If you have a problem with the TSA, what’s your next step?
COMPLAINT
When Jason Plott’s Western Caribbean cruise was delayed because of dense fog in Galveston, Tex., earlier this year, Carnival offered two possible resolutions before casting off: Either a full refund or an abridged cruise, which included an onboard credit and a discount off a future vacation.
t was Alicia and Dean Winicks’ first cruise — a seven-day sailing from from San Juan to Dominica, Grenada, Aruba, and back again on the Caribbean Princess last month.
Reading comprehension is one of the foundations of primary education. (I ought to know. My eight-year-old struggles with his reading assignments from time to time.) But you’d expect a full-grown employee to actually take the time to read and understand something like a complaint email, right?
Did Chris Hill’s mother and aunt have a bad flight on Virgin Atlantic? Without a doubt. The flight attendants were rude and the service was terrible, by their account.
The deeper I wade into the new airline passenger rules, the more I find myself wondering: Why do airlines have to be told to do this?
Lynn Kamimoto thought she was staying in a Grand Deluxe Room at The Fairfax at Embassy Row, Washington, D.C. She thought her stay included a full American Breakfast at the Jockey Club. She thought wrong.
You wanna see my frequent flier card? I’ve got your frequent flier card right here.
Jerry Ginnis’ says his first mistake was asking a travel agent for a quote on a Bermuda vacation. He’d already found a terrific price online — a week at a luxury resort for $2,800, about 40 percent off the normal rate — but a friend suggested that he call.
When it comes to this weekend’s Travel Troubleshooter column about a Disney vacation that lacked a little magic, there’s no middle ground. Either you side with the unhappy visitor whose monorail broke down and whose room wasn’t up to his standards, or you believe the real victim was the Mickey, who compensated the customer in the end.
Is the Better Business Bureau an effective tool against bad airline service? The surprising answer may be: yes.
For those of you who think a well-worded complaint is the fastest way to a free ticket, I have some bad news: The airlines are on to you. Consider what happened to George Yen. He found himself locked out of his United Airlines Mileage Plus account after he says the airline took issue with his frequent complaints.
It isn’t your imagination. Your travel company is giving you the cold shoulder. But do you know why? Here, for the first time ever, are the eight biggest reasons travelers are ignored.
The number of complaints about airlines appears to be in freefall — this morning’s report card (PDF) issued by the Transportation Department says 575 people griped about air travel in June, compared with 848 a year ago — but it may only be a few weeks before they resume their climb.
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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