The loyalty trap: When travel rewards programs turn against you
Remember when travel rewards programs actuallyrewarded you? You collected points, earned status, and got “free” flights.
So why does it all feel like a trap now?
CONSUMER ADVOCACY
Amid soaring fuel prices, these cities are offering free rides
Turns out there is such a thing as a free ride.
That’s what I discovered when I hopped on a tram in Melbourne, Australia, last week. When I tapped my Myki card—the local version of a transit pass—the fare was exactly zero Australian dollars.
Your summer road trip just got 30 percent more expensive. Here’s how to fight back.
The war in Iran may or may not be winding down, but for millions of Americans planning a summer road trip, the damage is already done. Gas prices have blown past $4 a gallon nationally — hitting $4.081 on April 2 — and in states like California, drivers are already staring down $5.89 at the pump.
Should you buy travel insurance at checkout — or skip it?
You’re minutes away from confirming your dream vacation. You’ve selected a flight, hotel and rental car. And then you see the question: “Add travel insurance to protect your trip for just $89?
I sold my house, so why am I still getting trash bills?
When Audrey Kessler sells her home in Ravenna, Ohio, the $75 monthly bill from Ohio Valley Waste for trash service doesn’t stop. Even after she called, emailed, and filled out the company’s online form, the bills keep coming. How can she make them end?
Why won’t Transavia refund me for a ticket I already paid for?
When Rachel Newton books flights that include a leg on Transavia, a Dutch discount airline, she expects a no-frills experience — but not a surprise fee that doubles the cost of his trip. Why won’t the airline make things right?
American Airlines’ disappearing act: how a confirmed first-class seat vanished
When is a first-class ticket not a first-class ticket? When you’re Paul Nelson and you’re flying on American Airlines.
Let’s sink these antiquated shipping laws for good
After Richard Karwic left his cruise early to check on his elderly mother-in-law, he was shocked to receive a $300 fine from his cruise line.
UPS kept my $400 after damaging my computer — can it do that?
Vaughn Warriner’s Apple computer gets damaged in transit when he sends it his granddaughter. Now UPS is refusing his $400 claim. Can it do that?
Help! I paid Expedia $1,459 for an airline ticket that doesn’t exist
Mansour Abado books a ticket for his father from Beirut to Austin, Texas, through Expedia. But there’s a problem: The flight doesn’t exist. Why can’t he get a refund for the bogus ticket?