Help! I’ve been ‘walked’ to a motel
Karen Johnson gets some bad news from her hotel just before she checks in: There’s no room for her. Instead, she’s sent packing to an inferior motel, and when she complains, she’s mailed a form response. Now what?
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.
Sick in Puerto Vallarta — does my hotel owe me anything?
Daniel Vosburgh is afflicted by a mysterious illness while he’s in Mexico. His hotel isn’t answering his complaints, but he thinks he’s entitled to either a refund or credit. Is he?
The Travel Troubleshooter: I signed the damage form — now they want me to pay
When Leigh Barber returns his rental van to Enterprise, he discovers a small scratch that was overlooked when he picked up the vehicle. He signs a form acknowledging the damage, but with the assurance from a manager that thee scratch can be “buffed out.” Now Enterprise wants him to pay. Does he have to?
Dead passengers can’t use a flight credit — or can they?
David Walters’ wife passes away before they can fly from Dallas to Midland, Texas. But when he asks his online travel agency for a refund, it refuses, saying the airline will only offer a credit. But dead passengers can’t use a flight credit — or can they?
Hey, what happened to my Expedia airline ticket refund?
Dan Lachapelle is promised a prompt refund for his canceled Antigua vacation. But it’s been weeks, and there’s no sign of the money. Now his online agency isn’t responding to his queries. Will he ever see the money again?
The Travel Troubleshooter: Help! I paid twice for my all-inclusive vacation
Esther Mikula thought she booked an all-inclusive hotel in Aruba. But when she checks in, she discovers that the rate doesn’t include food, beverages and activities, as promised. Now she has to pay extra. Is she owed a refund?
The Travel Troubleshooter: Oh no, my hotel rewards have been downgraded!
When JJ Mortensen tries to redeem her seven-night hotel award at Marriott, she’s given some bad news: The certificate has been downgraded to a 25,000-mile credit or a five-day certificate. That doesn’t seem fair to her, but Marriott won’t respond to her appeals. What now?
Insurance claim denied after bike accident
John Frow pays for his airline tickets with $601 in credit. But then he has a bike accident and cancels his trip. When he makes an insurance claim, Access America turns him down, believing he didn’t suffer any financial loss. Now what?
The Travel Troubleshooter: Is a ‘natural cause’ a pre-existing condition?
When Cheryl Ellis’ mother dies unexpectedly before her vacation, she’s told by her insurance company to cancel her trip and that the claim will be taken care of. But it isn’t — instead, it’s denied because of a pre-existing condition. But her mother died of natural causes. What now?
An unmarried driver fee? How enterprising
When Stacey Koprince rents a car with her partner in Hilton Head, SC, there’s an additional driver fee of $5 a day – a fee Enterprise had promised not to charge. What now?