USAir denies refund to terminally ill cancer patient

US Air has refused to issue a refund of plane tickets, after a terminally-ill woman was advised to not travel by her doctor.

http://radio.foxnews.com//toddstarnes/top-stories/u-s-airways-refuses-to-give-terminal-cancer-patient-refund.html

 

Yeah... maybe I'm suffering from outrage fatigue, but I just don't give a shit. If you've been battling breast cancer, maybe non-refundable tickets aren't for you.

They offered vouchers instead, and she asks "What am I going to do with a voucher if I'm dead?" Well, what the fuck are you doing with a refund?

But it's a moot point -- talk radio will hammer US Airways, they'll give in and refund the money, and a lot of people will vow never to fly US Airways... and they'll live up to that vow right up until the day they need to fly somewhere and US Airways is 20 cents cheaper than United.

 

Not a good week for public relations for US Airways. Want to fly 260 miles from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia? That'll be...$700. To drive it is maybe $150.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11333/1193300-68.stm

 

I have very little sympathy for anyone who complains about not being refunded for a nonrefundable fare. Doesn't matter the situation, really.

This one ticked me off, though:

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/airline-passenger-forced-stand-7-hour-flight

A passenger was squeezed out of his seat by his super fat USAir seatmate. Normal sized passenger stood up through the entire 7-hour flight (re-seating wasn't an option) and was given a $200 voucher.

To me, that guy should be compensated, not the nonrefundable one. He was given a $200 voucher, but he'd paid more than $800 for the ticket.

 

Umm, not for nothing, but why doesn't the lady just travel anyway? What's the worst that's going to happen? If you've always wanted to go to Belize and know you're going to die soon, wouldn't tell the doctor to fuck off and get on the first plane there? Am I missing something here?

 

Her first mistake was choosing to fly USAir.

 

Geez, folks, what scenario allows for some compassion and rule-bending if freaking cancer is not one of them?

According to the story, she was cleared of the cancer when she bought the tickets, probably a celebratory, life-affirming dream purchase. The cancer then came back.

Suddenly, $4,200 likely seemed better spent on medical bills and such than a vacation.

This bit here from the airline spokesperson is amazing:

We’re trying to be flexible and offer her and her family some accommodations,” Landau told Fox.
“Big deal – I may not be alive,” McKain told WUSA. “What good is a voucher gonna do me?”
Landau explained that the vouchers “can be used by anyone in her family.”
She also offered a word of caution to all travelers.
“As with purchasing anything, it’s important to understand the terms and conditions of the tickets you purchase,” Landau said.

Basically, "fuck you if you die. We're at least willing to give a voucher to your grieving family."

I get it, rules are rules. But give me a freaking break. They're not THAT important. We're still supposed to be human. And humanity is supposed to cover a lot more than simple proper business practices. Sheesh.

 

I drove this round trip last week and the cost between tolls and gas was probably about $80 or so.

 

I was going to comment but im sure I would get hammered so ...

 

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