Can my tour operator pocket my airline refund?
Donald Kne’s British Airways flight is canceled, and the carrier refunds the money to his tour operator. So why isn’t the company refunding the money back to him?
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.
Hey, that’s the wrong London!
Jaime Deane books a hotel room in London, Canada through Priceline. But Priceline books a room in London, England, instead. It won’t refund the hotel. Now what?
When a flight’s canceled, who’s responsible?
When Cheaptickets.com suddenly and without warning cancels John Rutledge’s itinerary, it offers him a refund. Problem is, a new flight will now cost twice as much as he originally paid. Shouldn’t the online agency do more?
When airlines misread passport rules, who pays?
When Olga Parra’s dog chews part of her husband’s passport, they’re denied entry to Costa Rica. Is their airline to blame for letting them board the flight?
Is a burned-out clutch automatically my fault?
After only a few miles, her rental car stops running. Now Hertz is demanding 1,233 pounds for a replacement clutch. Doesn’t insurance cover the damage? Apparently not.
My dog needs to have surgery. No, seriously.
When Allan Keiter’s dog needs major surgery, he’s forced to cancel his Caribbean vacation. But his hotel won’t let him reschedule his vacation. Why not?
Nothing says “I’m sorry” like airline miles
Renata Fidman’s outbound flight is delayed because of mechanical problems, so is her return flight. The compensation? A form letter and a few frequent flier miles. Is it enough?
The strange case of the dog bite and the $2,305 hotel bill
Amy Rossi brings one of the strangest cases the Travel Troubleshooter has ever mediated. It involves a dog bite, an erroneous booking and a $2,305 hotel bill.
Is this fair? They saved $74, but they lost $10,074
Jennifer Chilton is outraged because her friends have been denied travel insurance coverage on a technicality. Will they really lose $10,074 because of a clause in the fine print? Find out.
Travel insurance didn’t cover her Princess cruise after husband’s death
When Christine Rehak cancels her cruise after her husband’s death, she assumes her travel insurance will reimburse her vacation. But she’s wrong. Is she going to be stuck with a credit voucher she’ll never use?