Action 9 helps Mooresville woman get refund after flight cancellation

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Kathy Fortin says she had gone to Maine to visit friends and take care of their son.

When the trip was wrapping up, she says she was supposed to fly from Portland, Maine, to Philadelphia and then Philadelphia to Charlotte.

She says she got to the airport and the airline she was flying, Frontier, told her she could fly to Philly, but that the second leg of the trip -- the one to Charlotte -- was canceled.

She says she flew to Philly and bought a ticket to Charlotte on another airline. She says that when she got home she demanded Frontier pick up the tab for that extra ticket.

“I was on the phone with Frontier over and over again for hours,” Fortin said. “It was frustrating beyond all belief. I’ve never dealt with anything so frustrating in my life.”

She says Frontier finally offered her $100.98, the amount Frontier charged her for the Philly to Charlotte leg of the trip, not the amount she paid the other airline for that stretch (which was $426.95).

“I just wanted them to make me whole,” she told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke. “They were not … budging at all. So I finally, I just gave up, but I had sent you a message.”

Stoogenke emailed Frontier. It didn’t explain what the problem was, but Fortin says the airline refunded her the full amount of the extra plane ticket.

“I don’t know what you did, but it was magic, whatever you did,” she told Stoogenke.

Frontier said, “Customer service is extremely important to us. We are happy we were able to resolve Ms. Fortin’s concerns and apologize for the frustration she experienced.”

Here’s what you should know about flight cancellations and delays:

FLIGHT REFUNDS

• You’re entitled to a refund if your flight is canceled. Period.
• That includes all the fees that went with it, like baggage.
• You’re even entitled to a refund if the flight isn’t canceled, but there’s a significant schedule change or significant delay. But it’s not clear what qualifies as “significant.”
• You’re not entitled to a refund for any expenses you may have incurred because of the flight issues … like a rental car, hotel, extra meals, etc.
• Obviously, airlines can still reimburse you for those -- or at least give you a credit or voucher -- if they want, but the point is: they don’t have to.
• This may be obvious, but remember: you get a refund if your ticket is refundable, even if the flight isn’t canceled, changed, or delayed.
• If the airline switches your seat to a lower class section than you paid for without you agreeing to it, the airline owes you the difference in price.
• For the most part, you’re not entitled a refund because of bad service.

IF YOU ARE ENTITLED TO A REFUND

• Start with the airline.
• If you bought your ticket through a third-party website or a travel agent, start there instead.
• Whoever sold it to you must process it within seven business days if you used a credit card or 20 business days if cash or check.
• Be persistent.
• Complain on social media. Airlines seem to respond to that more than other industries tend to.
• If all else fails, file a complaint with the FAA here.
• If you have travel insurance, that could help cover anything you don’t get reimbursed for.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

• It usually covers if you get sick, have an emergency, have jury duty, or some vendor cancels on you. It doesn’t cover if you just get cold feet.
• But there is a policy that does cover all of that: “cancel for any reason.”
• But know this: it usually costs more than regular travel insurance (about 40% more).
• And don’t count on a full refund: you may only get 50-75% back.
• As always, research the insurance company before you buy.

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