I bought a ticket through the travel company Expedia for my mother to fly from Denver, Colorado, in the U.S., to visit me in Britain. She was due to fly on June 9. Unfortunately, my grandmother, for whom she is the primary carer, had a heart attack, so my mother was unable to make the journey.
SAVE MONEY, MAKE MONEY: THE BEST RATES, DEALS AND TIPS THAT CAN MAKE YOUR RICHER
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BALANCE TRANSFERS
Best credit cards to help clear your debts at 0 per cent interest -
FIVE FAVOURITE ISAS
We've scoured the savings tables to find the best tax-free savings -
BEST BANK ACCOUNTS
Our pick of the top deals and perks that even include free money -
TOP CREDIT CARDS
From big ticket purchases to rewards, we pick the top deals -
CUT ENERGY BILLS
Is it worth switching supplier and how much could you save? -
CHEAP MORTGAGES
What next for rates, the best buy deals and should you fix? -
CAR INSURANCE
Ten tips to find the cheapest and best cover - plus compare quotes in minutes -
HOLIDAY SPENDING
Bank accounts and credit cards that don't hit you with big fees -
BALANCE TRANSFERS
Best credit cards to help clear your debts at 0 per cent interest -
FIVE FAVOURITE ISAS
We've scoured the savings tables to find the best tax-free savings
How to make your money GREXIT-PROOF - whether you're heading to the country this summer or staying at home
Fears that Greece will be forced out of the euro have unnerved holidaymakers more than once since the global financial crisis hit in 2008. But if an emergency summit tomorrow fails to fix the crisis, this time it could be the real deal. Here's what to do if you are heading for the country this summer - and how to Grexit-proof your finances even if you stay at home.
Get up to speed with the parcel post: From brokers to couriers and how to avoid those ghastly post office queues
The Government announced earlier this month that it is to sell its remaining stake in Royal Mail. The move, apart from raising much needed money, is aimed at enabling the postal giant to compete in what is a fiercely competitive market. We look at the best options for sending a parcel - whether it is popping into the post office or finding a cut-price courier. Stewart Wardrop, manager of The Royal Pigeon Racing Association, says: 'If there is a natural catastrophe or all the mail men go on strike, you can still rely on a homing pigeon to deliver.'
A warm welcome to rip-off Britain: Airport transfers in the UK are most expensive in Europe - and the train into London costs 14 TIMES more than some European cities
Journeys from Heathrow are the most expensive, with a train fare costing £21.50 to get into the city, which is between three and 14 times more expensive than other European cities. By comparison, the train from Paris Charles de Gaulle to central Paris will set you back ten euros (£7.20) and the trip from Rome Leonardo da Vinci to Rome city centre costs nine euros (£6.40).
RACHEL RICKARD STRAUS: We'd better invest in our energy infrastructure right now - I saw in South Africa what happens when the lights go out
South Africans are addicted to a mobile phone app that tells them the black out schedule for their neighbourhood so they know when they will next be plunged into darkness. Over the last couple of years South Africa has got itself a serious electricity problem. There simply isn't enough to go around.
CUT YOUR BILLS: TIPS AND TOOLS
BILLS: LATEST NEWS, IDEAS AND TIPS
From credit cards to car hire: How to beat the holiday rip-offs before jetting off this summer
Your holiday can cost £100 more just by spending on the credit or bank card you normally have in your wallet, research by consumer website Moneysavingexpert found. On May 1, it compared the cost of buying €1,000 holiday cash at the airport compared with using a cheap specialist credit card where you make five €100 cash withdrawals plus 20 transactions on debit and credit cards that tot up to €1,000. While €1,000 cost £830 with Travelex, it cost £100 less - £730 - with Halifax's Clarity Card.
