ohio. It’s the kind of shop a travel advocate like me might refer you to for the kind of personalized service you won’t find online.
Here’s the online version of Elliott’s E-Mail. If this doesn’t display correctly, why not switch subscriptions to my RSS feed or my daily e-mail newsletter? Insure your next trip. Please visit our underwriter, Travel Insurance Review, where you can get articles, reviews, and guides to help you find an insurance policy that will fit your [...]
The Udoviches Spring Break vacation to Fort Myers, Fla., just wasn’t meant to be. The family made it halfway from Texas to Florida before having to turn around, in part because of a late-arriving crew. Now they want their money back for the inconvenience, plus a travel voucher so they can re-do their trip.
And the volcano stories just keep on coming. Earlier this week, we heard from a couple stranded in Portugal. Today let’s turn to a hotel guest.
Your travel screw-ups, up close. Plus, will airlines charge us by the pound, and what’s next for airport security?
The Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals is holding its annual conference in Atlanta this week, and I was fortunate enough to be an invited speaker. I shared my thoughts about travel and customer service with a select group of SOCAP members from the travel industry yesterday.
Even though EU 261, Europe’s strict consumer law for air travelers, has an exception for what are called “extraordinary” circumstances, Europe’s big carriers made a big deal about not invoking that clause when the cloud of volcanic ash spread across their airspace earlier this month.
Full disclosure: I could never afford to stay at The Wheatleigh in Lenox, Mass. Well, maybe I could. But I would be bankrupt in no time.
Now that Spirit Airlines has done the unthinkable, announcing plans to begin charging for carry-on bags this summer — that’s right, carry-on bags — the question everyone seems to be asking is: What’s next?
Want to go somewhere? Book the trip yourself.
When Barbara Sloan cancels her hotel room, she sets off on a mission to find out why she’s being billed $257. Her online agency insists the hotel is charging it, but is it? And does she have to pay the fee, even if she doesn’t use the room?
US Airways and United Airlines practiced discriminatory pricing against disabled passengers, in apparent violation of federal law, a new study conducted by Towson University finds.
Airlines discriminate against the disabled. Plus, Orbitz opt-out policy and a cracked windshield case.
Let me start by saying that I like Orbitz. I like its new CEO, Barney Harford. I like the hard-working folks in its customer service department. I like the way it uses technology to improve your trip. But I do not like the way it pre-checks the option to buy travel insurance when you’re booking [...]
Elliott is consumer advocate 
I'm on Facebook: Please "like" 
WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? If you're having trouble with a travel business - any business - and you've reached a dead end, maybe I can help. Send me an