Priceline canceled my reservation and left me with a $360 bill
Canceled without consent, then charged $360 more to rebook the same two hotel rooms. The company admitted its error. How the refund was finally won.
The Travel Troubleshooter
The Travel Troubleshooter is a weekly consumer column that solves travel problems. Missing cruise refunds, lousy airline service, car rental surcharges — it’s all fair game for this feature. Each story presents a problem and fixes it in a quick Q&A format.
Holland America canceled my cruise because of a pricing error. Can it do that?
Cindy Woodring booked a 10-day cruise at $479 a person, applied a credit, and paid in full. Her confirmation said paid. Three days later, Holland America said the fare was an error and wanted $1,530 more, or she could cancel.
Help! Swiss bumped us to the back of the plane, and now our refund is gone
Mila Schoun and his wife paid $3,274 for premium economy from Miami to Prague and back. On the long-haul leg home, Swiss downgraded them to economy. Then it claimed it had paid them with a cash card they never received.
My tour operator promised a price lock—and then broke it
Michael Hughes prepaid his Spain and Portugal tour a year early, to lock the price. Then his flight was canceled, the operator rebooked him and mailed a bill for $670 more. The price lock, it said, did not cover airfare.
Can Princess Cruises charge you more after you paid in full?
Deborah Keck upgraded to a suite on the Star Princess, paid the $1,449 she was quoted, and got a confirmation reading paid in full. Months later Princess added $3,967 to her booking and said pay, downgrade, or lose the cruise.
Why did Dollar charge me $1,858 for a car they didn’t have?
Dennis Drake returned his Dollar rental car in Albuquerque, told the agent about the leaky tire and the engine light, and flew home to Texas. Weeks later, Dollar billed him as if he still had the Jeep, and threatened repossession.
Avis said his car was stolen, but he was just waiting for a new debit card
Aaron McIntosh rented through the Avis Uber program to drive for a living. Avis billed his account erratically, his bank froze it, and while he waited for a new card he asked Avis one question: should I return the car?
Avis charged her for returning a car early. Then things got complicated
A family emergency forced Christine Grosart to return her Avis rental in Spain early. Instead of a smaller bill, she got a bigger one, an unexpected charge that nearly doubled the cost. Nobody had told her early returns cost more.
Help! Delta downgraded us and refused to pay for a place to sleep
They are both over 75. Up at 2 a.m., delayed by a storm, then held on the ramp in Atlanta waiting for a gate until the Boise connection was long gone. An agent suggested they rent a room to rest.
Who pays for a flat tire on a Turo rental? It’s complicated
Brent Marcelino faces a terrifying blowout in a Mercedes with bald tires. Instead of an apology, Turo sends him a bill for the damage. Does he have to pay?