A Shotover Jet boat streaks down the river at nearly 60 miles an hour, then whips into a drenching 360-degree spin. Now imagine that bone-shaking roar gone, only the wind and the river left. Queenstown wants to electrify the thrill.
Laura Bartholomew’s new $1,856 GE washer rocked so hard on spin that it banged the walls. She called ten times. Five technicians came out. One tested it empty, another with four towels, and every report said it was working properly.
Michael Hughes prepaid his Spain and Portugal tour a year early, to lock the price. Then his flight was canceled, the operator rebooked him and mailed a bill for $670 more. The price lock, it said, did not cover airfare.
Robert Logan paid $489 on StubHub for concert tickets. The artist canceled the show and never rescheduled. Logan called six times for his refund. Each time he heard the same line: we will escalate, give us four to five days.
Celia Dunlap paid $805 for travel insurance before her Southeast Asia tour. When the operator cut a 40-day itinerary to 10, she was left holding a nonrefundable $4,500 airline ticket. Her policy did not cover the cancellation. It was worthless.
Step into the TSA PreCheck lane at a big airport and the person ahead of you may not be flying anywhere. Since early September, vetted visitors without tickets can clear the checkpoint and reach a gate. It is called Gateside.
An algorithm sets your airfare. Another sets the hotel’s rate. A third answers your complaint with a non-answer, hoping you give up. AI arrived in travel years ago, and travelers are paying more and getting worse service because of it.
Janice Lintz thought her credit card’s travel insurance covered her. Then civil unrest in Nepal closed the airspace, canceled her flights, and left her stranded. Her claim was denied. The policy covered security events only if officially classified as terrorism.
Luke Gilbertson’s dog Stewie was healthy when he booked a Rover sitter. Ring footage, he says, shows the sitter shut away for 17 of the 24 hours while Stewie swallowed something and vomited repeatedly. The vet bill came to $5,272.
Deborah Keck upgraded to a suite on the Star Princess, paid the $1,449 she was quoted, and got a confirmation reading paid in full. Months later Princess added $3,967 to her booking and said pay, downgrade, or lose the cruise.
