Inclement weather almost washes the refund away

0 Comments | USA TODAY, November, 2007 | by Linda Burbank

Question: I purchased a travel package from Hotwire.com. I was supposed to depart Washington, D.C., in the evening, stay two nights in Dallas, then take a morning flight back. The package cost $533, which included airfare, hotel and a rental car.

When I arrived at the airport, I found that my outbound flight had been canceled due to weather. American Airlines offered to rebook my flight for the following day. I declined, since the new flight would get me to Dallas too late for my meeting.

American would not refund my ticket and asked me to work with Hotwire. I contacted Hotwire and explained the situation, but the representative refused my refund request and insisted that I should have taken the rebooking. I explained that it did not make sense for me to...