No refund for passenger whose father dies — airline keeps the upgrade, too

unitedLook up the word “heartless” in the dictionary, and you’ll see a United Airlines plane. At least in Danny Chou’s book.

Chou recently experienced a family tragedy. Just two weeks before his wedding day, his father died unexpectedly. He had to postpone his wedding and honeymoon in order to take care of the funeral arrangements.

At a time like that, you would expect an airline to show some compassion — particularly if you can show it a death certificate. Wrong.

Here’s what happened next, according to Chou:

For our honeymoon, we had booked nonrefundable tickets to Japan leaving on August 10. We also splurged and purchased an upgrade to economy plus seats for $436.

United refused to offer a refund. Instead, the customer service representative told us we could apply for a refund of the $250 service charge by showing a death certificate when we rebooked our flight. The representative also said we would lose the $436 we spent to upgrade to Economy Plus!

That is heartless.

But is United breaking any rules? Well, no. Its terms are clear — though not always clearly disclosed. The Chous would have had to pay a change fee and lost the upgrade if they’d decided to change their plans for any other reason.

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. It makes sense, too. When their loved ones die, you don’t want to throw the book in your customers’ faces.

I contacted United on Chou’s behalf.

Yesterday evening, I heard back from him.

I just wanted to let you know that I got a call from United Airlines. The representative was very kind and understanding and handled the situation very well. She offered a full refund.

I also wanted to thank you for all your help in dealing with this issue.

I’ve been so wrapped up in trying to resolve issues with my dad’s estate and trying to comfort my mom, who has been devastated by his death, that I did not have the time or energy to deal with United as well. I’m so glad that there is someone like you who is watching the airline industry and doing what you can to help people in their interactions with the airline industry.

No problem.

I think it’s possible that the United representative to whom Chou spoke didn’t fully understand the circumstances of his cancellation. When a phone call fails to yield the desired result, I always recommend a brief, polite letter to one of the following contacts at United.

In other words, I’m sure United would have done the right thing. Eventually.

(Photo: Dr. Jaus/Flickr Creative Commons)

  • MarkieA

    Chris

    Great story with a happy ending. However, I think you might be giving United a bit too much credit when you say, ” I think it’s possible that the United representative to whom Chou spoke didn’t fully understand the circumstances of his cancellation.” C’mon! They understood fully the circumstances. It wasn’t until the nationally syndicated Travel writer called and threatened – not explicitly, I’m sure – to expose them as heartless SOBs that they “reconsidered”.

    I love your column; read it every day. But the thing that is most frustrating sometimes is that it takes this threatened exposure to get the airline – or Travel Agent or Hotel Manager or whatever – to do the right thing. I can only imagine the hundreds or thousands of folks out there who don’t have the benefit of a Travel Ombudsman to take up their fight. The airline can certainly afford to “be the good guy” for one out of a thousand screwed passengers – assuming they are threatened by the “right” person.

  • David Z

    They understood fully the circumstances.

    From what Chris wrote, it seems only the United Airlines representative knew that but didn’t bring it to someone else’s attention. The higher-ups probably didn’t know until Chris told them about it.

    But yeah, it shouldn’t take someone (especially from the media) to do that.

  • http://www.bonjourparis.com Karen Fawcett

    What happened to Marketing 101? Do you have to know someone? Guess so.

    If it had been the United representative’s father? Hummmm.

  • Kate Findlen

    JetBlue gets it right. In 2007 I had planned a family vacation for myself, my husband and our two daughters. We were flying in JetBlue on points through my account and my husband’s account. The week before the vacation my husband became ill and passed away. I never even had a chance to cancel anything until two weeks AFTER the planned trip. When I finally called JetBlue a couple of weeks later to let them know what had happened, they not only did not charge me anything, they returned all of the points to me, including transferring all of my husband.s points to my account. This was above and beyond what I expected. I will use JetBlue as often as I can.

  • http://www.odysseyworld.com Preston McKinney

    Once again, it is likely that the airline ticket or package was purchased either online or directly with United without the services of a professional travel agent who would have strongly suggested that the client purchase travel insurance protection especially when booking a honeymoon. The money would have been refunded due a death in the family and there would not been a problem created.

