Jared Slain books an airline ticket for his stepson under the wrong last name. Then, shortly before the family vacation to Mexico, he discovers the error. Now his online agency and airline want him to buy a new ticket. Does he have to?
The Travel Troubleshooter (Tribune Media Services)
A weekly advice column that fixes your travel problems. This feature has been nationally syndicated by Tribune Media Services since 2006.
Hotwire offers Loretta Krahn a hotel room in Rosemont, Ill. She ends up in Elk Grove, Ill. Now she wants her money back, but Hotwire refuses. Is she out of luck?
Stephen Farr returns his rental car with a full tank of gas. Or so he thinks. Now Alamo has charged his credit card for two more gallons at its inflated rate, and it won’t tell him why. Is there any hope for a refund?
Beth Anderson accidentally books two tickets under her name to fly from Chicago to Panama City, Fla. Is her 16-year-old son, for whom she should have bought the second ticket, stuck without a ticket? Both her airline and agency say “yes.”
Denise Frantz’s Western Caribbean cruise on Carnival isn’t meant to be. First her plane is delayed, and then she’s denied boarding because of a paperwork problem. But wait! Didn’t Carnival make her airline reservations? Shouldn’t it help her now?
Surprise! Marriott demands an extra 200 Euros when Hari Doraisamy and his family check into the Brussels Marriott. The reason? He’s traveling with two kids. Does he have to pay?
When a flight attendant accidentally spills hot coffee on Sheryl Siegel, she’s offered an apology and a dry-cleaning voucher. But is it enough? She wants 100,000 miles, but the airline isn’t responding to her request. Now what?
When Stephanie Sanzo loses her Eurail pass, she’s promised a quick refund. But now, more than a year later, the 313-euro refund is still missing in action. Is she out of luck?
Esther Mikula thought she booked an all-inclusive hotel in Aruba. But when she checks in, she discovers that the rate doesn’t include food, beverages and activities, as promised. Now she has to pay extra. Is she owed a refund?
When JJ Mortensen tries to redeem her seven-night hotel award at Marriott, she’s given some bad news: The certificate has been downgraded to a 25,000-mile credit or a five-day certificate. That doesn’t seem fair to her, but Marriott won’t respond to her appeals. What now?
John Frow pays for his airline tickets with $601 in credit. But then he has a bike accident and cancels his trip. When he makes an insurance claim, Access America turns him down, believing he didn’t suffer any financial loss. Now what?
When Cheryl Ellis’ mother dies unexpectedly before her vacation, she’s told by her insurance company to cancel her trip and that the claim will be taken care of. But it isn’t — instead, it’s denied because of a pre-existing condition. But her mother died of natural causes. What now?
When Stacey Koprince rents a car with her partner in Hilton Head, SC, there’s an additional driver fee of $5 a day – a fee Enterprise had promised not to charge. What now?
Peggy Kite’s flights from Washington to Bozeman, Mont., are rescheduled by her airline, leaving her with an abbreviated connection time — and an expanded bill. Specifically, there’s an extra charge of $1,534. How does she get that removed?
When the price of Steven Estrella’s Cancun vacation takes a nosedive after he’s already paid for it, he tries to make a claim under his online travel agency’s price guarantee. But for some reason, the company never processes his claim. What’s going on? And will he ever see a refund?
When Michael Mihalik gets a phone call offering a free cruise, he takes the bait. But a $190 deposit later, he’s having second thoughts about this getaway. The company won’t refund his deposit. Should it?
The hotel Valerie Acosta booked through Hotwire.com isn’t what she expected. The site claims it’s a four-star resort, but the reviews say otherwise. How about a refund?
May Tong reserves a condo in Winter Park, Colo., but calls off her vacation about a month before her arrival. The cancellation policy seems to allow for a refund, under certain conditions. But have those conditions been met? Maybe.
Pamela Metcalf Kunelis and her husband miss their Disney vacation because of a misunderstanding. Her airline will allow her to redo the vacation, but Disney wants $500 for new hotel rooms, and it refuses to make an exception. Should it?
Gordon Houston is offered a $9.80-a-day rate for a rental car in Mexico. But an agent refuses to rent the car to him without insurance, which more than doubles the price of the vehicle. Now neither his agent, nor the rental company, will refund the difference. Is he stuck with the bill?
