“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
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