Oh no, Budget had second thoughts about my discount
Brandon Chase’s car rental company says it’s made a mistake on his bill, and reverses a discount long after his rental. Is it allowed to do that? And what are his rights?
The Travel Troubleshooter is a weekly consumer column that solves travel problems. Missing cruise refunds, lousy airline service, car rental surcharges — it’s all fair game for this feature. Each story presents a problem and fixes it in a quick Q&A format.
Brandon Chase’s car rental company says it’s made a mistake on his bill, and reverses a discount long after his rental. Is it allowed to do that? And what are his rights?
Marianne MacKenzie’s US Airways miles have expired, but worse, her son’s are gone too. He almost had enough points for a ticket. Is he out of luck?
Pat Shopher’s car rental experience in Germany ends in confusion when her reservation is canceled and then reinstated at a higher rate. Now she has two bills for the same rental. What should she do?
Debra Weissman can’t get to Seattle because of a hurricane. Her cruise line will only offer a 75 percent credit toward a future sailing, even though she bought insurance. Is that enough?
Jerome Garcia’s Hotwire hotel room is in the wrong place and overpriced. But did the online travel agency do anything wrong — and does he deserve a refund?
William Hicks rents a car from Dollar with a ding in it. Now it wants to charge him for the damage. But it can’t prove he did it. Should he pay, anyway?
Matthew Del Bontago finds a better price on his seven-day, all-inclusive vacation and cancels his initial reservation. But more than eight weeks later there’s no refund. What’s taking so long?
The $50 Expedia coupon the agency promises Viola Wilson doesn’t arrive in one piece, and when she asks for a replacement, it sends her coupons. Shouldn’t it be sending her another card?
When part of his flight itinerary changes, Bret Bickar is asked to pay a change fee in order to get back home. Is that unfair? He thinks so. His airline doesn’t. Who’s right?
Susan Fuhrman’s husband is sick, and she can’t get a straight answer from United Airlines about her refund request. One representative agrees to a full refund, but another refuses. Who’s right?