I just got home last night from Cabo San Lucas. I had an eTicket through
Orbitz (NorthWest Airline). So I go to the Cabo airport to return home,
flying Cabo to LAX on Alaska Airline (apparently subcontracted by NWA).
Long story short Alaska says I have a seat on their plane but NWA has not
paid them, so Alaska will not give me boarding pass, etc. I spent 90
minutes of pure hell on phone, talking to Alaska Air, etc. and barely got
on the plane. Oh and Alaska air also said that NWA had changed my
itinerary and had me leaving later in the day on Continental. Freaking
eticket bull****. How can they change my itinerary? I guess they can since
it is all electronic, but I was following my itinerary as booked and that
existed when I left for Cabo! What fricking good is an eTicket if it means
nothing when you go up to get your boarding pass and a connection
subcontracted airline says they have not been paid?!

PLEASE help me learn how to avoid this in the future. I seriously was on
the verge of a nervous breakdown, really. ALmost broke down crying. I had
checked out of my hotel, taxi had taken me 60 minutes to airport, was down
to almost no cash, my fricken VISA had a security block on it, and then
the language barriers, etc. I can not go through this again. What are
travel tips to avoid such air ticket air travel problems?

~Randy