Articles

Money and Fees

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Is My Insurance Claim Lost in Translation?

Our reader falls ill on a trip to China, and files a travel insurance claim. Three months later, there's no sign of the money. Is there anything left to do?

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Is My Cruise Refund Really Sunk?

When our reader cancels the credit card he used with Princess Cruises, he complicates his refund. After hours on the phone and promises of a check, he's no closer to getting his money.…

Article / Money and Fees

Keeping Valuables Safe on the Road

You don't want to mar your vacation by losing money, or even worse, your credit cards and passport, when you're out having a good time. Here are five ways to avoid trouble.

Article / Money and Fees

"Green" Travel is Dead -- and That's a Good Thing

No one is saying that being environmentally responsible is irrelevant when you travel. On the contrary, it's that being green is so important that it shouldn't become another marketing…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: A Few Points Short of a Ticket

Our reader is wary of the fine print on the 'free' ticket offer by American Express and extracts promises from the company. When they fail to honor them, our reader is left ticketless.…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Charged for Movies I Never Watched

What can you do if a hotel is charging you for something you didn't use? Like movies that were never ordered or watched. Can our reader beat the charges?

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Caught in the Opt-Out Trap

Our reader buys a ticket through Frontier Airlines' website, and gets stuck with an extra $10.95 for travel insurance. How did it manage to do that? By pulling an internet no-no and…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: No Rental Car, But They've Got My Money

Our reader reserves a car through Hotwire and uses a payment system that allows her to send a check. She doesn't get confirmation, but she mails a check anyway. Turns out she doesn't…

Article / Money and Fees

9 Ways to Tell if Your Travel Agent is Crooked

As a rule, most travel agents are well-trained, competent professionals who work hard for you. But how can you tell if your agent is trouble? Here are a nine signs.

Article / Money and Fees

6 Secrets for Getting a Travel Company to See Things Your Way

How do you persuade a travel company to come around to your way of thinking? Here are six suggestions.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Paid for a Permit That's No Good

When our traveler arrives in Grenada, he's told he needs a local permit along with the international license he already has. Should his agency refund the price of the license? And…

Article / Money and Fees

Pauline Frommer's Spend Less, See More Tips for Getting Money Abroad

In this series of monthly tips, you'll find some terrific ideas to help you get the most out of every trip. This time around, I share some insight about how to get money abroad while…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Help! My Room Rate Just Tripled

The nightly rate at his Moscow hotel is $279 -- at least that's what Expedia promises -- but the hotel jacks up his rate to $839 a night. Who's right? And who should pay the bill?

Article / Money and Fees

10 International Shopping Scams & How to Avoid Them

Suzy Gershman shares her top tips on how not to be taken for a ride when shopping at home, abroad, and online.

Article / Money and Fees

Thank You! 6 Reasons We Love Travel Now

It took a couple of airline bankruptcies, a summer of staycations, a serious recession and the near-collapse of the world economy, but by golly, travelers are feeling loved right now.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Funny Math on My Mexico Vacation Refund

When our readers cancel a Mexican trip, they're promised a refund by Apple Vacations. But even with cancellation insurance, they're only being offered a fraction of the price they…

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Spirit is Gone, and So Is My Money

When our travelers get to the airport, it turns out their airline has stopped flying to their ticketed destination and the online agency won't give a refund. Who's to blame?

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Double-Billed and No Refund in Sight

Travelocity accidentally charges two different credit cards for a single flight. A refund is promised, but it's taking forever. What can our reader do to move things along?

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Is My Lost Ticket a Lost Cause?

Virgin Atlantic promises our reader a paper ticket for his flight to Johannesburg. But when it doesn't show, the airline won't track it down. Is his lost ticket a lost cause?

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: A Ski Vacation that Was All Downhill

Our reader prepays for a hotel at a ski resort during Christmas. She misses her plane, then has to cancel her make-up vacation, too. The hotel is giving her until May to use the…

Article / Money and Fees

Undecided Traveler? 5 Questions to Ask Before Voting

It's up to us to figure out the real traveler's candidate. Here are five questions that might help.

Article / Money and Fees

Dump This! 7 Things Airlines Should Jettison from Their Planes Now

Is there anything the airlines haven't tried to remove from their planes? As a matter of fact, yes. Here are seven they should consider.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Hey Priceline, I Want My Taxes Back

When our reader cancels his trip to Istanbul, he tries to get a refund for the taxes and fees on his flight. But his online travel agent is giving him the runaround. How does he get…

Article / Money and Fees

8 Reasons Your Travel Company is Ignoring You

Here are the biggest mistakes made by complaining travelers. Avoid these errors and you'll probably get a prompt answer -- if not a resolution -- from your travel company.

Article / Money and Fees

Travel Troubleshooter: Insurance is Extra on This "Hot" Mexican Car

Our reader pays for a rental car through Hotwire.com, but gets strong-armed into buying extra insurance at the car rental counter in Mexico. Is there any way of getting his money back?