Oh no, I’m stuck with two car rental bills
Pat Shopher’s car rental experience in Germany ends in confusion when her reservation is canceled and then reinstated at a higher rate. Now she has two bills for the same rental. What should she do?
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.
Help! I can’t make my cruise because of a hurricane
Debra Weissman can’t get to Seattle because of a hurricane. Her cruise line will only offer a 75 percent credit toward a future sailing, even though she bought insurance. Is that enough?
No ‘super’ savings on my Las Vegas strip hotel
Jerome Garcia’s Hotwire hotel room is in the wrong place and overpriced. But did the online travel agency do anything wrong — and does he deserve a refund?
I rented a damaged car from Dollar — why should I have to pay?
William Hicks rents a car from Dollar with a ding in it. Now it wants to charge him for the damage. But it can’t prove he did it. Should he pay, anyway?
Hey, where’s that refund on my all-inclusive vacation?
Matthew Del Bontago finds a better price on his seven-day, all-inclusive vacation and cancels his initial reservation. But more than eight weeks later there’s no refund. What’s taking so long?
Uh-oh! My Expedia coupon had a little accident
The $50 Expedia coupon the agency promises Viola Wilson doesn’t arrive in one piece, and when she asks for a replacement, it sends her coupons. Shouldn’t it be sending her another card?
Should airlines charge a change fee even if they can resell the seat?
When part of his flight itinerary changes, Bret Bickar is asked to pay a change fee in order to get back home. Is that unfair? He thinks so. His airline doesn’t. Who’s right?
No refund for a sick United passenger?
Susan Fuhrman’s husband is sick, and she can’t get a straight answer from United Airlines about her refund request. One representative agrees to a full refund, but another refuses. Who’s right?
Charged $1,341 for damage I didn’t do
Theodore Mariano’s rental car has a scratch, and although his rental company promises it won’t charge him for the repair, it does. Did the scratch exist before he picked it up? Maybe.
Why won’t insurance cover my lost frequent-flier miles?
Charles Stewart’s wife is hospitalized in England and misses her return flight. Thank goodness she has travel insurance, which covers the cost of her return flight. But what about the miles she spent? Are they lost?