Author – The Durango Herald

Still no vacation refund? It might be time to play the card

If a travel company isn’t refunding payment for your canceled vacation, maybe it’s time for a credit card dispute. Asking a bank to force a merchant to return your money is typica...

DATE: Apr 24, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Confusing coronavirus refund policies frustrate travelers

If you’re trying to get a refund for a canceled trip, prepare for an unpleasant surprise. Although some airlines, cruise lines and hotels have offered customers their money back amid a wave ...

DATE: Apr 13, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

How to tell if your travel company is going out of business

Remember Amoma. And Thomas Cook. And WOW Air. As travelers cautiously look ahead to their next trip, worried about the financial future of their chosen airline, cruise line or hot...

DATE: Apr 3, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

How to get a refund if you won’t rebook the trip

So you want to cancel your vacation? In the wake of the global coronavirus outbreak, you probably can do it – and get all your money back. I have a few coronavirus refund tips that will help...

DATE: Mar 27, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Planning your summer vacation amid coronavirus fears

The coronavirus outbreak isn’t just having an immediate effect on travel, prompting a surge of cancellations not seen since Sept. 11. It also couldn’t have come at a worse time for travelers...

DATE: Mar 20, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Should you upload your ID before you travel?

When Mary Kay Schoen reserved an apartment in Seattle through Airbnb, her confirmation came with a peppy prompt: “Let’s add your ID!” “This seems like an outrageous and unwise req...

DATE: Mar 13, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Are city passes worth it? Here’s how to tell

At first glance, the Lisboa Card looked like a terrific deal. For just $44, it offered three days of unlimited access to mass transit as well as Lisbon’s most popular museums and other attra...

DATE: Mar 6, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Strategies for vegans to eat well on their next vacation

If you’re an omnivore who thinks good food is hard to find on vacation, try traveling while vegan. Plant-based diets are growing in popularity, but most tourist destinations still...

DATE: Feb 28, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Why travelers don’t value their time – and what it means for your next vacation

How valuable is your vacation time? That can be a difficult question to answer, even for someone like Mike Golpa, a busy dentist from Las Vegas. “I have taken longer flights and e...

DATE: Feb 22, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

How to get a travel company to respond to your complaint

Airlines, car rental companies and hotels claim that they’re responsive to customers’ problems, but who are they kidding? Too often, they answer your emails with pre-written responses and yo...

DATE: Feb 14, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Credit card benefits for travelers are vanishing – what can you do?

Don’t look now, but banks and their airline partners are slowly and quietly removing credit card benefits that travelers rely on. If you’re planning a trip soon, you might want to read your ...

DATE: Feb 10, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Facial-recognition technology stokes privacy concerns

Before Santiago Gassó’s recent flight from Atlanta to Mexico City, a Delta Air Lines gate agent announced a new boarding procedure. Instead of showing an ID and receiving paper boarding pass...

DATE: Jan 31, 2020 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter