Bowie, Md. woman says she lost $4,000 to online travel agency; ‘I want my money’

BOWIE, Md. (7News) — A Bowie, Maryland woman is “frustrated” after she said she is one of many to have booked with an online travel agency that never came to fruition.

Michelle Griffin was excited to go to Egypt this fall, but those plans are now shut down as the travel agent, Laticha Douglas of FlyGirl World Travel LLC, took the payments in full and canceled the trip without Griffin’s knowledge.

Griffin said she paid Douglas nearly $4,000 in total.

“I booked a trip to go to Egypt with FlyGirl World Travel in May of 2024, the trip is October 12 of this year,” Griffin told 7News.

As the trip got closer, videos about the travel agency surfaced on social media, claiming fraudulent activity.

“I found out on July 12, because somebody posted a TikTok; I had already been trying to contact her, but I hadn’t been able to reach her. Of course, after that, I started trying to contact her a lot more, and she never responded,” Griffin added.

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After Griffin reached out numerous times, Douglas sent her a letter apologizing for the situation with no promise of returning Griffin’s money.

“My business is closed. I’m so sorry,” Griffin read.

Griffin said after reading the letter, she was confused and upset.

“This don’t make sense to me. This is not good, I don’t care that you’re sorry. Girl, where’s my money? I just want my money back,” Griffin told 7News.

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Other customers have taken to Facebook to share their experience, including a couple who said they used the agency for over 60 wedding guests, only to have paid money and have no travel bookings.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) reported they’ve received a total of six complaints against FlyGirl World Travel since July 2025, with one resulting in a refund. FlyGirl World Travel LLC received an F rating on the BBB for refusing to respond to complaints. The BBB’s website also states: “FlyGirl World Travel LLC is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.”

“One complaint against this company has been filed with our Consumer Protection Division,” the Maryland Attorney General’s office also confirmed to 7News in a statement.

The Prince George’s County Police Department stated they too received a report, but they said there haven’t been any other reports of fraudulent activity with this agency. However, they will continue to monitor the situation.

However, Douglas’ business page is no longer active.

7News has reached out to the Illinois Attorney General’s office for comment.

Griffin said that as an avid traveler, she no longer wants to work with travel agencies.

“It’s made me not want to use a travel agent ever, and that’s unfortunate, because there’s some good travel agents out there, but $4,000 is $4,000; to some people that might not be much. I’m an educator. I want my money back,” Griffin said.