Things To Do In SW Florida

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I bought two business class tickets through Chatdeal to fly from Dallas to Auckland on American Airlines. The airline downgraded us to economy plus and told us at the gate that we would automatically receive a refund from the airline for the price difference within seven days. We also received a $600 voucher from American for our inconvenience.

When we returned to the United States, I called American several times to inquire about our refund. Initially, a representative told us that we had to wait seven days after the completion of the whole flight. Then a representative said that they could not find our flight information because it was a codeshare flight with Qantas.

Finally, an American agent said that the airline wasn’t responsible for the refund because our tickets were on Qantas, and American was just the operating carrier from Dallas to Auckland.

I have contacted Qantas several times. I also contacted Chatdeal because I bought the tickets through them, but they have not been able to resolve the issue. So far, no one is willing to take responsibility for our refund. It is obvious that they are passing the buck. It’s been almost three months since our flight. Can you help? read more

DAYTONA BEACH — Galaxies to the left, galaxies to the right. Galaxies overhead. There’s no shortage of celestial highlights culled from some of the best images ever taken in space as visitors make their way to upgraded planetarium at Daytona’s Museum of Arts and Science.

“We want the experience to begin even before you make your way into the theater, to really be immersed in space,” said MOAS’ Curator of Science Seth Mayo, who is also director of its Lohman Planetarium.

The lobby outside the planetarium’s entrance is filled with massive shots taken from the Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope and even the International Space Station with a shot of Earth that includes Florida.

“Almost every moment you look around, there’s something to learn,” he says pointing out images and rattling off names like the Sombrero Galaxy, Cosmic Reef Nebula and the popular Pillars of Creation, which were repurposed from a popular 2023 exhibit tied to James Webb. “As you walk in, people can sit down and enjoy the space, enjoy all the visuals around them before they even make their way into a show.” read more