The Travel Troubleshooter Archives

Sixt surprises David Degagne with an extra $513 car rental insurance surcharge in Portugal. Can he get his money back if he never asked for the insurance? Let's find out.

A shocking surcharge for car rental insurance with Sixt. How do I fix this?

August 28, 2025November 13, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Sixt surprises David Degagne with an extra $513 car rental insurance surcharge in Portugal. Can he get his money back if he never asked for the insurance? Let’s find out.

Airbnb promises Bart Colen's a refund after his host cancels his rental at the last minute. But months later, the money is still missing. Why? Colen closed his bank account. What can you do if you're getting no Airbnb refund?

No Airbnb refund after I closed my bank account. Now what?

November 7, 2024November 6, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Can I still get a pandemic refund for this Air France ticket?

Pandemic refund: Is it too late to get my $23,577 back for these Air France tickets?

October 31, 2024October 30, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Does Air France still owe Gilda Souza $23,577 after the airline canceled her flights during the pandemic? After all, she allowed her ticket credit to expire. Can she still get a pandemic refund?

Dalia Hamzeh’s weekend at the Miraval Berkshires turned sour after the resort overcharged her by $2,500 for two extra nights she didn’t book. Despite early promises of a refund, the hotel’s billing department went silent, leaving Hamzeh frustrated and out of options. After months of back-and-forth with no resolution, she reached out for help. Following an intervention, Miraval’s general manager finally responded, explaining the rate discrepancy and offering a refund or a complimentary return stay. Hamzeh chose to enjoy another visit to the resort, this time on the house.

Help! My all-inclusive hotel charged me for two extra nights

October 26, 2024October 23, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

The Miraval Berkshires, an all-inclusive resort in Lenox, Mass., overcharges Dalia Hamzeh by $2,500. Now, it is refusing to answer her emails. How can she get her money back?

Marcus Mann booked a flight with Frontier Airlines, but never received a confirmation email, leaving him unable to check in for his trip. After losing $583 and facing unhelpful customer service, he turned to a credit card dispute and even visited the airport in desperation. Frontier claimed they sent a confirmation, but Mann insists it never arrived. With help from an advocacy team, Mann finally got answers. Frontier admitted its mistake and agreed to refund his airfare. This serves as a reminder to always double-check your spam folder for important emails.

I never received a flight confirmation from Frontier. Can I get a refund?

November 24, 2024October 16, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

When Frontier Airlines fails to send Marcus Mann a confirmation for his airline ticket, he tries to find out what went wrong. After losing $583, he’s not getting any closer to the truth.

Stacey Wall rented a car from Enterprise in Phoenix and took photos of a small dent on the door before driving it. Weeks later, she received a $1,391 damage claim dated three days after returning the car. Despite providing timestamped evidence of pre-existing damage, Enterprise insisted she was responsible. After escalating the issue, Enterprise reviewed the photos again and agreed to drop the claim, leaving Stacey relieved but questioning why this happened with her rental Windstar.

I have proof that I didn’t damage my rental car. So why do I have to pay?

November 24, 2024October 9, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Stacey Wall has proof that she didn’t damage her rental car. So why does Enterprise want to charge her, anyway?

Michael Roehricht found himself in a tough spot after damaging a rental car from Enterprise in Germany. Despite his efforts to work with his car insurance company to cover the damages, Enterprise refused to provide the necessary repair invoice, leaving Michael in limbo. With his insurance company’s deadline approaching, Michael reached out for help. After a frustrating back-and-forth, Enterprise finally provided the documentation, allowing his insurance company to settle the claim for $17,552. This case highlights the importance of obtaining a repair invoice in rental car disputes.

How do I get a repair invoice from Enterprise? My insurance company needs it

October 23, 2024October 2, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Michael Roehricht needs a repair invoice from Enterprise to file a claim with his car insurance company. Why won’t the company send him the paperwork?

Satrupa Kagel, an American Airlines frequent flier, booked an award ticket from Tokyo to San Francisco only to discover the day before her flight that American Airlines had canceled her reservation without notice. After spending $3,548 on a last-minute ticket, she sought a refund from American Airlines. Despite months of waiting and no response, she finally got the airline to acknowledge their mistake and issue a full refund, including her miles. This case highlights the challenges of dealing with American Airlines and the importance of confirming your flight reservation.

American Airlines canceled my business class ticket by accident. Can you fix it?

May 1, 2025September 25, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

A day before Satrupa Kagel’s flight from Tokyo to San Francisco, she finds out American Airlines canceled her ticket. Is she on the hook for the $3,548 she had to spend for a last-minute ticket?

Tracy Joselson and her husband booked a Windstar cruise with a promised all-inclusive package, only to find that Windstar later denied the package due to a missing signature from the onboard consultant. Despite months of back-and-forth communication, the issue remained unresolved until Windstar finally reviewed the reservation. With persistence and a little help, the cruise line not only honored the original promise but also added extra shipboard credits as an apology. This story highlights the challenges and rewards of booking directly onboard with Windstar.

Windstar promised an all-inclusive package on my Central America cruise. Now it’s refusing!

October 10, 2024September 18, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Tracy Joselson and her husband book a Windstar cruise with a promised all-inclusive package. But then the cruise line takes away the package. Can they cancel their cruise?

Leigh Roberts and her wife purchased an extra seat on a flight from Orlando to Venice, only to find out that United Airlines resold it to another passenger. Despite multiple attempts to get a refund, United initially refused, citing nonrefundable ticket policies. However, a missed boarding pass scan and a lack of proper follow-up led to this costly mistake. After escalating the issue and persistence, United finally agreed to process a refund for the extra seat. This story highlights the importance of ensuring your extra seat is properly scanned.

If you reserve an extra seat on United Airlines, don’t forget to do this

September 25, 2024September 11, 2024 by Christopher Elliott

Leigh Roberts and her wife book an extra seat on a trip from Orlando, Fla., to Venice, Italy. But United resells the seat to another passenger. Can Roberts get a refund?

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