beaupeep, I just want to say good luck. If not a refund then some kind of credit maybe. I'd get with Air France right away. I'm guessing partly it will depend on exactly what class of ticket you purchased, what restrictions it has. Still I'd ask.

It also might be different if we are talking about the person planning to travel who ends up with an illness as opposed to having a relative with an illness.

I do not know about Air France but when I had surgery two years ago, Alitalia was wonderful about refunding the entire price of the (non-refundalbe, non-changeable) ticket. Your sister must have a doctor's note stating that she cannot travel due to illness in the family. (My partner, who is not my legal spouse, was allowed to rebook at no fee at a later date.) Must be immediate family members to get a refund. I suggest your sister go to the AF office and speak directly with an employee if possible.

Ekscrunchy,

That is VERY interesting...your non-spouse partner was allowed to rebook with no fee at a later date but only a family member can get a refund?

It is possible.

I purchased 3 tickets on Air France, one for me, one for my sister-in-law and one for my nephew. The latter 2 tickets I purchased out of Charlotte (connection in Atlanta), but they moved to Nashville and I changed both tickets to Nashville departures and paid the difference on both tickets (about $700 more per ticket as this was 2 weeks out). Then, my sister-in-law decided that she did not want to go, so I purchased a last-minute ticket for my brother (I was very determined). I was sick over the outlay of cash, so I wrote a letter explaining all of the above to Air France and asked them to refund my sister-in-law’s ticket (about $1400), and to my great surprise, I received a check for the full amount.

However, there have been other instances where I have had more legitimate arguments and have been denied.

Good luck!

My husband was supposed to go to Ireland with me this past February but we moved a few months before that and he didn't want to take the time off from work. We called American and they issued a credit for a future flight. I believe we had to pay a nominal fee, but it was better than losing the money altogether.

I think you have hope. I would call Air France and explain the situation. Hopefully you will receive some good news.

I'm so sorry that this is happening to both you and your niece.

Best wishes,
Tracy

The lesson that stands out here is don't buy tickets for anyone else. Let them buy the tickets and be responsible for the costs and reimburse them later.

I think when people know the costs are coming out of their own pocket these "emergencies" are treated differently. Maybe I'm hardhearted, but I've seen this happen too many times people don't value what is "free"

No, I offered her this trip! That's why I paid for the ticket in the first place. It was a gift.....

Yes, Dukey, that is correct. As I wrote above, my non-spouse partner was allowed to change his flight to a later date for no penalty while I was given a refund.

If we had been married, my partner would have received a refund as well.

Yes, even if you had been married only for one minute...oh well, such is life.

I would have had to bring my marriage certificate, according to the (lovely) woman in the Alitalia office here in New York. I guess that is their rule....
I was happy with what they did for us so had no cause to complain.

I understood that this trip was a gift, I was just making the point that people don't always appreciate that airline tickets are usually nonrefundable or come with steep penalties for changing reservations.

I've had a similar experience twice with Air France, but more directly related to me, the traveler. My father had a serious stroke the week before we were to leave for Italy on AF and the next year my grandmother died while I was in Italy and were supposed to come home on AF (but had to come home on another airline in a hurry). Both were the cheap, non-refundable tickets, and in both instances, a carefully worded letter to AF with a doctor's note or death certificate got us the refund. Not sure if that will work for you.

Just saying...that's (one of the reasons) why I love AF!

Did she get the doctor's letter? Your case is much more problematic than mine since you are here and your sister is there and it is you who has to get the refund. All I can tell you is that she should try to get a letter that states that her child absolutely cannot be left alone...

My case was much easier because I took the letter myself to the office here and spoke to someone in person who could see that I could barely walk...

Good luck to you. I had to cancel a flight with NWA last November due to a death in the family (actually I went home on an earlier flight). I supplied the booking agent with a death certificate, and eventually received a full refund of my 'non-refundable' ticket.

Actually I agree with others that the 11 year-old would benefit from coming along on the trip. Families are full of sibling rivalries, but that shouldn't deter you from giving the child a special treat when she needs it the most.

Good luck! I just had an experience with British Air...I received a call that my aunt (I am only relative)died just as I was buckling my seat belt for take-off. The crew was great in getting me off the plane and into cab. I still paid $200 to change the ticket for a flight the next day after the fumeral.
Having kids of my own (and now grandkids). I think the unhappy, bullied child would do very well with a trip to Europe. Great for morale. I am surprised that a doctore would say the child is too fragile for a pleasure trip....but, I do not know the child, I am not a md, and my advice is just about my ideas. But my kids and now my grandkids just love, love travel. they find it fun!

The doctor never said the child was too fragile for a pleasure trip - that never came up! The doctor said the child is too fragile for my sister, her mother, to leave her for 10 days. We have the doctor's note and my sister is mailing the tickets and note to me and I will go to the airport in Geneva to see what I can do.

I wouldn't mind a voucher in my name - I will use it next April for a trip to Boston.

beaupeep, I think you're on the right track. try for a credit in your own name, for future use, rather than a ticket refund.