Set on the golden sandy beaches of the Costa Dorada, less than an hour south of Barcelona, Le Méridien Ra is the laid-back luxury beach resort that locals have been trying to keep to themselves. Until now.
07.03.2024 - 14:35 / thepointsguy.com
Heather McKay made a mistake while browsing Booking.com — a big one that ended up costing her $9,200.
Instead of comparison shopping, as she intended, McKay accidentally made a prepaid, nonrefundable hotel reservation for an extended, 70-night stay.
A confirmation email from Booking.com sent just moments after she'd made the accidental reservation alerted her to her mistake.
Hoping to correct her error quickly, McKay ignored the warning screen that advised her of a 100% penalty for her nonrefundable reservation and reflexively pressed the cancellation button. That action triggered an even more shocking message from Booking.com: The hotel reservation was canceled, but she had forfeited the $9,200 that all those nights had tallied up to.
Since that moment six months ago, McKay has been on a frustrating, unsuccessful mission to reclaim her money.
After exhausting all possible avenues to a positive resolution, McKay turned to TPG for help. She hoped we could shine a light on her plight and convince Booking.com to return her $9,200.
I hoped so, too, but as you're about to read, that request would turn out to be a tall order.
Last August, McKay discovered that her daughter might be going to England for an internship next summer.
"There was nothing confirmed, but I got curious," McKay recalled. "So I went onto Booking.com to do some preliminary research. I wanted to know how much a hotel would cost around that time."
Having used Booking.com previously, McKay says she was aware of how the platform functions, so that's why what she says happened next is a bit unexplainable.
Entering some random dates and time frames, McKay zeroed in on a hotel with a great rate and in the right area.
"It's called Titiwangsa One Paddington," she told me, an apartment-style hotel near Paddington Station. "I wanted to know what the total cost would be," she continued, "so I clicked a button that I thought would convert the British pounds to dollars with tax. I never meant to press a confirm button."
But she had, in fact, just accidentally booked (and paid $9,200 for) 70 nonrefundable nights at Titiwangsa One Paddington — a hotel she knew little about but was considering for her daughter's hypothetical stay during an unconfirmed potential internship.
Records show that McKay pressed that confirm button at 8:30 a.m. local time. Less than a minute later, at 8:31 a.m., Booking.com's first email arrived.
To McKay's horror, the message indicated that her Bank of America credit card had just been charged $9,200 for a long-term stay at Titiwangsa.
"When [the confirmation arrived], I was shocked," she said. "I didn't intend to book the hotel. I don't even know if my daughter will be going to England. The dates I added were just random. I
Set on the golden sandy beaches of the Costa Dorada, less than an hour south of Barcelona, Le Méridien Ra is the laid-back luxury beach resort that locals have been trying to keep to themselves. Until now.
No one in search of a budget city vacation is going to put Tokyo at the top of their list – this incredible city unfortunately comes with some pretty incredible prices.
Expedition cruise line HX is making it even easier to see the world by changing its voyages into all-inclusive journeys.
These cruises are going to be rare ones, Holland America fans. So get ready to book before they fill up.
American Airlines' AAdvantage program still offers a compelling partner award chart. And you can often find good-value domestic awards, too. One of the strongest aspects of the American AAdvantage program is the value of its miles. However, it can be difficult to earn and redeem American miles, as the airline does not partner with major credit card rewards programs such as Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One and Citi ThankYou Rewards.
My husband and I have 25 and 16 years, respectively, of guiding experience in Rome. He's a licensed guide who leads cultural, archeological, and art tours, and I am a certified sommelier who leads food and wine tours.
Spring has well and truly sprung and we’re just a few weeks away from Easter. As the flowers bloom and temperatures heat up, many of us are planning to make the most of the season and go on the trip of a lifetime.
Let's assume you're planning a trip to Europe and want to include a visit to the United Kingdom. Should you plan to visit London at the start, in the middle or at the end of your trip? Does it even matter?
In the much-awaited second season of The Reluctant Traveler, which premieres March 8 on Apple TV+, award-winning actor, writer, producer and comedian Eugene Levy isn’t quite as adamantly travel-averse as he used to be. In fact, last year’s filmed far-flung journeys have worked magic on Levy, who now anticipates getaways with less apprehension and more appreciation. While he still dislikes the getting there via airports part of travel, Levy loves staying at pampering hotels. Who wouldn’t? This year’s seven distinctive European hotspots, where Levy slept, are fascinatingly cool. Which one would be your fantasy destination?
In between international gigs, actress, comedian and drag legend Lady Bunny lives where the West Village meets Chelsea. Lonely Planet correspondent Brian Healy recently talked with her about why she loves people-watching, where she enjoys the best late-night tacos in town and how you can blow a lot of money in the Meatpacking.
Americans have their sights set on sunny beach destinations this spring.
This spring, grab your binoculars and join The BC Bird Trail in celebrating the start of another amazing birdwatching season. As millions of migratory birds return to British Columbia, bird enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels have the incredible opportunity to observe these remarkable creatures complete another annual migration.