Fix your bills: how to cut your everyday costs and keep saving money all year round
Needlessly overpaying for gas and electricity, mortgage payments, home phone, broadband and car and home insurance costs can take its toll - adding up to tens, if not hundreds, of pounds every month. Overhauling your bills can potentially save you thousands of pounds, we deliver all the tools and tips you need in one place.
What's going on while you're waiting on hold? We go behind the scenes of Npower's customer service centre (and find out how to get complaints fast tracked and land some compensation)
We spent a day at Npower's largest customer service centre, learning how a customer service basket case rises to the challenge of becoming the very best. We listen in on calls, quiz the chief executive Paul Massara - and root out the best tricks for getting your complaints dealt with fastest - and how to get the most compensation.
LATEST ON HOUSEHOLD Bills
- 'Abellio Greater Anglia's senseless rules left me £1,500 out of pocket': What happens if you need a refund on your rail season ticket?
- Do you need a post-nup? Now couples are signing break-up agreements AFTER marriage to help divide assets
- Thousands of Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and AC/DC fans left distraught and out of pocket as ticketing website shuts down
- Government drive for 'digital by default' paperless transactions will leave many without vital services, campaigners warn
- Will your house be able to read your mood? Homes will change temperature, lighting, and suggest films to suit how you feel - and researchers say it's only a couple years off
- Are you wasting £470 each year? How to ditch bad habits and boost your bank balance
- The rise of 'premiumisation': How millions save cash at Aldi and Lidl and then treat themselves to something nice
- Is industrial deafness the new whiplash? Claims for hearing loss suffered at work surge as lawyers cash in on latest compensation trick
- Pick your own special offers! Waitrose to give loyalty card customers 20% discount on 10 items of their choice
- 0800 numbers to be free on mobiles and cost of other helplines to be made clearer from July
8 WAYS TO SLASH YOUR BILLS
Latest reports from Bills
- 'Abellio Greater Anglia's senseless rules left me £1,500 out of pocket': What happens if you need a refund on your rail season ticket?
- Do you need a post-nup? Now couples are signing break-up agreements AFTER marriage to help divide assets
- Thousands of Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and AC/DC fans left distraught and out of pocket as ticketing website shuts down
- Government drive for 'digital by default' paperless transactions will leave many without vital services, campaigners warn
- Will your house be able to read your mood? Homes will change temperature, lighting, and suggest films to suit how you feel - and researchers say it's only a couple years off
- Are you wasting £470 each year? How to ditch bad habits and boost your bank balance
- The rise of 'premiumisation': How millions save cash at Aldi and Lidl and then treat themselves to something nice
- Is industrial deafness the new whiplash? Claims for hearing loss suffered at work surge as lawyers cash in on latest compensation trick
- Pick your own special offers! Waitrose to give loyalty card customers 20% discount on 10 items of their choice
- 0800 numbers to be free on mobiles and cost of other helplines to be made clearer from July
- Britain's bungling energy giant still gets it wrong: In January Scottish Power won our wooden spoon and promised to improve but the complaints keep coming
- From restoring furniture to making clocks out of cogs: How to join the 'upcyling' craze and turn your old junk into treasure
- Judges turn on passport profiteer as court throws out claim made by copycat website owner against unhappy customer
- Dial M for misery: How a phone glitch led to a whopping £2,000 bill from Vodafone - and threats from the bailiffs
- How low can they go? Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons can't afford to cut prices much further as the supermarket war takes its toll, experts warn
BILLS: DON'T MISS
- Ten great credit rating myths busted... Living with indebted friends WON'T affect your score - and there's no such thing as a credit black list:
- How to unlock a cheaper deal for your mobile phone - and it IS legal Trapped in an expensive contract?
- Is now the best time to install solar panels? New energy minister promises to 'unleash revolution' as cost of installation plummets to deliver 10% returns
- Relief from nuisance calls at last? Chancellor pledges £3.5million for technology and campaigns to crackdown on cold callers
- Why does it cost twice as much to phone France and Spain on my BT landline as calling Russia and Brazil? BT is introducing new call charges
- Avios overhaul: Why you'll now earn fewer air miles for your holiday if you fly economy What will the changes will mean for you?
