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Elliott Confidential

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The government hasn’t fined a single airline this year

It gets worse. Since December, the Department of Transportation has forgiven nearly $28 million in penalties owed by three airlines. What happened to airline enforcement?

Christopher Elliott

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Aug 8, 2026

Warning! This might be the only thing standing between you and a denied travel insurance claim

A third of travel insurance claims got denied last year, and it usually wasn't the flight delay or the lost luggage that killed them. It was the missing receipt, the deleted email, the photo nobody thought to take.

Christopher Elliott

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Aug 7, 2026

Booking.com lost my hotel reservation. Why won't it refund the $126 difference?

A missing reservation left Stephen Stein scrambling for a room minutes before a family dinner. Booking.com's promise to cover the cost turned into a runaround.

Christopher Elliott

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Aug 6, 2026

Viva Aerobus canceled my flight. Why did it send my $844 refund to the wrong bank?

Carol Bartell's flight to Mexico got canceled, and Viva Aerobus refused to put her $844 back on her credit card. It insisted on wiring the money instead. That's when a wrong SWIFT code sent her refund to a bank she's never used.

Christopher Elliott

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Aug 5, 2026

Elliott Confidential

The government hasn’t fined a single airline this year

Warning! This might be the only thing standing between you and a denied travel insurance claim

Booking.com lost my hotel reservation. Why won't it refund the $126 difference?

Viva Aerobus canceled my flight. Why did it send my $844 refund to the wrong bank?

Elliott Confidential

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