Ombudsman: Hard-Won Wisdom

Heed our 20 tips for trouble-free trips

Since its inception in 1989, this column has mediated thousands of cases between travel consumers and providers. We have assisted readers whose money was seized as counterfeit, whose cruise ship was packed with European swingers, and whose honeymoon was ruined when another guest fell three stories onto their patio. While some cases are outrageously unique—and, let's be honest, all the more riveting for it—the stacks of letters we receive tend to show the same pitfalls recurring. Below is our time-tested advice on how to solve the 20 problems that crop up most frequently—read on to maximize your chances of truly happy trails.

1. Sidestep Cancellation Charges
Does the following scenario sound familiar? You book a cruise or a stay at a remote resort, but unforeseen circumstances force you to cancel. Since you do so weeks in advance, you expect a full refund. Think again. At times, canceling even three months in advance won't be enough to save you from losing your deposit or your entire prepayment. And while that might sound harsh, cruise lines, hotels, and resorts have clear cancellation guidelines, often listed in their terms and conditions. Before paying for a trip, check all applicable cancellation policies, and if you aren't comfortable with them, don't spend the money. Alternatively, consider purchasing a travel insurance policy or a cruise line's protection plan that will permit cancellation for any reason without penalty.

2. Fly Home Effortlessly
Waiting to board your flight home is often the low point of a journey, not just because it signals the end of a vacation but also because sometimes the airline won't let you on the plane. Readers have missed return flights because they checked in late, were unaware that the departure time had changed, or failed to reconfirm their flight home. Carriers ask passengers to arrive no less than one hour before a domestic departure and usually three hours before an international flight. And they routinely close check-in for international flights an hour before the scheduled departure. Take note of these guidelines, and plan accordingly. If you aren't there in time, don't expect the gate agents to sympathize because you were caught in rush-hour traffic. Some airlines also require passengers to reconfirm return flights (U.S.-based carriers do not)—even if yours doesn't, call three days before the flight, check the departure time, and reconfirm your seat.

3. Bring Back Your Buys
When shopping overseas, the rational side of your brain goes AWOL. You stand in an artisan's store asking yourself how that Moroccan wooden table with inlaid stonework would look in the living room. But you rarely consider the more important question: How do you get it home? Readers write to us about purchases that never arrived because unscrupulous merchants never shipped them. Repeat our mantra: If you can't take it with you, step away from the purchase. If that morsel of wisdom is too distressing to contemplate, try to organize the shipping yourself—start by asking the store or your hotel for a recommendation. If the only viable option is for the merchant to ship the item, before giving the store the green light, check its credentials with the local tourist board. It might save you the heartbreak of never receiving that cherished souvenir.