Complaining Sometimes Helps

I spoke with a friend today who was scheduled to fly from New York to Montreal last Monday, but her flight was cancelled. It was early in the day so the airline offered to put her on another flight, but she had an important appointment and would miss it if she took that flight.
She was able to make her case forcefully enough that she was re-booked on another airline for a flight that got her in on time. Sometimes, it does pay to complain, or at least to make sure that airline or hotel personnel understand all the facts about your situation. If you can't get the situation resolved on the spot, call, write a letter or send an email after the fact.
If even this doesn't work, consider contacting Christopher Elliott, (www.elliott.org) who is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and co-founder of the Consumer Travel Alliance, a non-profit group that advocates for travellers.
Travellers' legitimate grievances sometimes get ignored because different sets of laws apply in different countries, and with regard to travel by air and sea. Chris Elliott writes a blog with good advice on how to minimize the likelihood of encountering hassles on the road.