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.
Greg Rothman thought his Holland America cruise was locked in: a seven-day Caribbean sailing in a veranda stateroom for $650, courtesy of an MGM casino certificate. He pays in full and then books non-refundable airline tickets from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. Hours later, a second invoice arrives — this one demanding another $800 or threatening to bump him down to a windowless interior cabin.
Walter Gluzkin faces a months-long battle with National Car Rental over a damage claim on a Hyundai Sonata he returned just 30 minutes after picking it up. National’s damage recovery unit is demanding his insurance information for repairs he says he never caused. Can National get away with that?
Mike Marsden cancels his Brittany Ferries booking three months before his sailing date, only to discover the company is keeping his $390 deposit. Despite having a “flexi” ticket and legitimate health concerns, the ferry line says the cancellation is final. Is it really?
Randal Marchessault watches in disbelief as Austrian Airlines refunds him just $108 after a botched ticket change request. But the airline rebooks his wife’s identical ticket without any problem. Now he’s fighting to get a $4,352 refund.
Gerardine D’Sa checks two bags in Bangalore but only receives one in Chicago. Air France’s customer service team rejects her legitimate receipts with absurd excuses. Can D’Sa recover the full compensation she deserves under international law?
Todd Brueshoff cancels his Hertz rental through Expedia two days before pickup and receives an email confirming that there’s no cancellation fee. But wait, there is! Hertz charges him a $52 no-show fee. Can he get his money back?
Laura Hughart has fought Expedia for almost a year to reclaim $500 for a canceled Alaska Airlines flight. But she’s caught in a loop between two airlines and an online travel agency. Will anyone help her?
When Christine Porter’s flight delay strands her for 25 hours, her travel insurer balks at paying a $270 claim. After five months of bureaucratic warfare, she’s no closer to a resolution.
Brenda Stopay rushes home from a cruise after learning her brother is critically ill, but a booking error caused her to miss her flight. Despite months of back-and-forth between Orbitz and Aer Lingus — including submitting her brother’s death certificate repeatedly — neither company will approve her $715 refund. Can she cut through the red tape and get a resolution?
Michael Margulis returns a Budget rental van in good condition, only to be hit with a $450 cleaning fee 18 days later. The car rental company’s delayed inspection report cites dirty floor mats but offers no proof or cost breakdown. Can a vague charge hold up without evidence?
