Looks like Palm Coast Travel, the Boca Raton, Fla., agency accused by the state of Florida of selling unauthorized travel insurance, while at the same time trying to sue one of its own customers and me into silence, has quietly negotiated a settlement with insurance regulators.
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Palm Coast Travel fined $2,500 and placed on probation for selling unauthorized travel insurance
Can “nightmare ending” to a Continental ticket purchase be fixed?
When Dimple Kelley used a service called Bill Me Later to book a Continental Airlines ticket for her son, Brian, she never imagined she'd be fighting with the payment company's collection department half a year later.
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Ticket refund on “hold” while travel agency squabbles with airline
Patience is a virtue. Particularly if you're waiting for an airline ticket refund.
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What’s new on Elliott: Help me Uncle Sam, hotels get desperate for good reviews and squabbling over a refund [Brought to you by Competitours -…
Can the government really help travelers? Plus, hotels would do anything for a good review and a customer is left high and dry in Antigua
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US Airways fined $40,000 for failing to disclose full airfares
In yet another sign that the Transportation Department is serious about protecting the rights of consumers, the government this morning fined US Airways $40,000 for failing to disclose the full price consumers must pay for air transportation. “When consumers shop for air travel, they have a right...
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Best price loophole leaves Antigua visitor high and dry
After Craig Simpson booked a six-night stay at the Cocos Hotel on Antigua, he wondered if the $312 rate was the lowest available. It's a good thing Expedia offers a "Best Price Guarantee" so you customers like him can "always book your trip with confidence." The identical room was $293 a night..
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Busted! How to ensure your luggage survives a trip
One minute I was rolling my carry-on bag along the concourse floor at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The next, I was arguing with a useless box on wheels — and dreading what would happen to my back if I had to carry it.
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What hotels will resort to for a good review
Oh, the things hotels will do for a good review. It's not enough to ask guests for a write-up on a popular site such as TripAdvisor or Yelp after they've checked out. Lately, some innkeepers have been pressuring their customers to say positive things online -- in extreme cases, even before they've...
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Forget this volunteer vacation — let’s go to Vegas!
Ellie Capers' 12th-grade class has plans to volunteer at a marine lab in Baja, Mexico, when the swine flu outbreak forces them to cancel their trip.
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What to do when an airline doesn’t follow its own rules
Can you force an airline to follow its own rules? Phil and Margaret Warker wanted to know after a disastrous return flight from Nassau to Washington via Miami
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What’s new on Elliott: JFK’s curse, airlines that don’t follow their rules and Dave Carroll strikes again [Brought to you by Competitours -…
Is JFK cursed? Plus, what to do when an airline doesn't follow its own rules and Dave Carroll strikes again.
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A picture is worth a thousand words — if you’re renting a car, make that $1,444.61
This is Kathyria Padilla's rental car. When she returned it to Avis last April, she took a few snapshots of the vehicle, just in case. Good thing she did.
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Dave Carroll strikes again: “United needs to change in a big way”
He's back! United Breaks Guitars' Dave Carroll late yesterday released the third in his trilogy of United-themed songs.
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Palm Coast Travel gets more company as regulators crack down on Cruises R Us, Atlantis International
Florida regulators this morning cracked down on two more travel agencies as part of their expanding investigation into illegal travel insurance. It brings the total number of companies charged with selling fake travel insurance to seven since January. More enforcement actions are believed to be on..
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Veteran frequent flier stripped of 46,000 AAdvantage miles — are they gone forever?
American Airlines knows how to contact Mary Ann Hall. And it does.
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What’s new on Elliott: upgrade your next vacation, airfares that vanish in a click, and Palm Coast’s claims [Brought to you by Competitours -…
Upgrade your next vacation. Plus, airfares that vanish in a click and Palm Coast's claims.
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Internal report shows Palm Coast Travel had $27,787 in outstanding travel insurance claims
A fresh round of public records released by the state of Florida's Department of Financial Service this morning reveals a "medal count" of complaints against travel agencies alleged to have sold illegal travel insurance, as well as the number of claims and their estimated value.
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Losing my faith on Shamu’s first weekend back on the job
For the same reason people go to a car race (to see a fiery crash) or a hockey game (bare-knuckled fight) Shamu Stadium was packed to the gills for the 12:30 p.m. show Sunday, on Shamu's second day on the job after the unfortunate incident in which he killed his trainer. Everyone wanted to...
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Accidental tourist? Tips for maximizing happy coincidences — and avoiding the bad ones
Accidents happen when you travel. The bad accidents — the fender-benders, the missed airline connections the unfortunate food-borne illnesses — are the ones that come to mind first, of course
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The low airfare that vanishes in a click
Now you see it.
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Is my hotel’s lost star a lost cause?
When Stephanie Farrow books a nonrefundable hotel room through Priceline, she's promised a four-star property. She ends up with a three-star and when she complains, she's given the runaround
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Refund-less after six months: “I feel as though we have been taken advantage of”
Everyone knows airline refunds can take a long time. But how long is too long
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What’s new on Elliott: Waiting for a refund, a failure to launch and TSA cracks down on Good Samaritans [Brought to you by Competitours – Amazing…
How long should you wait for a refund? Plus, a failure to launch, and TSA cracks down on Good Samaritans.
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A failure to launch — and refund
Glenn Cox had planned a trip to Orlando to watch the next Space Shuttle launch, but when liftoff was postponed, he found himself holding a hotel reservation with some surprise restrictions.
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Internal TSA memo warns Good Samaritans: “We cannot allow a distraction”
If you're unlucky enough to have a medical emergency on a plane, your flight attendants are trained to help. Same thing goes for other public places, like restaurants and schools. But an internal memo circulated to employees at one airport suggests the TSA would rather you take your heart attack...
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It happened in Beaver Creek
Two feet of fresh snow in 48 hours? Put it all together in a resort like Beaver Creek, Colo., and you have two of the best days of skiing I've ever experienced. And I've skied in a lot of places.
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What’s new on Elliott: Put yourself on the no-fly list, more agents accused of selling bogus insurance and a snow day in Beaver Creek [Brought to…
Amazing Race for Regular People – Competitours is a team travel competition as your vacation! 17 teams accomplish fun, quirky challenges on a mystery European itinerary with $9,000 in prizes at stake. No auditions, no extreme stunts, no eliminations, so anyone can play! Check out Competitours...
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Florida accuses three more travel agencies — wait, make that five more agencies — of selling unlicensed insurance
Looks like Palm Coast Travel has company. Florida regulators have filed charges against three more travel agencies as part of their expanding probe of unlicensed insurance offered through defunct Prime Travel Protection.
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JetBlue’s “classy and professional” move for disabled passenger in need
Here’s a pick-me-up story for a Monday morning: Penny Parrish’s niece bought a roundtrip ticket to Florida to visit her ailing father late last year, but when he died and she asked to return home early, JetBlue Airways charged her a ticket change fee. Parrish’s niece is deaf, so...
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7 secrets for boosting your online power
Got a travel problem? Just tweet about your troubles, and the airline, car rental company or hotel will fix it.
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