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.
When the clutch on his car fails, Hadley Roeltgen is sent an 850 euro bill. But his credit card company says he shouldn’t be responsible, and reverses the charge. Now, a collections agency is after him. What should he do?
When Kathy Stickney’s niece must return home early to be with her ailing father, she must forfeit an American Airlines ticket. But is that fair?
Debbie Rosenkranz books a non-smoking room at a Days Inn hotel. But when she arrives, she’s offered a smoking room. Does the hotel owe her anything?
Shortly before her cruise to Mexico sets sail, Regina Hatfield and her family are ushered off the ship. The reason? She’s experiencing sharp pains in her kidney. Now her cruise line wants to keep her money. Is it allowed to do that?
After Robin Johnson’s husband is killed in a tragic accident, she tries to salvage his United Airlines ticket credit. But the carrier says it can’t change the name on a ticket – it’s against the rules. Is there any hope for her?
Agnes Lednum’s husband’s ticket is missing two little letters — “Jr” — and in order to fix it, her online travel agency wants $300. Is that her only option?
Brian Durbin’s destination wedding is off to a bad start. His travel agent isn’t returning his calls and he and his fiancée are afraid everything isn’t going to run smoothly. What do you do when your travel agent goes AWOL?
Months after her car rental, Diane Mikulis gets a bill for damages she doesn’t recognize. When she asks for a translation, the car rental company sends her case to a collection agency. Now what?
Mary Fahy pays extra for a nonrefundable oceanview room through Expedia, but when she checks in, she’s given quarters overlooking the other side of the property. Is she owed a refund?
