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 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?
After Robin Griffith’s honeymoon, there’s a mysterious $869 charge on her mother’s credit card for a flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City. How did it get there, and how can she get rid of it?
Ronnee Schweizer’s flight to the Virgin Islands is canceled, and when her online agency issues a refund, part of the money is missing. How does she get it back?
Brandon Chase’s car rental company says it’s made a mistake on his bill, and reverses a discount long after his rental. Is it allowed to do that? And what are his rights?
Marianne MacKenzie’s US Airways miles have expired, but worse, her son’s are gone too. He almost had enough points for a ticket. Is he out of luck?