  • Mort B

    I can’t agree with Preston McKinney’s comment that travel insurance was almost a necessity. Sure, there are instances when the unexpected might not be set right by an airline, hotel or cruise line, but a death in the family should be a case for compassion and not insurance. ‘Nuf said.

  • http://www.loganairportvaletparking.com Bill Bell

    I have been threatened with arrest at Logan Airport for helping save customers money with parking. I have the only real valet parking service, by reservation only for people flying out of Logan. A couple of state troopers all of a sudden have taken the position that I am trespassing waiting on the sidewalk for a customer who requested my service. Must be that their overtime will be abolished if Massport loses a few dollars from my customers who basically hate parking at the airport.There are trespassing laws in Mass and my lawyer tells me if they arrest me I will win in court and win damages. Can’t wait to get aressted for helping the elderly, the handicapped, and young parents with kids. sincere,ly Bill Bell 781-289-4200

  • Tina Chase

    re: Bill Bell

    I don’t see what your comment has to do with this story. Why include your telephone number in your post? I can’t help but wonder if you are looking for a way to advertise your business?

  • Yvette

    United isn’t the only one who offers no sympathy…a similar thing happened to me with American. My boyfriend (now husband) and I booked two tickets to India with a departure the day after Christmas 07.

    My father passed suddenly on Christmas Eve, and we delayed our trip to be with family, make funeral arrangements and burry my dad. I spent a good part of the day Christmas Eve and many hours on days afterwards on the phone trying to work out something with American where we wouldn’t be hit with the $1400+ dollar extra costs they were insisting on to change our tickets. No matter how high up the chain I went, the best I was offerred was as waive of the change fee.. I was told no matter what that I’d have to pay the new ticket price, which was very high because it was no longer a 30- or even 14 day advance purchase. I had to fax the death certificate just to get that. I paid an additional $1400 in the end and got little sympathy or interest in helping me during a time that was very traumatic. The bottom line is that we got fleeced and the airline profited off of my father’s death. I find that abhorrent.

    The one good thing that happened is that a gate agent during our stop in London took pity on us and gave us a free upgrade to Economy Plus for that leg of the flight.

  • Carver

    @Preston

    Sorry, I just can’t agree. This self serving nonsense about always using a travel agency is getting tired. One does not go to the doctor for every ache and pain. One does not go to a lawyer for ever traffic ticket. And you don’t need a travel agent for all travel.

    @Bill.

    That sounds like an ad. I hope Chris deletes it

  • Clay Harris

    More evidence pro and con about airlines. My parents were visiting my sister in Kansas City in 2004, when my father had a stroke. He died just over two weeks later without regaining consciousness. Northwest, with which they had flown from Tampa, refused to allow my mother to reschedule the return leg of her flight, even on a stand-by basis. She had to buy a new single. (We thought it unreasonable even to ask for any refund on the unused part of my father’s ticket.) My mother has never forgotten Northwest’s inflexibility.

    At the same time, however, I had a previously booked trip (non-changeable etc) from London to Tampa to visit my parents that coincided with my father’s illness. When he died, I called United to say that I wouldn’t be able to make the return trip on the original date; they said not to worry, just to let them know when I would be able to fly, and they would let me do it then at no additional charge, if there was space available. And they did.

  • B.

    In 2002 I booked a ticket to see my ill grandfather. Sadly, he passed away three weeks before that flight and was cremated the next day. My father immediately planned a memorial service two weeks after his death, and I contact United to ask if they would waive the change flight fee given the bereavement circumstances.

    I told the woman who took my call that my grandfather had recently passed away and that I needed to move my flight up by a week to attend his memorial ceremony. I then told her the dates I needed changed and that I could provide a death certificate if she needed it, at which point she interrupted me with an impolite, “What? Excuse me?”

    I thought she just didn’t hear me since I had been crying and my voice was shaky, and so I repeated the information I had just told her. She responded, saying, “Lady, look at the dates here. You’re telling me he just died and they’re going to hang onto his body for two weeks? I’m sorry, but that’s just unbelievable.”

