American Airlines refunded only half of my ticket — where’s the rest?
After American Airlines cancels Susan Cohen’s flight, it refunds only half her ticket. The reason? It claims she used the other half. Which is impossible. What now?
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.
I had to change my son’s name, but the airline won’t help me
Lisa Coris changes the name on her son’s passport, but now Ethiopian Airlines wants to charge her $300. Is that too much?
Delta stopped flying to Barbados — is our vacation ruined?
Laurie Glynne and her family planned to fly to Barbados for the holidays. But then Delta Air Lines stopped flying to the Caribbean island. Can this vacation be saved?
I paid extra for my British Airways seat, but it didn’t recline
Vivienne Pearson’s airline seat — the one for which she paid an extra 40 pounds — doesn’t recline. A flight attendant promised her a refund, but now the airline is balking.
Why did I pay Swiss an extra $99 for a middle seat?
Shelley Benjamin thought she’d paid $99 for an aisle seat reservation on a Swiss flight to Zürich. But then she tried to find room for her baby.
Downgraded on my flight home — where’s my refund?
After Andrew Wolkstein’s flight from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Newark, New Jersey, is canceled because of a pilots’ strike, he’s downgraded to economy class. Why won’t El Al Israel Airlines refund the fee he paid for a better seat?
I lost my vacation. Can I get a refund from Travelocity?
When Beth Langston faints at the airport and is taken to the hospital, her nonrefundable trip to London is the first casualty. Is her refund DOA?
Bumped from my flight to Palm Beach — why won’t American pay up?
After Samantha Gomez is denied boarding on a flight from Philadelphia to Palm Beach, Florida, she asks her airline for compensation. Why won’t it pay?
I’m still waiting for a refund from Hotels.com
When Mike Foley cancels his resort reservation, Hotels.com promises him a refund. But more than a year later, his $1,400 is still missing.
Alitalia promised to cover my lost luggage, but the check never arrived
After John Nealon’s bags go missing, his airline sends him shopping. Why won’t it cover the bill?