Author – The Durango Herald

New legislation could make it harder to tell how much your airline tickets cost

An old ticket-price tactic for airlines may make a surprise comeback, thanks to proposed legislation. Before a 2011 full-fare advertising rule forbade it, airlines displayed initi...

DATE: Apr 29, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Travelers have plenty of reservations about hotels

Of all the hotel annoyances, the one that bothers Louise Sattler the most is the smells. “Scents,” she says, “and smoking in hotel rooms.” Sattler, a psychologist from ...

DATE: Apr 22, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Travelers can protect themselves from hidden fees

Travel fees are getting more creative than ever – and so should you. When it comes to new travel fees, the sky’s the limit. Or, in Liz Pollock’s case, the fourth floor of her hote...

DATE: Apr 15, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

A ‘no’ from the travel industry is not always final

Connie Matlin wants to do the impossible: buy travel insurance for what she thinks is an uninsurable trip. “My family and I would like to travel to Europe this summer,” says Matl...

DATE: Apr 8, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Be aware of laws abroad or you’ll court trouble

Oh, the legal trouble Americans get themselves into when they’re abroad. “They dress immodestly,” says Sheryl Hill, the executive director of Depart Smart, a nonprofit organizatio...

DATE: Apr 1, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Are you allowed to take pictures on planes? Yes and no.

On a recent American Airlines flight from Santiago, Chile, to Dallas, Natalie Root had a front-row seat for an unpleasant confrontation. The aircraft she boarded happened to be a ...

DATE: Mar 25, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Frustration takes flight over seat assignment fees

Beth Shadur doesn’t like sitting on the aisle, so when she flew from Chicago to New York recently, her husband, an elite-level frequent flier, tried to find her a window seat. But...

DATE: Mar 18, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

New tracking technology could make lost belongings a thing of the past

As a 6-year-old, Josh Lippiner’s daughter, Emma, played hide-and-seek to win. So one day, when she vanished for more than a few minutes, her parents panicked. “My wife and I could...

DATE: Mar 11, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

When you’re tall, flying isn’t easy

Jim Fox dreads flying. With good reason. At 6-feet-10, the former NBA player has to squeeze himself into economy class seats, which isn’t always possible. On a recent f...

DATE: Mar 4, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Hoping for better customer service, travelers turn to Facebook’s Messenger

When Karen Korr wanted to change part of her European itinerary, she didn’t call Travelocity, her online travel agency. She didn’t send an email or a text message, either. Instead...

DATE: Feb 25, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Here’s why travelers are rethinking rental cars

If you are planning a vacation, then renting a car may be as automatic as making hotel or restaurant reservations. Or not. New ground transportation options are blossoming in the...

DATE: Feb 18, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

How to avoid losing it over lost luggage

After Delta Air Lines lost Dan Collins’ luggage on a recent flight to Lihue, Hawaii, he didn’t know what to expect. Few people do, actually. Two of his checked bags vanished durin...

DATE: Feb 11, 2018 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter