After Jocelyn Peers’ teenage sons finished their language immersion program in Alicante, Spain, she thought the hard part was over. The boys had thrived in Europe, navigating a foreign country and learning the language. All that remained was a simple flight home to Seattle.
Shiri Willcot’s travel agent tried to book her 13-year-old daughter Ryan on a connecting flight from Los Angeles to Costa Rica via Houston, but United Airlines policy prohibits unaccompanied minors ages 5 to 14 on connecting flights. A United supervisor overrode the system, approved the reservation, and charged Willcot’s credit card the $300 unaccompanied minor fee. The travel agent reconfirmed the booking twice before departure, and a United representative on a recorded call two days before the flight confirmed Ryan could board without issue. At LAX, United agents refused to let Ryan board. For a month afterward, United claimed no record of the original flight existed despite confirmation emails, the credit card charge, and the recorded call. The airline gave three contradicting explanations before settling on its final narrative blaming the travel agency.
Charles Shearer was traveling from Cleveland to Japan for his mother-in-law’s funeral when American Airlines pulled him and his young son from the boarding line. His grieving wife boarded alone while gate agents offered $500 vouchers, with one even verbally acknowledging the bumping was involuntary. American later documented the incident as voluntary in its system, denying him the federal compensation of up to $2,150 per passenger that involuntary bumping triggers when passengers arrive over two hours late. Federal law mandates 400 percent of one-way fare in cash compensation, paid at the airport on the day of the flight.
When is a first-class ticket not a first-class ticket? When you’re Paul Nelson and you’re flying on American Airlines.
Teresa McGee thought she’d done everything right before her flight from Detroit to Charlotte. But she never expected American Airlines to not do everything right.
American Airlines changes Erica Remer’s flight without telling her. Now she’s trying to get a refund for the original ticket. Why won’t the airline help her?
Dianne Ness and her husband were stunned when Delta Air Lines rescheduled their upcoming flight from Boston to Phoenix by 9 ½ hours.
The trenches of consumer advocacy sparked an interesting debate. Do we leave consumers who don’t have a case to fend for themselves?
La Freta Carter Dalton’s son was boarding an EasyJet flight from London to Barcelona when the overhead bins ran out of space. A crewmember told him he couldn’t board with his laptop computer — it had to be checked.
Greg Melgares is a patient guy. But even his patience has limits. The refund from Southwest Airlines he’s been promised for a year still hasn’t arrived. Will the airline ever pay him?
