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On her way back from Sri Lanka, Caroline Martorano was detained in Abu Dhabi. She says she was detained for not being appropriately dressed, causing her to miss her connecting flight. But she places the blame for this detainment on American Airlines. Huh?
Dale Allen and his girlfriend are looking forward to a tropical vacation in Cancún. Unfortunately, they arrive at the airport too late and miss their flight. Wanting to leave immediately, they buy one-way tickets at the American Airlines counter. Allen is sure the agent said that the tickets cost $169 each — so why is his credit card charged $2,400?
I don’t mean to start a fight, but people really want to know the answer to this question: Who controls the window shade on your flight?
David Kresl found out the hard way that Uber’s ride scheduling window is a guideline and not a guarantee. His Uber driver arrived late to take him to the airport. And now he wants the ride-sharing service to pay for his sister-in-law’s trip to St. Martin.
Huh?
When John Thompson lands in Washington D.C., he discovers that the last connecting flight to Boston has left without him. An American Airlines representative assures him not to worry — he will be put on a flight the next morning and his hotel will be covered for the night. So why is his request for reimbursement rejected?
When Doreen Naumann tries to check in to leave Koror in the Republic of Palau, she discovers that her United Airlines flight doesn’t exist. But after Naumann has to spend an extra week on Koror, United won’t refund her additional expenses.
Many travel sites claim you can sometimes save money by booking two one-way airline tickets instead of a round-trip ticket. But is there a downside to this practice?
If your flight is canceled, does your airline still have an obligation to get you to your destination on time?
Nothing changes you like travel does. I know, because after 26 years of suburban stability, I recently sold my house, pulled up my stakes and hit the road. I’m a different person because of it.
When Rich Winer booked flights for himself and his wife on Lufthansa, he paid an extra $200 to reserve specific seats. Lufthansa confirmed in an email to Winer that he had reserved those seats.
Geoffrey Small pays an extra $150 for an economy plus seat on El Al, only to find that nothing in that seat works. As compensation, El Al offers a $150 voucher. Is that sufficient compensation for Small’s malfunctioning seat?
Diana Lawson, 60, a self-professed “knitting grandma,” recently traveled to Lubbock, Texas, with power tools in her luggage. On her return flight, she was denied boarding and removed from the airport by two police officers and two American Airlines employees. She flew a different airline the following day and wants compensation from American.
Sometimes, travel isn’t fun. Jane Hatch’s last-minute winter flight from Baltimore to Milwaukee was for the worst reason of all.
Sue Allen’s flight schedule changes, and the new schedule doesn’t work for her. She is entitled to a refund, yet months later, she still doesn’t have it. Why?
United Airlines flight 1031 was about 80 miles east of Cancún, on its way from Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, when it encountered turbulence earlier this summer — severe turbulence.
When Virgin Atlantic changes its schedule, Amanda Ramirez is offered a new flight that doesn’t work for her. Had her travel agent informed her of the change sooner, she might have been able to cancel her itinerary. Now, her agent refuses to refund her money, and Virgin says it’s the agency’s responsibility. Can our advocates help her get a refund?
Kengo Tashiro books two flights using Expedia which he cancels within 24 hours. He should be entitled to a refund, but several months later he still doesn’t have one. Why?
A mechanical failure causes Timothy Spinner’s United Airlines flight to make an emergency landing. Although the airline promises to reimburse Spinner for bag fee, meal and hotel expenses after his return home, he can’t get anyone at United to respond to his claims. Can our advocates obtain reimbursement for Spinner’s incidental costs?
When Sandra Wucher hears that her Spirit Airlines flight has been canceled, she wants compensation for the emotional distress she suffers. Is Wucher’s request reasonable? And can our advocates help her get it?
When Siu-Fun Quan’s aunt and uncle decided to visit her in Minneapolis, they made the long trip over from China without incident. When it was time for them to return home, she wanted to make sure everything went smoothly as well.
United Airlines cancels the Robinsons’ connecting flight — not once, but twice. The reason? Problems with air traffic control. After several requests for a refund, guess what they ended up with?
When Solomon Gizaw purchases his air tickets for a trip to Africa, he doesn’t buy travel insurance. Now he has to cancel his trip for medical reasons, but he doesn’t want to pay a change fee. Can our advocates help him get it waived?
After Ellen Van den Broeck’s flight on Airberlin is delayed, she’s bumped to a later flight, which is also delayed. When she finally lands in Berlin, her luggage doesn’t land with her. Now what?
You may have heard the idiomatic expression, “barking up the wrong tree.” That gives you an idea of the problem Gail Mayer faced as she waged an unsuccessful fight with the insurance company Trip Mate, over recovering her lost airline tickets.
When Alex Avila agrees to be voluntarily bumped from his Spirit Airlines flight, he is happy to receive travel vouchers that will allow him to visit his father before his dad’s upcoming deployment. But will he be able to use his vouchers on the dates he needs?
When Silvania da Silva booked air tickets on United and Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras through the online travel site OneTravel (a brand of Fareportal), she expected to be able to board her flights. But Azul denied her boarding, saying the fare hadn’t been paid — even though she had paid for her tickets when she made the booking.
Lisa Coris changes the name on her son’s passport, but now Ethiopian Airlines wants to charge her $300. Is that too much?