Christopher Elliott
Columnist | Travel Troubleshooter
E-mail: celliott@ngs.org
Christopher Elliott is ombudsman at National Geographic Traveler magazine.
Recent content from Christopher Elliott
-
Travel Troubleshooter: 'Keystroke error' turns $289 room rate into a $28 steal
Q I recently found a $28 per night rate at the Westin Imagine in Orlando. I was amazed. I booked the room, and several days later I called the hotel to ensure that it was a legitimate rate. They confirmed this, so I booked nonrefundable airfare, and have been happily anticipating my getaway weekend ever since.
Nov 21, 2009 -
Travel Troubleshooter: Car rental place is taking me to court
Q We recently rented a car through Hertz in Scotland. When we returned the vehicle, we asked a representative if he wanted to inspect it. He declined.
Nov 14, 2009 -
Travel Troubleshooter:One airline ticket for price of two
Q I need your help untangling a flight problem that involves Hotwire, US Airways, United Airlines and Frontier Airlines. A few months ago, we were supposed to fly from Los Angeles to Dallas on US Airways and Frontier. Our first outbound flight was a code-share flight operated by United.
Nov 7, 2009 -
An unmade bed - and no place to go
Q I'm trying to get some compensation for a hotel stay that didn't meet my expectations. But all I've gotten so far is an empty apology. I hope you can do better.
Oct 31, 2009 -
Claim denied on a terrorism technicality
Q My travel insurance claim has been denied, and so have my appeals. I hope you can help us.
Oct 24, 2009 -
Travel Troubleshooter: Couple were billed twice for one-night stay
Q I am having a tough time getting my money back from Best Western, and I need your help.
Oct 17, 2009 -
Why does one day less cost three times more?
Q My car rental company has more than tripled the rate it charged me, and I don't know what to do. I had prepaid $390 for the car through Alamo's website. When my flight was canceled, I called Alamo to tell it I could not get the car until the next day. I was told that my reservation would be held for 24 hours.
Oct 10, 2009 -
A hurricane hit my hotel - where's my refund?
Q I think that you may be my only hope! My father and I were supposed to meet in San Antonio before a conference. Lucky for us, the weekend that we were to be in San Antonio was the same weekend Hurricane Ike plowed through Texas. After experiencing Gustav just two weeks prior in Baton Rouge, I was not very keen on going for round two. My flight was canceled, anyway.
Oct 3, 2009 -
No refund for canceled Vegas trip
Q Last summer, my husband and I booked a trip to Las Vegas through Travelocity. In late August, he was diagnosed with colon cancer, which had metastasized to the liver. Travelocity refunded $314 but kept $737 as a "cancellation penalty."
Sep 26, 2009 -
Travel Troubleshooter: My ticket price fell; where's the refund?
Q I'm trying to get a refund from United Vacations, but nothing seems to be working. I booked a car-and-air package from Denver to Lihue, Hawaii, through United Vacations recently. I registered my airfare through Yapta.com, which alerts you when the price of your flight drops.
Sep 19, 2009
