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.
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?
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?
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?
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.
After John Nealon’s bags go missing, his airline sends him shopping. Why won’t it cover the bill?
Jill King-Fernandez and her family voluntarily give up their seats on a Spirit Airlines flight. In exchange, they’re offered flight vouchers. But the vouchers are unusable. Now what?
When Malaysia Airlines reschedules Alice Bu’s flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Phuket, Thailand, she asks for a refund. But she gets nothing but radio silence. Where’s her money?
When Ellen Spertus receives a promotional code for a $150 companion ticket on Virgin America, she discovers that it’s unusable because of the airline’s blackout dates. When she tries again, she receives an error message, saying the code has been used. Now what?
Ed Samson is a “no-show” for his Hotwire rental in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Why won’t Dollar Rent a Car refund his money?
After Charles Wohlust’s brother-in-law dies, American agrees to refund his ticket change fees. But then it doesn’t. What should he do?
