My mother and sister were planning on coming from the US to Europe to visit in three weeks. Now my sister cannot come as one of her children is sick. I paid for the ticket, didn't have travel insurance (which I bought the day she told me she wasn't coming just in case it ever happens again). She asked the doctor for a letter. Do I have any chance of getting AirFrance to refund my money - $935?

Hi B,

Assuming that you have a non-refundable ticket, it is worth a call to AF, but don't get your hopes too high.

PS,

How sick is the child that he/she is not expected to recover in 3 weeks?

This sounds awful.

It's not a physical sickness, it's a psychological or emotional one. My 11-year old niece is being bullied at school so badly that my sister can't get her to go most days and when she does go, the child is usually in the nurses office by noon. They've talked to teachers, parents of the bully and now are seeing a doctor who recommends that my sister not travel when her daughter is so fragile.

Maybe AF will let me put the ticket in my name, reverse the order of flights so I can go smack the bully upside the head!

Hi beaupeep,

I'm so sorry to hear this bad news -- how disappointing for you!

In case you can't get the health issue resolved in three weeks --

If you tell the airlines that you won't be using the ticket, you can usually use it again at a later day. They'll charge you something like $200 and treat it as a re-issue. It's frustrating, yes, but not as bad as losing the whole thing.

Hopefully your sister can re-schedule.

Good luck!

s

I agree with Ira...you might get some sort of "credit" for later use (after paying a possible change fee, of course, and any fare difference) but I wouldn't count on any refunds unfortunately.

OK, I will give AF a call and see what happens. Thanks for the advice. And yes, I am really disappointed. We have been planning this for months - at least my mother is still coming.

Hi B,

>My 11-year old niece is being bullied at school

That is sad.

>They've talked to teachers, parents of the bully and now are seeing a doctor ..<

This sounds like one time when a lawyer would be very useful. A letter to the school board and the parents threatening a law suit would, I think, be very efficacious.

I suggested that and a restraining order against the other child. We'll see what happens.

We had our refund from AF. We had to send a letter from the hospital stating my husband would not be able to travel soon.

cigalechanta, did you call first or did you just go to the airport with the tickets in hand and the letter?

If things are so bad, why not take the child out of school for three weeks and bring her along? The break would be good and the travel would be educational.

Because she has two siblings, an older one who is my godchild who is graduating from 8th grade who should really be the one getting a trip here first. It would just cause hard feelings all the way around.

they were mailed to AF.

cigalechanta, thanks! You gave me some hope.

beaupeep, my husband was 21 days in the hospital and months of treatment so they hospital dealt with it.

I wonder if it might be good for a child to go on on a trip for a change of scenery. And if it's gotten really so bad at school perhaps change of schools is possible.

The child is going to a new school next year and hopefully that will improve things.

cigalechanta I hope your husband is better. I told my sister to mail her tickets to me with the letter and I will write the letter to AF from here.

Thanks everyone for such quick replies!

My thoughts are the same as yours Anya - make it up to the yr 8 kid later on. A kid in Yr 8 would understand.

Thanks, he's having a catscan to ensure he's ok to travel in September
Best wishes things turn out ok for you.