AIRLINE PROBLEMS - Consumer Rescue

Norse Atlantic Airways Facebook groups hosted by scammers are stealing from members.

She went to Facebook for a Norse Atlantic refund. Instead, scammers stole $5,100 from her

March 26, 2026March 22, 2026 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Norse Atlantic Airways customer Joanne Reston joined the airline’s official Facebook group to complain about a missing refund. At least that’s what she thought she was doing. As it turns out that Facebook group had no affiliation with the airline. In fact, it was just a trap set by scammers pretending to be helpful Norse agents.

What happened to Reiss after joining that Facebook group can only be described as a whirlwind of one scam after another.

A United Airlines passenger arrived in Mexico as a no-show after a gate agent failed to scan his passport.

United Airlines didn’t scan his boarding pass. Will it cost him $2,743?

March 19, 2026March 1, 2026 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

While boarding a recent United Airlines flight to Mexico, Fred Glatz accidentally handed over his wife’s boarding pass. He says the agent pointed out the mistake but waved him onto the plane without asking for his own pass. As the couple settled into their seats, they had no idea that the unusual oversight would cost them $2,743.

Could your lost bags end up at a store in Alabama, Unclaimed Baggage, Original photo of a delivery from Unclaimed Baggage, Michelle Couch-Friedman's photo

What do airlines really do with all that lost and unclaimed baggage?

March 28, 2026January 27, 2026 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

If an airline misplaces your luggage and cannot find it within a reasonable time, the carrier must pay for your loss. If you accept the compensation, that ends the airline’s liability to you, and your belongings are considered permanently gone. But could your missing property eventually reappear on display at Unclaimed Baggage, a resale shop in rural Alabama?

Unclaimed Baggage is an unusual place where all sorts of lost items get a new lease on life.
Here’s what I learned about America’s only retail store that buys, restores and then sells travelers’ orphaned stuff.

A consumer advocate's comprehensive guide to American Airlines travel credit, AA aircraft at the airport, original photo by Michelle Couch-Friedman

American Airlines travel credit: How to use it before you lose it

January 28, 2026December 15, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

No one could fault Kristina for overlooking the expiration date on her family’s $2,622 travel credit from American Airlines. For over a year, Kristina was in crisis mode after her husband’s brain cancer diagnosis. Of course, during that time, taking a vacation was last on her list of things to do.

When doctors deemed Kristina’s husband well enough to travel, her mind turned back to their AA credit. She intended to use it to book flights for a memorable trip while her spouse could enjoy it. Unfortunately, by then the expiration date had come and gone.

Le Louvre, Tourist scams warning from Michelle Couch-Friedman (ombudsman columnist)

5 terrible tourist scams that could ruin your vacation in 2026

March 22, 2026November 13, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Could an ombudsman columnist who routinely writes about tourist scams become the target of one herself? The answer is, of course, “Yes.” No traveler is immune to the possibility of a brush with a bad actor — not even me.

How a $428 Southwest Airlines ticket turned into a $4,500 scam, Southwest Airlines aircraft on the runway

How a $428 Southwest Airlines ticket cost a scam victim $4,500

March 22, 2026November 4, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

How did a $428 Southwest Airlines ticket end up costing an American Airlines customer in distress $4,500? If you guessed a fake airline call center scam is behind this astounding upsell, you would be right.

SWISS aircraft taking flight, Swiss Air Lines aborted flight, engine troubles, lost upgraded seat

After a Swiss Air mid-flight emergency, we lost our $1,500 upgrade. Help!

October 18, 2025October 14, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Mid-flight engine troubles on Swiss Air led to a couple’s struggle for a $1,500 premium economy upgrade refund. Can Consumer Rescue help?

Travel scams often target cruise passengers, cruisers fall for scams, tourist traps

8 scams cruise ship passengers need to watch out for now

March 31, 2026September 30, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Cruise ship passengers frequently contact Consumer Rescue after falling victim to scams during their travels. Unfortunately, by then it’s usually too late to do anything – except to tell their stories so others can avoid the same fate.

Here are the eight most common travel scams you should know before your next cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Line passengers miss their cruise, bad weather led to a missed cruise, NCL refund rejection

We missed our Norwegian cruise ship. How do we get our $4,500 refund?

March 13, 2026September 25, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Norwegian Cruise Line passengers Shirley Russom and her friend Robert intended to sail to Alaska last May. Unfortunately, the weather had different plans for them. En route to the cruise, severe storms rolled into Denver, Colorado, during what was supposed to be a two-hour layover.

That layover morphed into an unexpected two-day detour, and the friends never made it to Seattle, where Norwegian Encore waited. The ship sailed to Alaska, and the devastated friends flew back home to South Carolina.

Fake British Airways agents lurking on the Internet, Scams, scam airline customer service

Fake British Airways charged me $12,516 after a flight cancellation. Help!

March 29, 2026August 31, 2025 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Ron Samborsky and his family were on their way to Europe to board Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway… until they weren’t. After American Airlines canceled their flight and offered no replacement until the next day, the trip was in serious jeopardy.

Then a scammer stepped in to save the day.

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