Travel Troubles

Here’s what happens when things go wrong for travelers on the road, in the air, at hotels and vacation rentals. Each cautionary tale ends with solutions and ways you can avoid a similar fiasco.

Airbnb host account hit by hackers. How did a hacker steal $34,250 from an Airbnb host ?

Hackers stole $34,250 from this Airbnb host. How did this happen?

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Airbnb host Nancy Isa recently got a terrible shock when she discovered hackers had broken into her payout account. Unfortunately, by the time she noticed something was wrong, Airbnb had been making regular payments to the scammers – for five months.

In total, the hackers stole $34,250 from Nancy’s Airbnb host account. 

Then things went from bad to worse. With all that money on the line, Nancy contacted the listing giant in a panic. She was hoping for some calming reassurance that all was not lost. Instead, Airbnb immediately locked the host out of her own account and then went radio silent. 

That’s when Nancy reached out to the Consumer Rescue team. She’s hoping we can convince Airbnb to give back her access to her host account – and her $34,250.

But after six months, is that possible?

Can United Airlines give a voucher instead of a refund? United Airlines canceled the flight so where is this passenger's cash?

Can United Airlines really give me a voucher instead of a refund?!

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United Airlines canceled many flights early in the pandemic and routinely shoved vouchers instead of refunds at its disgruntled passengers. This unorthodox (and illegal) practice continued until the Department of Transportation put the brakes on it in April 2020.

Earlier that month, United Airlines canceled Michelle Noppenberger’s flight and automatically issued her a voucher instead of a refund. Over two years later, she’s still fuming about the situation and wants the airline to give her money back. And she’s asking our advocacy team to help her get it.

But after all this time, will United Airlines take back this unwanted voucher and refund her $1,764?

Let’s find out.

Here's why filing a sky-high damaged luggage claim will never work. Liability limitations via the Montreal Convention put a cap on what the airline will owe you if it ruins your bags.

You should not file a $16,000 damaged luggage claim. This is why

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After a flight from Mexico, Lynda Lebrock discovered that unidentified “goo” had damaged all three pieces of her luggage. She filed a claim and hoped the airline would quickly pay — all $16,000 of it.

As you probably guessed, things didn’t work out the way she hoped. The sky-high damaged luggage claim was swiftly rejected almost in its entirety. Now she’s asking our advocacy team for help. But can we? 

Lufthansa lost all of this passenger's luggage. Will Blue Ribbon Bags pay her claim? Lufthansa lost luggage problems, missing baggage sent abroad, WorldTracer locates lost bags, Blue Ribbon Bags lost luggage protection.

Lufthansa lost all my luggage! Will Blue Ribbon Bags help me?

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Before her recent Lufthansa flight to Hamburg, Kate Griffin purchased a Platinum lost luggage protection plan from Blue Ribbon Bags. That plan provides a $1,500 lump payment if an insured bag goes missing and can’t be located within 96 hours.

So when she landed in Germany but her two suitcases didn’t, Kate figured she was covered. She quickly filed a lost luggage report with Lufthansa and Blue Ribbon Bags and then waited.

Those 96 hours came and went, but Lufthansa failed to locate her lost luggage. So why did Blue Ribbon reject her $3,000 claim for the two missing bags?

Here's how to get a refund from Air Canada and here's one passenger who got two refunds!

If Air Canada sent you an extra $4,282 refund, would you keep it?

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Scoring an Air Canada refund during the pandemic was nearly impossible. Which makes this story particularly improbable. But it’s true.

Renette Frank was one of the lucky ones who actually received her Air Canada refund early last year. So imagine her surprise when the airline sent her an extra refund of $4,282. Even more surprising: When she tried to return the extra money, the airline made that impossible, too.

Airbnb host asks a guest to pretend to be a friend, Airbnb refund problems,

Why did a worried Airbnb host ask me to pretend not to be a guest?

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If your Airbnb host asks you to pretend not to be a guest during your stay, would you?

That’s the odd situation that confronted Josephine Avina last July when her family planned a short trip. But pretending not to be guests wasn’t the only thing the Airbnb host wanted the Avinas to do. She also expected them to be OK with living in the remnants of a bachelorette party held the night before.

Kids need passports too, children must have passports to fly internationally, passport cards aren't for flying

Kids need passports to fly internationally. Why didn’t this mom know?

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Just like their parents, kids need passports to fly internationally too. But Kim Ross wasn’t aware of this requirement. She says the travel agent she used to book her family’s dream vacation never informed her. But when the family tried to check in for their flight to Turks and Caicos, Delta Air Lines quickly broke the bad news. Without passports, Kim’s children weren’t eligible to fly internationally, and the airline denied boarding to the family.

Kim blames her travel agent for their ruined vacation. But is that a fair place to put the blame for being unaware that her kids needed passports?

Hotel News, guests charged in Arizona hotel for embarrassing reason, embarrassing hotel charges.

I was charged $750 for this embarrassing hotel experience. Can you help?

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Elisa Boyd says her experience at a hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona, has been the most embarrassing of her life. This story begins with two friends on a relaxing desert getaway. But it ends with a mortifying accusation by W Hotel employees and a giant post-stay credit card charge.

Now Elisa wants her name cleared and her money returned.

Elisa’s experience is one more to add to the file of hotel guests blindsided by unexpected and dubious post-stay fees. And it serves as a reminder to make sure to leave your room in the same condition you found it. Otherwise, you might find yourself with hefty and embarrassing charges on your hotel bill — and no way to defend yourself.