My mom died before I could visit, and JustFly won’t help me get a refund
Winnie Lanoix’s mother dies before she can visit her in Fort Myers, Fla. But neither her online travel agent, JustFly, nor American Airlines, will refund her fare. Why not?
Christopher Elliott
Turkish Airlines made him miss his flight. Then it lost his bag
After a series of mishaps, including a missed flight, Anupam Shovakar wants Turkish Airlines to step up and make things right. So why won’t it?
Why you’ll leave a tip — whether you want to or not
David Mitroff’s favorite restaurants in New York and San Francisco now quietly add an 18 percent tip to his final bill — before he even has a chance to consider a gratuity.
Automatic tips have also appeared on his hotel bills and when he checks his luggage with the airport skycap. It’s almost as if everyone assumes he wants to tack a few extra dollars onto the final tab, even when he doesn’t.
TSA PreCheck members fume as their lines get longer
It happened to Andy Lundberg when he was flying recently from Kansas City to Baltimore on Southwest Airlines. A Transportation Security Administration screener pointed him to the PreCheck line, where he waited behind a dozen other frequent travelers with the agency’s trusted traveler designation.
6 times when you’re better off without travel insurance
Even though Jon Look is a frequent traveler, he always leaves home without one thing.
“I have never purchased a travel insurance policy,” admits Look, a retired photographer. “It adds expense and complications and rarely pays off.”
Traveling without insurance? Yep, most Americans still do it, and some of them with good reason. Because not everyone needs insurance and some people wouldn’t be able to use it even if they bought it.
As it turns out, there are times when you’ll want to skip that insurance policy. It may not be as often as you think, but it happens.
Always have a travel backup plan ready in case your itinerary melts away
If you don’t have a travel backup plan for your next vacation, you need to read this. Seriously. Itineraries go sideways all the time.
I ought to know.
My husband has six weeks to live. Will Princess refund my cruise?
Marla Osgood cancels her Princess cruise under the worst of circumstances: Her husband is dying of cancer. But the cruise line refuses to refund her vacation, citing its refund policy. Can this vacation be rescued?
Did your low airfare disappear? Blame dynamic pricing
You probably know what Melanie Frazier felt like when she recently tried to book a flight from Portland, Maine, to Atlanta.
Why won’t Panasonic repair my microwave oven?
Jackie Moellers’ Panasonic microwave doesn’t work, even though it’s just two years old. The manufacturer wants her to pay for the repairs, but Moellers doesn’t think she should have to. Who’s right?