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.
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?
One delay of Nora Rousso’s Aer Lingus flight from Paris to Dublin leads to another, and now her return flight is delayed an entire day. Is she entitled to any compensation?
After Lynne Viti and her husband’s flight is delayed, they file a claim for compensation. Then they file another one. Where is their check?
Kristin Long can’t use her Southwest Airlines vouchers because of a permanent medical condition. Can she get a refund?
When Leslie Hammond’s flight to London is canceled, she calls off her vacation. Why won’t American Airlines refund her ticket?
When Mark Schlangel’s flight is canceled, his airline refuses to rebook him on the next available flight, and he’s forced to buy a new ticket. Is he entitled to a refund?
