“Heartless†characterization of airlines
Just two weeks before his wedding day, Danny Chou’s father died unexpectedly. He had to postpone his wedding and honeymoon to handle the funeral arrangements.
“At a time like that, you would expect an airline to show some compassion — particularly if you can show them a death certificate, “writes travel consumer advocate Christopher Elliott.
Wrong, The airline’s response was characterized as “heartless.”
United Airlines refused to offer a refund for nonrefundable $436 tickets to Japan, even though a death certificate was provided.
Did United break any rules? Elliott says no.
“But airlines typically waive their rules when you show a death certificate. That’s an unwritten policy but it’s common to the domestic airline industry,” he says.
After he called the airline, they refunded the full ticket. He concluded:
“I think it’s possible that the United representative to whom Chou spoke didn’t fully understand the circumstances of his cancellation.”
by David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Marginal increase for New York City tourism in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments