Like so many travelers, Cheryl Emerson had second thoughts about her upcoming trip to Europe this summer. But then an Expedia booking mistake made an uncertain situation even more uncertain, and she wants to know how to fix it.
Travel Problems
The travel problems category at Elliott Advocacy covers a wide range of travel-related troubleshooting. We mediate all types of issues that a traveler might encounter.
If the host promised me a refund why did Airbnb refuse?
The host of Carl Baeuerlen’s planned Airbnb vacation rental offered him a refund last May because of the pandemic. But Airbnb says he can’t get his money back. What’s going on here?
All the reasons why you can’t get a refund for your destination wedding
All Melanie Brown wanted was a refund for a destination wedding in Belize last summer. All she got was excuse after excuse after excuse.
It’s something else to keep in mind one year after the COVID-19 pandemic sank large segments of the travel industry. Salvaging your refund may mean navigating an excuse factory that hotels and other companies have hastily built to keep your money.
Brown’s experience is also instructive because it’s a map that shows you how to bypass these bogus reasons for pocketing your deposits — whether it’s a refund for a destination wedding or just a hard-earned vacation.
How to avoid vacation rental cleaning fees? Do this before you check in
If you’re planning a vacation rental stay, you need to do one thing before you kick off your shoes and unpack — if you don’t want to end up with surprise cleaning fees. Grab your phone and start taking pictures.
Lots of pictures.
I speak from personal experience. I just checked out of a vacation rental and got broadsided with one of the most outrageous cleaning fee claims in my career. More on that in a minute.
How long does it take to get a refund during the pandemic?
Patty Eggen is upset — and she wants to know if she’s being too patient. She booked an Alaska cruise and canceled it many months ago. Her cruise fare refund from Norwegian arrived in early July. But her airfare refund from Alaska Airlines is still missing in action. And she’s wondering: How long does it take to get a refund during the pandemic?
Hidden hotel fees are the worst! Can you help?
What’s going on with these hidden hotel fees? Dale Abbhul assumed his room at the InterContinental New York Barclay would be $863. So what’s the hidden hotel fee on his folio? And why won’t anyone help him get rid of it?
How can I get a refund for a canceled vacation rental?
When Marilyn Harrett called off her Hawaii vacation last spring, she thought she could get a refund for a canceled vacation rental. After all, her state was locked down and so was the Aloha State. There was no way she’d be able to make it to her rental in Maui.
Oh, and one more thing: She had an email from the vacation rental company promising her a refund. Slam dunk, right?
Wrong.
My Rui resort credit is missing in action. Help!
Where is this traveler’s Rui resort credit? It seems like a simple question — so what’s going on here?
Expert advice for booking the best hotel and finding the lowest rate
How do you find the best hotel at the lowest rate? If you have the right expert advice, you can find the perfect accommodations for your next trip. I’ve conducted hundreds of interviews with professionals to find the best tips on how to book a hotel room.
Sandals will not let me cancel my trip. Can I give it away?
Last fall, Kent Schroeder and his wife were looking forward to spending their anniversary at a Sandals resort in Jamaica. Then tragedy struck and his wife unexpectedly died. But when he tried to cancel the Sandals trip, he encountered an unbending company policy that wouldn’t allow for a refund — even under the terrible circumstances. But why wouldn’t Sandals allow the grieving widower to give the trip away to his daughter?
That’s what Schroeder wants the Elliott Advocacy team to find out. (Reprint)