Ah, the perils of being your own travel agent.
COLLECTION AGENCY
Kalevi Ruuska contacted me with an urgent problem recently. One of his friends was being asked to pay an odd cancellation fee by Air Berlin, and would not take “no” for an answer. The airline had hired a collection agency to pursue its claim.
Travel companies routinely use collection agencies as tools to enrich themselves at their customers’ expense. That’s what seemed to be happening to Gabrielle Durana when her online travel agency tried to strong-arm her into paying $1,700 for an airline ticket it lost. But looks can be deceiving.
Travel companies are sending collection agencies after their customers with greater frequency. Here are five things you need to know.
Can an airline send a debt collector after you to pay for a missed flight? Strangely, the answer is: yes.
Before Sophia Mei books a cruise online through Travelocity, her screen goes blank and she loses her reservation. Or so she thinks. A phone agent helps here complete her booking, but soon it’s clear that she has two reservations for the same cruise. And before long, a collections agency is after her to pay for both tickets. What should she do?
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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