Tired of high hotel rates and airfares this summer? Just wait. Travel prices may be about to go into a tailspin — again.
July 2010
When Linda Foy checks in for her flight, she’s told she has no airline tickets. But wait! Didn’t her online travel agent, Expedia, just confirm her flights? And will Expedia now refund the new tickets she must buy?
No airline ticket, scammers don’t take a break and a sunk cruise.
Neither should you. And while there are more than enough scams that await travelers when booking their trips — covered in excruciating detail on this site — the’s also danger on the ground.
It looked like smooth sailing for the DellaPenna family’s Alaska cruise. The airline tickets were booked and the seats confirmed. But just a day before they were to leave, United Airlines almost scuttled their vacation.
The Transportation Department’s latest high-profile fine goes against Comair for violating denied-boarding rules. It’s a big ticket: $275,000, which, while significantly less than the record fine against Spirit Airlines late last year, could be the largest enforcement action for bad bumping practices.
Travel’s new normal, pre-checking your site, when to appeal your case.
Here’s what happens when an airline can’t get its story straight. It ends up with a passenger like John Campagna, who nearly forced to abandon his “babies” in Honolulu.
During the last week, several news outlets and bloggers — including most recently, the Arizona Daily Star — have breathlessly reported that Southwest Airlines quietly revised its contract to define mechanical delays as an “Act of God.”
Seconds before Terri Widder booked a recent flight from Chicago to Tulsa, she hesitated. Something felt wrong.
This isn’t a political column, but when I heard the next president of the United States, Sarah Palin, announce she belongs to the party of “no” — actually, make that the party of “hell no” — I thought for a moment she was talking about the travel industry.
Amy and Kevin Roeder are stuck with a $1,600 bill from Thrifty Car Rental for damage they say they didn’t do. Thrifty insists they’re responsible, and isn’t backing down. And now I’m stuck, too. What do I do next?
A car rental conundrum, Washington power trip and a conversion quandary.
Can you name the three branches of government?
In a word: fees. Lots and lots of fees.
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