Category: Airline Problems

Why did Orbitz cancel my flight, leaving me with a $3,400 bill?

By Michelle Couch-Friedman Updated on:

What if a booking agent made a mistake and canceled your return flight home from vacation, leaving you stranded abroad?

During a pandemic. Thousands of miles from home.

That’s what Aruna Krishnamurthy says happened to her last January. She was attempting to come home from India when she discovered Orbitz had inexplicably canceled her flight. That error cost her $3,400 — and hours of stress and anxiety.

Now she wants Orbitz to pay for the high-priced walk-up flight it forced her to buy to get home. But hold on — Orbitz says Krishnamurthy actually canceled the flight, and it doesn’t intend to pay for her mistake.

Can we figure out what’s going on here?

This passport mistake will ruin your vacation every time

By Michelle Couch-Friedman Updated on:

Prior to the current global pandemic, Trevor Seamon made a devastating passport mistake and it ruined his family’s dream vacation. In all the preparation for the journey to Italy, he neglected to check the validity of their passports. That error led the Seamons to arrive at the airport with passports expiring within 90 days — invalid for travel. Denied boarding, they missed their eagerly anticipated trip and ended up right back home at the end of the day.

Seamon believes Air France is responsible for this passport mistake, and he wants our team to negotiate a refund. But is the airline responsible for the family’s ruined vacation? (Last updated July 20)

Can you fly without a mask if you have a doctor’s note?

By Michelle Couch-Friedman Updated on:

Can you fly without a mask at this stage of the pandemic if you have a doctor’s note? Since late last summer, the blunt answer from most airlines is no. Katheryn Stueckle’s son can’t physically tolerate a face covering, but she has no problem with American Airlines’ updated mask requirements. However, she would like a refund for the flight she purchased before the airline changed the policy.

American Airlines says she purchased the flight after it eliminated medical exemptions to the mask requirement. As a result, it denied the refund.

Can we help? (Last updated April 22)

United Airlines flight credit: How to make the most of it after the pandemic

By Michelle Couch-Friedman Updated on:

The clock is ticking on Bernadine Fong’s sizable United Airlines flight credit, which she acquired during the pandemic. Around this time last year, she booked two business class tickets to Europe for a dream vacation. But that was before the coronavirus ruined everyone’s summer plans for 2020.

With the pandemic entering year two, Fong worries her nearly $11,000 flight credit with United Airlines is in jeopardy. Now she wants to know what to do to make sure to make the most of it before it expires. (Last updated Sept. 10, 2021)

An Air Canada mistake caused me to be detained in Korea — for two weeks!!

By Michelle Couch-Friedman Updated on:

Last August, an Air Canada agent made a mistake that set off a terrible chain of events for Sarahy Sigie Reyes. The end result? Sigie was detained in South Korea for 15 days against her will and at her own expense.

Now Sigie and her husband want the Elliott Advocacy team to convince Air Canada to pay for its agent’s mistake. But with the carrier routinely refusing to refund passengers even when required to do so, can we succeed?

We’ve reported on some pretty egregious happenings across the travel industry during the coronavirus pandemic. However, after reading about Sigie’s experience, I think you’ll agree that her tale is the worst of all. 

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