Michelle Couch-Friedman

Consumer reporter and ombudsman columnist

Michelle Couch-Friedman is the founder and CEO of Consumer Rescue. She is a journalist, consumer advocate, travel writer, mediator, and former psychotherapist. Michelle is also the travel ombudsman columnist for The Points Guy, contributing author at Fodor's Travel and previously served as the executive director of the nonprofit Elliott Advocacy. During her six years managing that organization, she resolved thousands of cases for troubled travelers and other consumers. You can read hundreds of 5-star reviews Michelle earned during her service to the nonprofit on Great Nonprofits. Michelle is a public speaker, and her expert guidance has been cited in the Washington Post, MarketWatch, Consumer Reports, Travel & Leisure, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Popular Science, CNN, CNBC, Boston Globe, CBS News, National Geographic, Travel Weekly, Reader's Digest and more. You might even catch Michelle on TV reporting on a situation. :) Professionally, Michelle is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (asja). Today, she continues to spend as much time as possible fiercely defending consumers and traveling the world. Contact her at Michelle Couch-Friedman or on Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook.

ANA owes this Expedia customer a $1,296 refund for a flight the airline canceled. He asked Consumer Rescue for help getting it.

ANA canceled my flight two years ago. What happened to my $1,296 refund?

March 25, 2023January 6, 2023

Over two years ago, All Nippon Airways (ANA) canceled Jurian Yee’s flight to Japan. ANA promised that it would soon send a $1,296 refund through Expedia. But it never did materialize.

Now a frustrated Jurian (via his dad) is asking the Consumer Rescue team for help. He’s hoping we can nudge ANA to send that refund so he can finally take his long-awaited trip to Japan.

But after so much time, is this a lost cause? Let’s find out.

This is why you should not skip parts of your airline's flight itinerary.

You should never skip parts of your flight, this is why

March 11, 2024January 5, 2023

Thinking about skipping parts of your next flight? Charlie Williams can tell you from experience — it’s a very bad idea.

Here’s why.

Consumer alert: Don't buy two one-way airline tickets to save money. This is why!

You should not buy two one-way airline tickets to save money. Here’s why

May 27, 2024January 3, 2023

Airline passengers can sometimes save money by booking two one-way tickets instead of a round-trip flight. But Sharon Sanborn found out the hard way that there’s a downside to this practice.

Now she wants to know if our advocacy team can do anything to help her out of the financial headache in which she’s landed.

This traveler was hit by a hotel billing error during her getaway to Tucson. Now she wants Consumer Rescue to help.

A hotel billing error ends in a lost chargeback. Or will it?

April 2, 2024January 1, 2023

Linda Ralston has been fighting an expensive hotel billing error for months. Several weeks after her 3-night stay at the Westin La Paloma in Tucson, Arizona, she discovered an extra night’s charge on her credit card. Now her battle seems to have ended in a lost chargeback, with the resort coming out the winner.

But with all the evidence on her side, how did she lose?

If American Airlines changes your flight schedule, here's how to get a refund. This article explains the flight schedule change policy of American Airlines.

If American Airlines changes your schedule, here’s how to get a refund

December 9, 2024December 30, 2022

Can American Airlines make wild changes to your flight schedule and, if you object, refuse to issue a refund?

With $8,171 on the line, that’s what Michael Spanel wants to know after his recent experience with American Airlines.

Now Michael is asking the Consumer Rescue team for help. He wants American Airlines to give his money back, and he’s hoping we can make that happen.

So what is a passenger really owed when American Airlines changes their flight schedule? Let’s find out.

Baby was denied boarding international flight because the mom didn't know she needed a passport. This is a cautionary tale that babies need passports too.

Our baby was denied boarding our international flight. Whose fault is this?

June 12, 2024December 28, 2022

Yes, your baby needs a passport to fly internationally, just like you do. Otherwise, your little tot will be denied boarding their flight just like any other passenger who doesn’t have the required documents for international travel.

Aly Meyer wishes someone had given her this critical information before her family arrived at the airport ready for their tropical vacation. That’s when an airline employee broke the bad news that without a passport, the baby was being denied boarding the international flight. As a result, instead of flying to Mexico, the family headed right back home.

What to do if American Airlines vouchers expired.

My $7,762 American Airlines flight credit expired! Can I get it back?

February 14, 2024December 26, 2022

Tom Suminski intended to redeem his stockpile of $7,762 American Airlines flight credit for a Hawaiian vacation. But he says an airline representative gave him faulty redemption instructions that led the vouchers to expire right under his nose.

The entire $7,762.

That put the family’s tropical dreams in jeopardy. Tom hopes we can convince American Airlines to reinstate his flight credit. But is this just a lost cause?

Is Santa real? Macy's asked the question, and this consumer asked for the answer to be hidden.

Why is Santa Claus the target of this Macy’s customer’s anger?

April 15, 2023December 22, 2022

Yes, Jeff, there is a Santa Claus.

And Macy’s can prove it.

Editor’s note: I wrote nearly 400 articles to promote and support the nonprofit Elliott Advocacy for over half a decade. This is the very first article I wrote and published there in December 2016.

Home Depot pre-lit Christmas tree replacement. Home Depot saves Christmas. Consumer Advocacy.

Will Home Depot save our family’s Christmas? This pre-lit tree is a dud

April 24, 2024December 21, 2022

Home Depot sold Marcea Cazel a beautiful 7-foot pre-lit Christmas tree with an extended warranty two years ago. The family loved the tree’s realistic look and soft twinkling lights and hoped to enjoy it for years to come. Unfortunately, the tree turned out to be a dud.

Last year, the family spent hours placing sentimental ornaments on their tree and reminiscing about each one. After the decorating was complete, the family gathered around for the big reveal. To their great disappointment, when Marcea flipped the switch, the bottom of the pre-lit tree remained completely dark. Since that time, Marcea has repeatedly asked Home Depot to honor the warranty and replace the tree. But she still has a pre-lit tree that only lights up on top.

This article explains exactly why you shouldn't try to sell a flight voucher from American Airlines.

You should not try to sell your American Airlines vouchers. This is why

June 24, 2024December 19, 2022

Attention all American Airlines passengers: If you have any flight vouchers stored away somewhere, don’t try to sell them. If you do, the airline might use high-tech security systems to catch you.

If you try it and American Airlines finds out, it will mark your vouchers stolen, leaving you with nothing.

This tale is a cautionary one for anyone considering skirting the terms of their American Airlines vouchers. There are many hacks out there advising travelers about how to make a profit on these bonuses. But much of that “guidance” overlooks an undeniable obstacle: almost every airline forbids this practice, and offering your vouchers for sale can cause them to become instantly worthless.

Michelle Couch-Friedman

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