Camel City or Bust!
Two readers go on a road trip, but Avis has a surprise for them when they return their car.

Walled in in window seat
What is recourse with Delta airlines? My daughter paid for window seats on round trip tickets from Boston to San Antonio. Both times she got a wall instead of a window!!
No front desk staff
Recently went to a Ramada by Wyndham in Eureka CA. I was met by an ATM like machine with a Meme on the screen offering to check me in. I doubt this device meets ADA requirements for disabled people. I was a bit flustered by the device due reading without computer glasses (they were in suitcase). There was a human check in desk but no body there. There was no help button to call a human. But being resourceful I knocked on manager's door. He was able to offer basic info about the device and tell me what button to push. But was unable to check me in. Not in his job description I guess. Some of the instructions were not clear and the meme could not answer a basic question. Like can I stay 2 hours after check out? It just said no, not there will be a charge. Or can I talk to an agent. NO
Then the meme on check out the next day billed me for a soiled pillow case and towel (my daughter has colored hair). Never seen that charge before. Anybody else?
I guess they charged me $20 for having to use bleach in the wash.
Chris put this down as the latest way to add charges to your bill.
John
Amazon
I need help with what you just posted about Amazon.
Last year a caregiver got my credit card number. She attached it to her Amazon account and has been using it. Whenever I see the charges on my credit card, I tried to dispute them. I finally called up Amazon and found out that the card was attached to another Amazon account. I tried to have the card removed, but they told me I could not do that that she had to do that. I asked them to give me a list of everything she bought and to screeshot or otherwise give me something that shows that this card is attached to her account. They refused. I need all this stuff because I am legally going after her.
How do I get what I need?
Experience with Vibee customer service?
I just purchased an expensive package to see the Eagles at Sphere through Vibee. After the fact I have heard of purchasers getting unexpected charges and shoddy customer service from Vibee. Not a problem for me yet, just being cautious. Anyone had problems and how were they handled?
In search of the perfect cup of coffee in Seoul
We stopped by PP Coffee in Mangwon yesterday, a small corner shop a few blocks off the Han River. James, the owner, gave us a tour of the basement, which is where he roasts his beans over charcoal, an old method that's nearly gone in Seoul.
In the same room he makes chocolate and repairs espresso machines. The coffee alone justifies the trip. The charcoal roast comes through dark and clean, with none of the scorched bitterness you'd brace for. Go early if you want a seat. It's a tiny space, and he's usually working the whole thing himself.
What to order: PP Coffee is known for nel drip, the cloth filter method, which leaves more body in the cup than paper.
E/ES in Frankfort
Flying in 2 weeks from SFO to Nice via Frankfort. How has the E/ES been working out in Frankfort, where we switch from United to Lufthansa?
Legally Timeshare Exit vs. Legally Timeshare Cancel
My wife and I are 80+ years old, and we want/need to "Exit" or "Cancel" our timeshares. We've struggled off/on for many years to rid ourselves of our timeshares. We've tried this with an attorney back in 1970 and they scammed us. We've tried with the Timeshare Company, but they were reluctant to help us. We heard there is a new "Law" that makes it easier to get rid of our timeshares. We do not want our kids to inherit these timeshares. Can you help guide us with the experience and knowledge you and your team have so we can be rid of our two timeshares? Thanks, in advance, for your response.🙏
Is travel insurance a scam?
It has been my experience that travel insurance companies exist to deny claims. I'm planning a 2-week trip to Costa Rica for January 2027, and it is (for me) an expensive trip. I will buy refundable airline tickets and am considering arriving a day early in case of weather delays in the U.S. I'm also considering an annual medical evacuation policy rather than paying for travel insurance that the company will probably deny any claims on. Are there any reputable travel insurance companies? Has anyone ever gotten a payout?
Milan Linate airport
I have an early morning flight out of LIN in mid September. Does anyone know if passengers are experiencing processing/flight delays when departing? I have a connection in London that has not been an issue in the past but these are different times.
A must have
Invest in some merino wool long underwear. It’s attractive, lightweight, doesn’t hold odors and doesn’t take up much space in luggage.
A too close connection
I am concerned about a one hour layover in Iceland on our flight from Minneapolis to Berlin in late September. With the new EES rules entering the Schengen countries I am seeing on the internet that we should be allowing 2.5-3 hours for this layover. My travel agent tried, then I tried to change our flight to leave 3 hours earlier but Iceland Air wouldn’t budge on our economy tickets even with these unusual circumstances. Do you know anything about delays entering the EU countries and what recourse do we have if we miss our connection? We have hotel and other reservations we would be penalized for not canceling ahead as the next flight isn’t until the next day. Also would Iceland Air have to pay for our overnight lodging, food and transportation?
Ask Me Anything
It's Friday and we're staring a new tradition on Backchannel. You can ask me anything, and I will try my best to answer. (Hat tip to Reddit for the concept.)
Help! My Vacation Rental Has All This Blood and Hair on the Walls!
One of our readers booked a studio apartment in Penang, Malaysia, through Booking.com and walked into what looked like a crime scene.

Cruise in the UK
My husband and I are planning to take a cruise (Oceania) in May 2028 from England to Ireland and Scotland and return to England. It's been a bit since we traveled internationally. After reading, probably too much, I am looking for clarification on taking medications on our trip. Things I've read are:
--All RX and OTC medications have to be in their original bottles/containers.
--A doctor's written script is also required for each RX.
--Any RX that may contain a controlled substance, which I haven't seen a list of anywhere, so far, must be declared when going through Customs, boarding the ship, etc.
--I've looked at the UK Embassy website but will do so many more times I'm sure to be sure I haven't missed anything. However, things are overly clear.
--What are the VISA requirements?
Our passports are currently good, but one of them will expire before the six-month window of return, so it's on the list to be renewed.
Thanks for any insights you can offer and references for us to research!
The problem with international rental cars
My wife and I prefer to drive on most of our European visits (with exceptions for some of the largest cities) but have started running into a problem of cross border restrictions. Recently, we rented a car in Budapest, and drove into Croatia, where we had to drop the Hungarian car (for a substantial fee) and then rent a car in Croatia so that we could drive to and stay in Montenegro. Just wondering if anyone is find some work-around (legal) that allows more cross border rental car use? In May next year I had hoped to rent a car in France, use car ferries to visit Corsica and Sardinia, then cross to Italy and drop the car there -- oops, none of that works with restrictions to the islands, etc.
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