Answers

These are the answers to the most troubling and often shocking problems consumers have asked our mediation team. The Elliott Advocacy team covers airline, cruise line, hotel, and vacation rental problems among other topics.

This is what happens when the name on your ticket does not match your passport

By Michelle Couch-Friedman |

What happens if you book an international flight and the name on your ticket does not match your passport?

Ralph Lantz found out the answer in a devastating way. He booked his friend, Jackie, a ticket to meet him on a dream vacation to Greece. But his generous gesture went all wrong at the check-in counter. That’s where Jackie’s Mediterranean plans came to an abrupt end when a Virgin Atlantic agent pointed out that the name on her ticket was not the same as the one on her passport.

Now Lantz wants to know how he can get his money back for the flight. Read more “This is what happens when the name on your ticket does not match your passport”

Can I get $ 10,000 for my United Airlines flight delay?

By Michelle Couch-Friedman |

After a lengthy flight delay on United Airlines, Joseph Baloun made a huge compensation request. He calculated that United Airlines owed him $10,000 in future travel credit for his unpleasant 16-hour delay.

But does United Airlines owe him anything at all? Read more “Can I get $ 10,000 for my United Airlines flight delay?”

This is how to get a refund from a bankrupt airline

By Michelle Couch-Friedman |

What can you do if your airline goes bankrupt and leaves you stranded in another country?

For Kesleigh Eysie, that’s not a hypothetical question. Last July, she found herself stuck in Paris after Primera Air suddenly canceled her flight home. Although the economically challenged company promised a refund and even an additional stipend, it didn’t follow through. Instead, the airline went bankrupt and stopped operating entirely. Read more “This is how to get a refund from a bankrupt airline”

Here’s how to score a free airline upgrade

By Christopher Elliott |

Be honest – you stopped playing the airline upgrade game a long time ago.

And for good reason. Airlines demanded way too much in exchange for a slightly more comfortable seat: unquestioning brand loyalty, an encyclopedic knowledge of their arcane and constantly changing loyalty program rules, or a briefcase full of cash. Read more “Here’s how to score a free airline upgrade”

How to get a surprise hotel smoking fee reversed? Like this

By Michelle Couch-Friedman |

Getting a surprise hotel smoking fee reversed isn’t easy — even if you’re a non-smoker like Kelsey Russell. Or a determined consumer advocate. But it can be done. Here’s how. Read more “How to get a surprise hotel smoking fee reversed? Like this”

How to get a refund on a nonrefundable airline ticket

By Christopher Elliott |

Yes, you can get a refund on a nonrefundable airline ticket.

Your airline may claim you can’t. Your travel agent may tell you it’s impossible. Your ticket fare rules may instruct you to abandon all hope.

Don’t listen to them. Read more “How to get a refund on a nonrefundable airline ticket”

How to handle a vacation rental disaster

By Christopher Elliott |

To say that Alan Muskat’s accommodations in Costa Rica were a vacation rental disaster would be an understatement.

“It was horrid,” Muskat says. Mosquitoes buzzed through gaping holes in the screens. Termites infested the kitchen. The roof leaked.

“Worst of all, it had fleas,” he remembers. Read more “How to handle a vacation rental disaster”

How to prevent pesky robocalls

By Christopher Elliott |

Brenda Avadian is one of the 226 million Americans whose phone number is on the Federal Do Not Call Registry, an opt-in database of people tired of being harassed by unwanted, and usually automated, telemarketing calls, commonly known as robocalls. Read more “How to prevent pesky robocalls”