Rachel

Here's my story. I hope someone can help. <BR> <BR>I was supposed to leave for Rome next week. I purchased my restricted plane tickets directly from Air France over the phone and got a pretty good fare. For reasons that are too long to go into here, I no longer want to go. I have already cancelled the flight, and they said that I can apply what I have paid to another flight, solong as I travel within the next year. What I really want is just to get a refund. Is there any way I can get my money back? Or am I just sh*t out of luck? <BR> <BR>Any help would be appreciated.

susan

Basically, that's the standard airline policy for non-refundable fares (if that's what you purchased). I suspect that you're out of luck.

Beth

Unforunately, you are out of luck. Unless you purchase unrestricted, full-fare tickets (which are expensive and not a "good deal"), you can only accept the airline's offer to apply the cost of the tickets to a future trip. You will have to pay the difference if you buy tickets that are more expensive, and you may have to pay a ticket change fee. Perhaps you might be able to take another trip this year? Also, I don't know the policy of changing the name of the passengers -- it might be possible to sell your tickets to someone else if they were willing to pay a change fee. I'm not positive about this, however.

guy

Think you are "SOL"....unfortunate but true !! I am not certain, but you may want to also try to apply these amounts and receive credit on future flights with some of Air France partners...like Delta. Will not get your money back...but may give you an avenue to redeem them for value elsewhere...we have all been where you are...Good Luck

Puck

A non-refundable ticket is likely to mean what? <BR> <BR>Such a low standard of education in the US.

Shut Up Puck

The original post did not say it was nonrefundable, Puck. It said it was restricted. And how presumptuous of you to assume that the poster was American. There is nothing in the post to indicate Rachel's county of origin. It seems to be your reading comprehension that is at issue, not a low standard of education in the U.S. <BR> <BR>If you have nothing useful to post, just shut up!

Anna

Suggestion for others and for your next purchase: Buy trip cancellation insurance via a travel agent on the SAME <BR>day you buy your tickets. I buy it due to health problems, but I have to buy it on the same day as these trip cancellation insurances can have "pre-existing condition" health clauses unless you buy it on the same day. I will be buying this for a trip to London soon. A travel agent can tell you what things the policy covers like lost luggaget, trip delay, cancellation <BR>and for what reasons etc. The cost can <BR>be anywhere from $19-49 a ticket depending on the price of the ticket, but it is worth it if you have to cancel! <BR> <BR>You are probably out of luck on your <BR>current flight though. <BR>

Heather

Thank you for that helpful tip, Anna. I take my mom on trips sometimes and she has health issues. I'll invest the money next time just in case (knock wood). And, Rachel, I'm sorry that you had to cancel your trip.

Alice

Trip cancellation usually has very specific/limited reasons it will reimburse you for cancelling. We don't know the reason in this case. I could not go thru with a trip last fall due to work pressures, but insur. did not cover that decision (usually it is only health/death reasons that are accepted). <BR>It doesn't feel good to lose money for something you won't get to enjoy...sorry to hear it happened to you.

Joanna

It does sound like a non-refundable ticket from what Rachel has said. Unfortunately there's little you can do, apart from taking a trip later within a year. If your reasons for cancelling are fairly serious, you could send an explanatory letter to the airline. That's what I was advised by my travel agent when I had to cancel a trip due to family illness. Worth a try if cancelling was unavoidable.

Rachel

Thanks for your replies. I guess I am out of luck on this one. Insurance probably would not have helped me here. I had to cancel because I realized I would be miserable on the trip with the people I was traveling with. Oh well, you live and learn. It was an expensive lesson.

Jim Rosenberg

Ummmm.... Rachel? Why not take a WONDERFUL trip without them then? You can learn enough on here to set yourself up with a safe and interesting experience -- even if it is only for a long weekend. (Geeze, I hate to hear about a potential ticket getting trashed!) Just go without them -- maybe even without anyone. A lot of us have done it and it can be a fun and very spiritual thing. Don't sell it short!

Christina

The ticket is not getting "trashed", she just will have to pay a fee to apply it to another ticket (currently $100 on most international, I think). She bought a ticket at a low fare because it had restrictions, decided she didn't want to live up to the restrictions, and wanted her money back. It doesn't work that way. She can apply the amount towards another ticket with a change fee, which is a small price to pay for avoiding a trip with people you can't stand.

mom

Rachel, the good news is you're dealing with Air France. Go for a trip to Paris and back. Many young (and older too) women on this board have taken and LOVED Paris trips on their own. You might also have another friend and more sympatico traveling partner who would want to take the trip with you...sometimes more than two people on a trip don't work out well.

justwondering

Has anyone actually needed to use their trip cancellation/interuption insurance? Now that I travel with family, I always peurchase it for major vacations and fortunately never had to use it.

elvira

Oh, Rachel, don't waste that ticket; change it to another destination or to another time, and just go by yourself (or maybe find another traveling companion?). The cost do that is probably $150 or less, and you won't waste the ticket. As Jim pointed out, lots of info on this site to help you do a do-it-yourself (London and Paris are two wonderful cities for solo women travelers) trip.