Ombudsman: Hard-Won Wisdom

8. Avoid Shady Travel Agents
Many readers use the same travel agent year after year because they have built up a level of trust and comfort. But sometimes those same readers try out a new agent who is promoting a bargain on an around-the-world ticket or a great China package. Often these agents demand payment in cash or by check up front, and they go bust shortly after the money changes hands. We get letters from readers who have stumbled upon the ā¬Sdeal of a lifetimeā¬ from an agent halfway across the country, only to find themselves out thousands of dollars because they tried to jump on an offer that was too good to be true. If an agent is an unknown, is based multiple times zones away, or demands payment in cash or by check—neither of which offer any protection against fraud—the alarms should start going off. Always pay by credit card, and remember to dispute any charge immediately: Your bank should be more cooperative than any bankrupt travel agent will be.

9. Carry On Valuables
Would you pack your credit cards or large sums of cash in your checked luggage? Of course not. Yet travelers put valuables in their checked bags, even though their loss or damage is not covered. Airlines' contracts of carriage list items that they declare themselves not liable for. These include jewelry, medicine, fragile goods, cameras, computers, antiques, artwork, and more. (If your bag is delayed, however, carriers will compensate you for essential items such as toiletries and basic clothing—provided you have prior authorization to purchase replacements.) The simple solution is not to pack valuables in checked luggage. Period.

10. Object Effectively
When things go wrong, it's vital to voice your dissatisfaction immediately and to the right person. If the door to your room or cabin doesn't lock or the toilet doesn't flush, don't just grin and bear it and then write a letter of complaint once you get back home. Ask for a solution as soon as you encounter the problem, and make sure you contact someone who has the authority to take action—typically the manager. And stay calm. Mimicking the death cry of a banshee while describing your situation is unlikely to elicit sympathy for your plight.

11. Make Them Pay
Readers complain about an airline, a cruise line, or a hotel that has promised reimbursement but not followed through. This frustrates Ombudsman since, trite as it might sound, we believe that promises should be kept. Try to get written proof of the guarantee. If you have that and nothing is forthcoming, be persistent. Slowly climb the company's food chain, each time sending your request for compensation to a higher-up in the hope that someone, somewhere, will have the decency to make good on the pledge.

12. Escape Excess Baggage Fees
Baggage allowances have never been uniform. For years, passengers on flights to and from the United States were permitted to check two bags weighing up to 70 pounds each, while inter-European flights had a limit of 20 kilograms (44 pounds) per passenger. Many airlines recently reduced the limits for U.S. flights to two bags that weigh no more than 50 pounds each. The critical point: Policies differ among carriers and countries. And not knowing the requirements of the airline you're flying might mean steep excess-baggage charges. (Ryanair, for instance, begins calculating excess baggage fees when a passenger's total exceeds 33 pounds.) A carrier's Web site usually specifies its baggage allowance; a reservations agent also has the information. Get it before you start packing.