    I was absolutely shocked and stunned by her comments, and asked for her name. She paused momentarily, then sarcastically said, “Thanks for calling United,” without providing a name. She proceeded to hang up on me, however, not before I heard her say, “What an idiot; I can’t believe this woman …” to whomever was listening in the reservations office.

    I called back again and was connected with a caring customer service rep named Joyce who helped me change my flight and waived the fee, but I have never forgotten this woman. Four letters to United executives went unanswered, and I was told that United did not at the time record calls so there was no way of telling who that person was.

    I still can’t believe United would hire the type of person who would laugh at someone crying on the phone. A death in any situation is hard, but to be treated with contempt by a woman whose primary job is customer service made a painful situation far worse.

  • Freddy

    It is my understanding that Several US AIRLINES, USE FEMALE INMATES AT CERTAIN PENAL INSTITUIONS AS CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENTS,AS PART OF REHABILITATION PROGRAMS. “CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG”

    ONE CAN ALMOST TELL WHEN YOU ARE SPEAKING WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT OF THIS CALIBRE BY THE WAY THEY SPEAK TO YOU!!!!

  • Terry L. Ball

    I did get arrested at Logan for trespassing. I was alowed to return bag carts by the manager of bagcart and his asst. mgr. reinforced my being alowed to return carts as well. The Ma. state police charged me with trespassing in a unsecure public area. I had arrived by public tranportation at terminal C. I go to court Oct.1, 2010 in east Boston. I am in Boston for cancer surgery and have return airfare paid for and on hold with Virgin America Back to San Francisco as soon as my recovery is finished. I showed the Gestopo the ticket and the letter from my Doctor. It cost me $40 to bail out of jail labor day weekend. If the Gestopo had told me the bail was truly $100 I would have been able to post it and get a it all back. Instead the gestopo called his drunken buddy who took my $40 and they released me. Just remember, F Troop is the barricks at logan. Just like the T.V. show. It took 4 troopers to book me on a misdomener, when they should have been looking for criminals and terrorists. Wish me luck. Don’t believe that they are your friends and here to help.

  • Terry L. Ball

    I was not unruly or a threat or disruptive and had no weapons. I did not resist and went along peacefully in handcuffs in front of a ticket counter. The trooper bragged about violating peoples civil rights for 12 years.

  • http://dinnersbyjodi.blogspot.com/ Jodi

    Here’s my story of a recent lousy experience with United customer service at just about every level of its system: http://dinnersbyjodi.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-i-made-for-dinner-august-8-2010.html

    I sent my story to United, and the representative was apologetic and sent some coupons for money off our “next flight”–as if. I think that company has some pervasive problems, and I don’t know what they are, but it reminds me of TWA in its last days.

  • Bill

    Why are the parking comments by “Bill” and the “Terry L. Ball” comments here? They have nothing to do about anything – looks like two people trying to make money, one by returning abandoned carts and another offering a parking service I guarantee you I’ll never use.

    As for the actual story, doesn’t Travel insurance cover those things like a death in the family? My credit card has travel insurance. I looked at the terms, and I wouldn’t receive all of my money back in such a case, but certainly enough of it. Why burden the airlines with an extra cost?

    I went to a funeral a little over a month ago. All of the cheap seats were gone. I suppose I should have demanded that the airline kick someone out of the cheap seats because I had a funeral to go to? I paid the fare that I had to pay. I use a card that has travel insurance. I guess all of these other people’s misfortunes will,however, be embedded in my ticket.

    Sorry to sound callous, but thousands of people die every week. Carry insurance when you travel.

  • http://www.cheapertravel.com Craig Pavlus

    The real issue is that United does not trust or empower their employees to make decisions. There should be levels of authority delegated down to every employee to address sensitive issues as in this story.

  • Jason

    It is not just United… In my experience there is always someone who is less caring and someone more understanding at any call center not just airlines. In my past experience, there United representatives even in India who were willing to bend some rules and make changes without penalty. Sometimes it just takes more then one call until you find someone who is willing to help you. And again in my experience it is not just United, but also American, Continental, Delta and even non travel businesses.