Elliott Advocacy is a nonprofit organization that mediates cases between consumers and businesses. These are commentary articles that detail our efforts and provide educational information for consumers.
Joan Johnson-Roegner needs to cancel her Groupon Getaway. Her tour operator, Reward Travel China, suggests the terms of her vacation are flexible. So why is she stuck with an unusable tour — and is there anything my fearless crew of advocates can do to help her?
Why do frequent travelers pack their own pillows?
“Because I don’t like putting my face on something that has been used for God knows what,” says Paula Miller, a retired teacher who lives in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. “I have an aversion to any pillow that isn’t mine. I would much rather give up the space of one outfit in order to get a good night’s sleep.”
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.
Peter Burke just wanted to go surfing in Mexico. But Aeromexico’s baggage handlers had other plans for him. After collecting $300 from him to ship his surfboard, Aeromexico lost his equipment.
Now Burke just wants a baggage refund. But does he deserve one?
When Heather Kay had second thoughts about the reservation she’d made at the Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo through Orbitz, she looked at the clock. Sure enough, she had a few hours left to cancel her reservation, since the deadline was in her local time.
Or was it?
The economy class airline seat of the future could make you feel like you’re not sitting in economy class.
Agoda billed Cassidy Siddharth’s American Express card for a nonexistent reservation. Now the Agoda refund he’s been promised is also nonexistent. What gives?
Teri-Lee Lawler-Baack is a little nervous after the British Parliament’s recent vote on Brexit, which set the stage for a potentially chaotic “no deal” departure from the European Union on March 29. She’s not the only one.
Bob Tupper’s summer vacation in Bologna, Italy, was his best trip of last year. It included a visit to the famous markets in the Quadrilatero district, touring the oldest university in the western world and sampling beer at the Baladin brewpub near the city.
Lots of beer.
Is the Benjamin app a scam? That’s what Ming Zhao would like to know after he found an unbelievably good deal through the company: two $500 Uber gift cards for the price of one.
“Unbelievable” being the operative word.
