Getting the go-around on a 'round-the-world ticket

— -- Question:In September 2007, my wife and I started a "Round the World" (RTW) trip from Boston with tickets from American Airlines. After a few days, we arrived in Beijing, where I fell and broke my femur. My hip was pinned and I had to stay in the Beijing hospital for about two weeks. I decided to return to the U.S. as soon as the doctor said I was fit to travel.

I called the American RTW desk to change our flight itinerary. I was told that they would make a reservation for us on British Airways' 11:25 a.m. Beijing-London Heathrow flight the following morning, and from there we would fly to the U.S. on American. The change fee was waived because of the medical circumstances.

We arranged for transport from the hospital to the Beijing airport and arrived there at about 9:00 a.m. The ticket agent confirmed that we had reservations on the flight but said that we had not, in fact, been ticketed. We tried to explain that we had an American RTW ticket with an electronic record locator, but to no avail. The agents in Beijing are not that fluent in English, but it was clear that without paying for a new ticket, we were not going to get on the plane.

I had to purchase two tickets, which showed up on my credit card for $5,392 each. I do not believe that we should have been forced to pay for this flight. I have written to both American and to British Airways, but each has refused to reimburse me. I wonder if you can help.

—Edward Mitchell, Ft. Myers, Fla.

Answer:Over the past year, Mitchell wrote a series of clear and concise letters, including proper documentation, to both American and British Airways requesting a refund. In return, he received polite but firm denials—and each carrier suggested he ask the other for a refund, leaving him stuck in the middle with a $10,784 bill.

For its part, American says that it booked the Mitchells on the flight to London, but intentionally left the ticket reissue process to British Airways. Since Mitchell had to modify an extremely complex itinerary on multiple airlines, and American had agreed to waive change fees because of his accident, it fell to British Airways to verify Mitchell's medical documentation on the spot in Beijing.