Author - The Durango Herald

Travel in 2015: What to expect on the road

It’s the time of year when everyone churns out their annual predictions, quoting the same experts on 2015’s travel trends. Or, if they’ve been doing this long enough, they just cite themselv...

DATE: Jan 17, 2015 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Why do hotels place ‘holds’ on customers’ credit cards?

It’s like an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries” that plays itself endlessly for travelers. It happened to Judith Searcy when she stayed at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront i...

DATE: Jan 3, 2015 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

How was man billed $3,374 for 1-day car rental?

Budget Rent a Car recently quoted Roy Bonney a $96 rate for a one-day rental from Norfolk to Washington. But it sent him a bill for $3,374. The reason? A tire on Bonney’s car went...

DATE: Dec 20, 2014 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

9 smartphone apps to make next trip better

If you don’t think technology can improve your trip, meet Judy Williams. When she and her husband recently checked into the Radisson Blu Hotel in Zurich, a clerk asked them to si...

DATE: Dec 6, 2014 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Fuel is cheap, but airfares keep rising

If fuel prices are so low, why are airfares so high? And will prices ever return to Earth? They’re simple questions with complicated answers. But Jake Oakman, for one, would like ...

DATE: Nov 29, 2014 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Outbreaks test airlines’ refund policies

The deadly Ebola virus has arrived in the U.S. just in time for the holiday travel season, carrying fear and uncertainty with it. A survey late last month by Unicomm, an organize...

DATE: Nov 15, 2014 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Seated next to a pooch on a plane? Too bad

Some airline passengers are more equal than others, as Michael Morris found out when his daughter and 2-month-old granddaughter visited him from Los Angeles this summer. On their ...

DATE: Nov 1, 2014 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Who’s really to blame for your delayed flight?

Even though Kurt Johnson doesn’t work for the TSA, that doesn’t stop him from lending a hand when he’s stuck in a long line at a security screening area. “I’ll sometimes grab an ...

DATE: Oct 4, 2014 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Should buying plane tickets be like buying cars?

When Loren Witkin says that he shopped around for a new car, you can take him at his word. Witkin combed through his local newspaper, consulted the Kelley Blue Book and clicked on...

DATE: Sep 20, 2014 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

Gross things can happen to good passengers

You board a plane and find your seat stained with bodily fluids. Now what?

DATE: Sep 20, 2014 | CATEGORY: Travel

Are airlines profiting at your expense?

Why are airlines raking in record profits? Maybe they’re monetizing your personal data – selling your name, address and phone numbers to marketing “partners” without your explicit consent. ...

DATE: Sep 6, 2014 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter

A few pictures can save you from damage claims

You don’t have to be an expert on photographic evidence to take snapshots of your rental car before you drive off the lot, but it helps. Just ask Steve Wolf, who happens to be an ...

DATE: Aug 30, 2014 | CATEGORY: The Travel Troubleshooter