Author – The Durango Herald

Don’t forget this on your next trip

You’ll probably forget something on your next trip. It might be as inconsequential as a pair of socks, or as important as lifesaving medication. But you will. At least that’s what the survey...

DATE: Apr 21, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Intoxicated passengers make for unruly skies

Incidents involving unruly airline passengers have been rising in recent years. In 2017, airlines reported one altercation for every 1,053 flights, up 35 percent from the previou...

DATE: Apr 14, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Look beyond the hype before booking a vacation rental

With staged photos and flowery language, the vacation rental descriptions you find online often promise everything you could possibly want. But the rentals don’t always deliver. I...

DATE: Apr 7, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

What happens when your aircraft is grounded

To hear travelers like Dani Robin talk about it, the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to ground the Boeing 737 Max recently caused a minimum of disruptions to air travel. She never...

DATE: Mar 31, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Fur flies over travel industry pet cleanup charges

Two weeks after Kim Bruno returned his rental car in San Francisco, he received a surprise $285 charge from Budget. The reason? “Pet hair,” says Bruno, a lawyer in Washington, D.C...

DATE: Mar 23, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

How do you fix your most common travel problems? Hang up the phone

The phone – by which I mean voice communication – puts travelers at a significant disadvantage when it comes to problem-solving. But there’s a notable exception, a time when you ...

DATE: Mar 17, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Why you should be wary of virtual destinations

Think the real world is a dangerous place for travelers? Try visiting the virtual one, a place filled with shady travel offers and criminals who want to steal your personal information. ...

DATE: Mar 10, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

At your vacation rental, more fees may be lurking

When I walked into my Hawaii vacation rental, I collided with a wall of hot, humid air. Instinctively, I scanned the house for a thermostat or air conditioner. I found a small wal...

DATE: Mar 2, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Are biometrics the answer for airport security?

From impossibly long lines to intrusive searches by humorless agents, today’s airport screening process is a hassle for many flyers. But the screenings of tomorrow could be unlike...

DATE: Feb 23, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Don’t get caught in the travel chaos of spring break

It’s not too early to start thinking about spring break. The annual rite for sun worshipers, which runs from February to mid-April, isn’t just a stampede toward warmer weather. Ma...

DATE: Feb 16, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Hotel guests baffled by after-the-fact damage charges

After Doris Weller checked out of the Hampton Inn Parsippany, she assumed that she’d settled her bill. But the New Jersey hotel had a final surprise: a mysterious $250 charge to her Discover...

DATE: Feb 8, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Travelers bound for Britain face new Brexit uncertainty

Teri-Lee Lawler-Baack is a little nervous after a British Parliament vote on Brexit set the stage for a potentially chaotic “no deal” departure from the European Union on March 29. She’s not...

DATE: Feb 3, 2019 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter