A surprise $600 bill for my Mexico car rental
Arjun Aiyer receives a surprise bill for an extra $600 after renting a car in Mexico. The company alleges the vehicle was damaged while Aiyer was driving it. But where’s the proof?
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.
We gave up our seat on Spirit but they gave us nothing
Sarah Dragswiek and her family give up their airline seat in exchange for a promise of a refund and a voucher for a new ticket. But when the airline refuses to keep its word, what can they do?
Where are the frequent flier miles I won?
Larry Babbin wins lots of frequent flier miles from American Airlines, but the points never appear on his statement. Now the company is giving him the silent treatment. Can these miles be saved?
Enterprise sent me a bill for “hidden” damage
When Frederick Dintzis returns his rental car to Enterprise, it tells him the car looks fine. But four hours later, all is not well. The underside of his car has been damaged, it claims. It wants him to pay for the repairs. Is that fair?
Expedia double-charged me — can I get a refund?
Laura Pang has two airline reservations on Expedia. But she only needs one. Now the online agency refuses to refund the second charge. Is there anything she can do to persuade it to help her?
When renting a car, no good deed goes unpunished
After Chandra Bhandaru points out a few scratches on a Hertz rental, the car rental sends a bill — and then another bill. Now the company wants to refer the matter to a collection agency. What happened?
Hotels.com left me in Paris sans hotel
When Judi McManigal arrives at her hotel in Paris, she discovers she doesn’t have a reservation. Her online travel agency won’t help her. Is she stuck with the bill?
Missing miles on a United Airlines codeshare flight
Glennellen Pace and her husband are missing thousands of frequent flier miles after a trip to Australia and New Zealand. Is there any way to find them?
Why won’t United Airlines honor its fare guarantee?
Chuck Barnes tries to invoke United Airlines’ low fare guarantee. But it doesn’t quite work the way he hoped it would. Is he out of luck?
Please cancel my nonrefundable hotel room, Priceline
Tami Alloway needs to cancel her hotel stay because of “extenuating” personal circumstances. Just one problem: the reservations are non-refundable.