The Paper TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT
Q: Last August, I was supposed to fly roundtrip with my two children from Boston to San Jose on JetBlue Airways. I had booked the flights through Orbitz. I was using a ticket credit from a JetBlue flight canceled at the start of the pandemic. When I got to the airport with my family, Jetblue had no record for these flights, even though we had confirmation numbers for the tickets.
I tried to call Orbitz. The calls disconnected twice, and we had to call back and start the conversation with someone new. Eventually, a representative told me there was nothing they could do for us at the time, and we had to wait for a call back within 24 hours. I called Orbitz, and I discovered that the credits had never been applied. They were still sitting in my account. I had to buy tickets for the following day from Boston to San Francisco. I also had to book a hotel to stay in that night.
An Orbitz representative asked me to send in the receipts for the flights and hotel I had to book in order to obtain a refund. Orbitz never followed up with me. After the trip, we reached back out to them, and they requested ticket numbers and receipts. I provided all the information to them, yet to this day, we have gotten no response despite our many efforts. Can you help me? -- Benjamin Eckstein, Natick, Mass.
A: This was a somewhat complicated case. But let me see if I can simplify it. You had a JetBlue flight at the start of the pandemic. JetBlue canceled the flight and you received a credit from JetBlue through Orbitz, your online travel agency. Then you tried to use the credit for a flight in August. You booked that flight through Orbitz. It issued a confirmation number, which led you to believe you had the tickets. But you didn't. JetBlue said you didn't have a ticket when you showed up at the airport. You had to book new flights on JetBlue and a hotel. You also paid for tickets to San Francisco on United Airlines. Orbitz asked you to submit your expenses, and when you did, it failed to respond to your refund request. And that's what led you to me. Usually, when an online agency sends you a confirmation number for your airline tickets, you can rest assured that you have an airline ticket. I'm not sure why Orbitz didn't apply the JetBlue vouchers to your new tickets.
But I am sure of this: Orbitz
Travel Troubleshooter Cont. on Page 12
Page 6
June 30, 2022
Basilone Cont. from Page 3
whole division standing at attention, the nation’s highest military award for valor was presented to Basilone,
After receiving the medal, he said, “Only parts of this medal belong to me. Pieces of it belong to the boys lying buried on the island.” He returned to his regular duties, but then two months later, in July, 1943, Basilone learned that the Marine top brass had a special mission for him: to help sell war bonds.
A month later, having arrived in California, he headed to Camp Pendleton and while there he saw his brother George, who was a Marine in training. Soon after he arrived at the camp, he received orders to report to Marine Headquarters in New York City, and there he was briefed on the upcoming bond tour. Basilone asked if, before he started the tour, he could get a pass for home, and that was immediately granted.
Seeing Basilone as he stepped off the train on September 19, 1943, the people in Raritan went crazy. They rushed about him and kept him trapped for nearly an hour, as his family and everyone he had ever known growing up crowded around him and embraced him, shook his hand, tousled his hair. Then there was the parade, thirty thousand people, many of them from nearby cities and a long line of limousines filled with dignitaries, including the mayor, governor and senators. In the following months, with other decorated servicemen and a group of Hollywood actors, Basilone went on the war bond tour.
It was a whirlwind but successful tour. In one month alone, Basilone and the others toured ten states and sold more than nineteen billion dollars of war bonds. When the tour ended, Basilone asked to be sent back overseas. His request was granted and he was ordered to report on January 17, 1944 to Camp Pendleton where he joined the newly formed 5th Marine Division, and where he was promoted to gunnery sergeant and put in charge of a platoon. And it was while he was in training with this division that he met Sgt. Lena Riggi, a reservist, stationed at Pendleton. They soon fell in love and on July 10, 1944, they were married at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church in Oceanside. A month later, Basilone was told that the 5th Marine Division would
Basilone Cont. on Page 10
Cut the Gas Tax Already
California still has the highest gasoline prices in the U.S. along with the highest gas taxes. Gasoline is averaging $6.40 per gallon across California, inflation is escalating, people are hurting.
Immediate relief is needed, and the simplest, fastest remedy would be suspension of the gasoline tax at both federal and state levels. It’s been over 100 days since the Governor first called for gas tax relief, but nothing has happened. Despite our $97.5 billion surplus, the majority in the Legislature can’t come to an agreement about how to grant relief. The new idea is a small rebate of $250 to $350 based solely on income and residency. Legislative Democrats want to send $200 to all taxpayers earning less than $125,000, with an additional $200 per dependent. But they won’t consider a simple, temporary suspension of the gas tax, now at 51 cents per gallon. It’s scheduled to go up to 54 cents on July 1st. Can’t we at least stop that? Apparently not, though repeated attempts have been made.
suspend the federal gas tax for three months. In my opinion that’s not nearly long enough, but it’s a step California has been unable to take.
I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get relief at the pump. If you’d like to learn more about the Problem Solvers Caucus, and view our letter to President Biden, please visit: https://caproblemsolversfoundation.com Assemblymember Marie Waldron, R-Valley Center, represents the 75th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the communities of Bonsall, Escondido, Fallbrook, Hidden Meadows, Pala, Palomar Mountain, Pauma Valley, Rainbow, San Marcos, Temecula, Valley Center and Vista.
So what’s next? I’m a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which is advocating an immediate, temporary suspension of federal and state gasoline taxes. I joined five Assembly colleagues in a letter to the President asking for suspension of the federal gas tax. The President agrees, and has asked Congress to
5th District Supervisor
Jim Desmond
A Summer of Blackouts?
On May 20th, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) warned that two-thirds of the U.S. could experience blackouts this summer. Earlier in the month, California energy officials warned that summer blackouts may continue for the next three summers. There’s already finger pointing occurring from government agencies and many theories being publicized including climate change, severe drought, quick switch to renewable energies, lack of infrastructure, rise in the demand of electricity, the list goes on and on. The reality is, we are looking at a summer where the basic necessities we need, may be endangered. Rather than blame, I want to work on solutions.
At our next Board meeting, I’m proposing action to enhance resiliency to energy emergencies throughout San Diego County. We should not accept that our lights will not be on, or that our food may spoil. If San Diego County experiences days without power, that will cause severe harm to our older population and those who need electricity, including air conditioning. Part of the action I’m taking is to explore options aimed at enhancing resiliency to energy emergencies
throughout the unincorporated areas of the County, this will include options to expand San Diego Gas & Electric’s “Generator Assistance Program” to help residents of our unincorporated communities more easily acquire a back-up power generator. Also, I want to look at establishing a County program, separate from SDG&E’s, that would offer rebates or other incentives for personal/commercial back-up generators purchased by County residents and local businesses.
Another part of my board letter will include researching the need and opportunity for microgrids within the unincorporated communities of the County. I will admit, many of the grid problems that San Diego County now faces are from policies in Sacramento. I believe we made the transition too quickly to renewable energies as we need to focus on providing electricity right now, while also looking towards the future. But we are in this reality, and we need to be looking at all the ways to keep the lights on. To contact
North County Office – by appointment only 325 S. Melrose Ave., Suite 5200 Vista, CA 92081 Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Website: www.supervisorjimdesmond.com Email: Jim.Desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov
