Are car rental employees rewarded for finding dings and dents on your vehicle?
The allegation that car rental companies have turned the damage claims process into a profit center is so common, I could probably write an entire blog on it.
Christopher Elliott
Airline declines credit card, then hires collection agency to extract $510 “cancellation” fee
Kalevi Ruuska contacted me with an urgent problem recently. One of his friends was being asked to pay an odd cancellation fee by Air Berlin, and would not take “no” for an answer. The airline had hired a collection agency to pursue its claim.
Ticketmaster on hidden fees: “We get it” — is the travel industry next?
To get an idea where this nonsense with hidden fees is headed, consider what just happened at Ticketmaster.
Revenge of the hotel clerks: 5 things they’ll do to difficult guests
If you think your hotel clerk is out to get you, you might be right.
JetBlue flight attendant who bailed after passenger confrontation: “Your carry on drama ain’t worth that to me”
I’ve been following the coverage of Steven Slater, the JetBlue flight attendant who bailed out of a parked aircraft after a profanity-laced confrontation with a passenger about his luggage, with some interest.
Government says airlines “not required” to refund taxes on nonrefundable tickets
Kirk Miller knew his nonrefundable US Airways tickets was lost when he canceled his flight, but like many air travelers, he wondered about the taxes. Could he get those back?
Are “expedite” fees for award tickets refundable?
Josh Banta and his wife cashed in some of their hard-earned American Airlines miles to fly from New York to Miami for a funeral. But the tickets weren’t free; they paid $125 for the privilege of using their miles within 21 days. That’s a fee someone has yet to explain to me.
Is American Airlines about to add another row of seats to its planes?
It seems like just yesterday that American Airlines scrapped its More Room Throughout Coach program, which made flying in the back of the plane a more civil experience by adding a few extra inches of legroom. But that program was announced a decade ago and killed five years later.
Yes, you can fight a resort fee — and win
Mandatory resort fees added to your hotel bill have been annoying hotel guests for almost as long as I’ve been covering the hotel industry, which is to say, a long time. But how do you persuade a property to remove these extra fees from your bill?
“My riverboat vacation turned into a nightmare”
Gennaro Ottomanelli and his wife were left left high and dry when his riverboat cruise was canceled at the last minute. His AAA travel agent offered two choices: Either cancel his vacation or go on the substitute bus tour. He decided to stay home, hoping to get a refund.