Q. My wife and I booked a trip to Aruba to celebrate her 60th birthday and my 65th, and our 10-year wedding anniversary. The AAA travel agent recommended the hotel, as we knew nothing about the island, and we paid extra for an oceanfront room. To say the ­accommodations were horrible would be an incredible understatement. I complained to AAA about the hotel and, after a month, all they were willing to offer was a $300 credit toward our next trip booked through them. Any help in retrieving the money that we paid for a vacation that was a travesty would be ­really appreciated. - FRED BEYROUTEY, LEOMINSTER

A. When you book with a travel agency, especially in today’s heavily self-service environment, you expect expertise and service. Agents have varying skills and insights and can only foresee so much when it comes to what happens on the actual trip.