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.
Patricia Wollensak books business-class tickets on American Airlines from Chicago to Rome, redeeming 135,000 AAdvantage miles for the tickets. But right before her flight, American downgrades her to economy class. Is an $800 voucher enough compensation?
When Jordan Smith returns his Hertz rental, his receipt indicates a full tank. So why is the company charging him $102 for fuel? And is there a way to reverse the charge?
Just before their Grand Cayman vacation, Tim Kersten’s wife suffers a miscarriage. Although their tour operator promises “a credit” for their missed vacation, it quickly reverses course. Will they get no refund?
Victoria Ramirez’ Galápagos Islands vacation gets off to two false starts. Why won’t her online travel agent offer an unused ticket refund?
Beth Warner has a complaint I hear too often: “Delta downgraded me on my flight.” To make matters worse, she’s in a wheelchair. And to make matters even worse, they seated her next to a bathroom. Does she deserve some kind of refund?
SATA Airlines downgrades Lawrence Hughes from business class to economy class on a flight from Porto, Portugal, to Boston. A representative promises a refund. Where is it?
Madeline Gaffney leaves her Airbnb rental after she discovers it’s in a crime-ridden neighborhood. Can she get a refund?
An unexpected cancellation of her domestic flight puts Janice Malvey’s Australia vacation in jeopardy. But who should fix the problem? And is there time to do it before she leaves? Why won’t JustFly fix her ticket?
After Reza Alborz’s father dies, there’s almost no chance he can fly back to Iran to visit his family. Would Turkish Airlines consider refunding the plane tickets his mother bought?
