Case dismissed: A suburban spat over a Hotwire hotel room
Here’s a relatively common problem with a so-called “opaque” booking site — with a relatively common resolution.
Commentary
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.
Ridiculous or not? Airport parking fees start to multiply
Like many travelers, Hal Frost is accustomed to being hit with fees everywhere he goes, from the airport check-in counter to the hotel front desk. But long-term parking used to always be pretty straightforward: the rate he was quoted was the rate he paid.
Can this trip be saved? I paid for the ticket — where’s my credit?
One of the things travelers love about an airline like Southwest is that it goes against the grain. When other airlines charge baggage fees, it doesn’t. When they impose change fees, it doesn’t. When they have assigned seats, Southwest refuses.
Let’s ban babies in first class once and for all
Should an airline’s first class section be adults-only? Ask passengers like James Armstrong, and you’ll hear a compelling reason for keeping babies in the back — if not off the plane entirely.
Is this enough compensation? Bumped from a flight and we missed our connection
JetBlue flight 686 from Washington to Boston was delayed by a few hours on April 13, which wasn’t a big deal to most of the passengers. Except to Lonn Waters and his girlfriend, who planned to catch an Icelandair flight to Keflavik, Iceland, later that evening.
Scammed: How to Save Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals
It’s official: I’ve just finished the final edits on my new book, Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. I just have to tell you about it.
Case dismissed: They charged me the wrong fare, and now they want more
Melinda McGowan had to cancel her European vacation late last year because of a medical emergency. When she tried to rebook her tickets through Lufthansa, an airline representative quoted her a fare differential of $388, which seemed like a lot at the time.
TSA Watch: Confronting an out-of-control agency
It’s been a week of run-ins between the TSA and its critics. Maybe the most interesting one was Sen. Rand Paul’s vs TSA Chief John Pistole.
TSA Watch: Did they really sexually assault his mother?
Another day, another TSA screening video. Ryan Miklus, with his parents for the Memorial Day weekend. The woman his mother, Carol.
TSA Watch: What Texas’ standoff with the feds really means
By now, anyone with an Internet connection knows that Texas legislators have abandoned their efforts to restrict the TSA from screening air travelers with what some consider an invasive and inappropriate pat-down.