- How to get a cheaper smartphone: The essential guide to getting a new phone without breaking the bank
- I have insurance for my Burmese cat but Petplan says he's too old to have the dental works he needs.. ...so what's the point of the cover?
- Can you save £300 on your heating bill using a smartphone? We put Hive and Nest to the test to see if they change our habits
- I wanted to change the name on our Plusnet account but they made me start a new one ...now I have to pay £161 to cancel!
- The best £7 a month you'll ever spend.. If disaster strikes life insurance can pay out when your family needs it most
- Could new 'home batteries' bring your energy bill to ZERO? Tesla unveils storage device that could store solar energy even when it's cold and dark
- Nation's top 25 money-saving tips revealed Scrapping the tumble dryer and never grocery shopping on an empty stomach...
- Fix your bills: How to cut your everyday costs and keep saving money all year round
- Energy bills: Is it worth switching and which are the best deals?
DON'T MISS
- How to spot a Greek euro note (again) And why this old chestnut is a damning indictment of the eurozone crisis
- How many years of National Insurance do I need for the new flat rate state pension? And can I buy extra credits?
- The Investing Show: We get a fund manager's tips for income and growth Eric Moore, of Miton Income, on whether dividend shares look expensive?
- Ikea to offer click and collect stores Struggling to find locations large enough for giant stores
- 'When mum died, Lloyds made the grief even harder to bear Our writer's moving account of dealing with bereavement
- How to survive your Greek holiday - bring as much cash as possible Victoria Bischoff reports from Greece
- Three signs savings rates could be about to rise But it won't be the High St giants to thank, says savings insider
- Investing with the crowd: How new attractive schemes can earn you 6.5% Crowdfunding and retail bonds can offer high returns
- Is now a good time to buy a classic car - and what are the most bankable models? We reveal six future stars
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LATEST INSURANCE NEWS & ADVICE
Why you MUST get travel insurance for your pet if you're planning to take them on your summer holiday
Tens of thousands of families now take their pets on holiday abroad, largely thanks to relaxed rules and pet passports. But many are unaware they are not covered if the animal falls ill, suffers injury or hurts someone while they are away. One in three pet insurance policies won't automatically pay out in these circumstances.
BILLS: EXPERT ANSWERS
TONY HETHERINGTON: My water meter has been left stuck in the pipeline for a year - what can I do?
I am a pensioner living alone and using very little water, so I decided in March last year that a water meter would make sense. A Thames Water survey confirmed there would be no problem with connecting one, but months later I am still paying the fixed rate of £200 every six months. Miss A.L. You were told that switching to a meter should see your half-yearly bill drop to around £87, and the meter was supposed to be connected in April last year.
MORE BILLS ISSUES: ADVICE ON ...
ANSWERS FROM THE Experts
- How many years of National Insurance do I need for the new flat rate state pension and can I buy extra credits?
- I took out a self-cert mortgage and have now fallen onto my lender's expensive standard variable rate - what can I do to get a better deal?
- ASK TONY: Expedia won't refund flight unless my grandmother is dead!
- TONY HETHERINGTON: Card insurer is guilty AGAIN of lack of respect to grieving relatives
- ASK TONY: Why did Star Wars magazine call in the Dark Side over my £12 bill?
- Why has Virgin Media asked my disabled son to pay £20 a month for a contract he can't use?
- Cashplus froze my mum's account - why won't it allow her to close it and give back her £7,500?
- Should I be using ETFs instead of mutual tracker funds - and will I be able to hold them in my Isa and Sipp if I do?
- I'm going to Madrid this weekend - just when Spanish air traffic controllers are going on strike. Will I get compensation if my flights are cancelled or delayed?
- I booked tickets for One Direction at the front of the stadium - so why have I been allocated seats at the back?
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