Letter to the editor

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A stunning reversal for airline consumer rights
August 8, 2026 by Christopher Elliott
The federal government has not assessed a single civil penalty against an airline for violating consumer protection rules this year. It has also been closing out formal passenger complaints without enforcement action, including refund demands that had been sitting in the docket since 2020.
More travelers are losing their insurance claims because of this. Don’t be one of them.
August 7, 2026 by Christopher Elliott
Something goes wrong on the road. A flight collapses, a bag disappears, you get sick in a country where you do not speak the language. You file a travel insurance claim expecting reimbursement, and then the insurer asks for documentation, and you realize you kept almost none of it. The blurry photos are on your […]
My hotel reservation disappeared. Why won’t Booking.com refund me for my new room?
August 6, 2026 by Christopher Elliott
Stephen Stein had booked a two-bedroom suite at a Homewood Suites in Bonita Springs through Booking.com, and his party of three arrived to find the hotel had no reservation for them. He handed over the confirmation number. It made no difference. A family dinner was 90 minutes away, so while he waited on the phone […]
Viva Aerobus canceled my flight. Why did it send my $844 refund to the wrong bank?
August 5, 2026 by Christopher Elliott
Carol Bartell booked a flight from Tijuana to Hermosillo on Viva Aerobus, and the airline canceled it. When she asked for her money back, the carrier would not simply reverse the charge on her American Express card. It insisted on wiring the refund to a US bank account instead. So she looked up a SWIFT […]
The laws of physics say you can’t be in two places at once—unless you have a Capital One card
August 4, 2026 by Christopher Elliott
Kim Calla apparently has a superpower. According to her credit card issuer, she can sit in two airline seats at the same time. That is the only conclusion left after her dispute with the bank. Three days before flying to Lisbon, she searched online for her airline's phone number and dialed the first one she […]

Letter to the editor

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