A flag on the play after “free” NFL offer from DirecTV
Why is DirecTV offering — and then rescinding — Donavon Frater’s premium subscription TV package? The company doesn’t have a clue. Time to call for help.
Christopher Elliott
Kicked off my cruise for peeing near the pool
When Karen Del Zoppo’s husband suffered a heart attack two years ago, he sustained severe anoxic brain damage, which left him with the mental state and motor skills of a two-year-old.
Del Zoppo didn’t want that to stop the family from enjoying a vacation. As a registered nurse, she’s more than capable of caring for her mentally handicapped husband. So she recently booked a getaway for the couple and her brother and sister-in-law — a western Mediterranean cruise that left from Venice, Italy.
Review this! Travelers fed up with solicitations
Is it my imagination, or are travel companies getting pushier?
The come-ons include repeated invitations to return to a hotel or restaurant, high-pressure pitches to “like” a company’s Facebook account and urgent requests for positive online reviews. As summer vacations fade into memory, the aggressiveness has never been more obvious.
Excuse me, your vacation rental is missing some amenities
If you rented a vacation home this summer, you probably have a story like Michelle Lawson’s. She has lost count of the times she has checked into an apartment, only to find that it’s lacking something important, such as towels, soap, a working dishwasher or an Internet connection.
Dante would love these Colorado ski resorts and so will your kids
Purgatory sounds like a scary anecdote from Mrs. Olson’s Sunday School class. As in, “If you sin, you will end up skiing the slopes of Purgatory for all eternity.”
That wouldn’t be such a bad thing, come to think of it.
After husband’s fall, will American offer a refund?
When Susan Kaufman’s husband takes a fall, she has to cancel her flight from Boston to Washington, D.C. Will American refund the tickets — or ignore her request for help?
I shipped a computer with UPS. It arrived in pieces. Now what?
When Kenneth Nicely ships a computer to a friend, it arrives in pieces. When he tries to file a claim for damages, he gets the runaround. Should he write off the $400 he lost?
Here are the best travel insurance policies
What are the best travel insurance companies? That’s easy: I list them in my annual Readers’ Choice Awards.
The best policies? That’s not easy.
Bouncing around Colorado Springs in the dead of winter
Mention Colorado Springs and you probably think of Pikes Peak, the highest mountain in the southern Front Range of the Rockies, or the Broadmoor Hotel, the historic resort nestled in the hills overlooking the city.
But what happens when you take both of those out of the picture, plus most of the other tourists?
A canceled British Airways flight to London and confusing claim
After Vueling cancels John McDonnell’s flight, he tries to file a claim for compensation. But wait! British Airways issued his ticket. So who should pay?