✉ On February 11, we booked an apartment in Costa Teguise in Lanzarote, on the Holiday Lettings website. We quickly received a confirmation, but less than an hour later received an email from the owner stating that another client had already rented the property. We expected a full refund but that did not happen. When we emailed the owner to ask about this, he replied that he would only receive payment after we arrived, so we would have to speak to Tripadvisor (who own Holiday Lettings). The company told us the only way to get money back was for me to cancel the booking, but that would mean losing the Tripadvisor booking fee of £364.39. I had no choice but to accept this or lose the entire amount. Can you help ?
David Clark

This saga has been difficult to untangle. Tripadvisor alleges that you and your wife used the website separately on the same day to contact the owner about booking his property. He didn’t know you were online and told your wife that the property was no longer available on the dates she wanted and you then mistakenly understood that he was canceling the accepted reservation. You ended up canceling the booking, which means you weren’t refunded the booking fee. It’s hard to reconcile this account with the fact that you and your wife share the same last name, email address and bank account, but the good news is that the booking fee was refunded “as a gesture of goodwill”. .

✉ I would be grateful if you could suggest a three-night stay in Europe at the beginning of October to celebrate a 40th birthday postponed by the Covid with my two sisters. We love beautiful landscapes, beaches or mountains, as well as a bit of yoga, biking or hiking and good local restaurants. Ideally, there would be some late summer sun. We’re not that bothered by bustling nightlife or sightseeing jaunts around town. Our budget is up to £2,000.
Jeanette Stevenson

The extremely picturesque island of Ischia, off the Italian coast of Amalfi, will still be mild in October (with an average temperature of 23°C and comfortable sea swimming) and much less crowded than in the summer months. summer. There are plenty of hiking trails, and after hiking up Mount Epomeo for views over the Bay of Naples, you can reward yourself with lunch at La Grotta da Fiore, which is carved into the rock; Giant bruschetta, rabbit and wild fennel liqueur are the house specialties. The island’s thermal baths will always be open to refresh you and don’t miss La Mortella, one of the largest gardens in the world. You can also jump down to little Procida on the ferry. The film backdrop Il Postino and The talented Mr Ripley, it is the Italian Capital of Culture for 2022, the first time that an island has won this distinction. Stay at the Continental Mare, where three-night half-board would cost £622 pp, including flights to Naples, plus car and hydrofoil transfers (citalia.com).

Streetcars in New Orleans

ALAMY

✉ Last year, my husband and I booked ridiculously expensive one-way tickets to New Orleans through eDreams. When we logged into the airline’s apps, it became apparent that eDreams had also booked us return flights for 28 days later: we had received no confirmation from the agent to let us know and we assumed that was the reason the cost was so high. When challenged (via Twitter and email) they told us that these flights were “not usable” and that return flights had been purchased to give us the cheapest tickets. I don’t understand how this could possibly reduce the price of the ticket.
Sam Glanfield

It may sound strange, but the ticket you purchased would have been much more expensive had it been booked one-way. It is common practice for ‘legacy’ airlines, such as British Airways, Emirates and Lufthansa, to charge premium prices for one-way transatlantic fares, as these are often purchased by less price-sensitive business travelers . Theoretically, the airline has the right to penalize passengers who throw away half of their ticket, but given that people don’t show up for flights for various reasons, it’s quite difficult to enforce. (However, they punish travelers who throw away the outbound portion of their ticket by canceling the return trip.) An eDreams spokesperson said it uses its “powerful technology” to find the best possible deals for customers. .

✉ We would like to take our three teenagers to Denmark and Copenhagen for five to seven days during the Easter holidays. They are keen to include a visit to Legoland. Can you suggest some great places to stay and see?
Julie Anne Clark

The original Legoland is in Billund, central Denmark, which is also home to the Lego House, full of interactive exhibits, and Lalandia, a Center Parcs-style holiday resort with Scandinavia’s largest water park. You can easily fill three days here (trying to snatch teenagers from Turbo Racer, a super-fast waterslide, could be tricky). Book a chalet in Lalandia and you will have access to the Aquadôme throughout your stay. Three nights in a Design Plus 6, sleeping up to six people, from £807 on April 9 (lalandia.dk). There are ten trains a day from Billund to Copenhagen, and the family-friendly Absalon Hotel is a short walk from the station, with colorful decor by Designers Guild and bikes for hire. It’s close to trendy Meatpacking and a small double room, plus a family room, would cost £642 for two nights B&B (absalon-hotel.dk). Tivoli, the amusement park, is a must, as is getting out on the water and exploring the city on an all-electric yellow bus.

If you have a complaint, suggestion or question regarding your holiday, please email traveldoctor@thetimes.co.uk