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.
"British Airways should have been able to change the tickets with his documentation," says American representative Tim Smith.
But British Airways says that when American changed Mitchell's flights, it didn't update his passenger record with the new flight information, but instead created an entirely new passenger record. This new record contained no ticketing instructions or reissue details, according to British Airways representative Michele Kropf.
"Due to the complexity of RTW tickets, they require additional time to reissue and ticket," says Kropf. "Had the British Airways booking been updated with Mr. Mitchell's itinerary change, we would have been able to accommodate them."
British Airways also faulted Mitchell for not allowing enough time at the airport for its agents to reticket him. This didn't sit well with Mitchell, who had gone directly from a hospital bed to the airport, and had provided a written statement from his tour operator that he arrived at the airport some two and a half hours before his flight.
"We feel there was sufficient time to process and reticket the Mitchells," agrees Smith.
I sent Mitchell's stack of correspondence to both airlines, which agreed to revisit his claim. After some behind the scenes wrangling and fare calculations, American and British Airways agreed to refund him $10,465.
American's share of the bill was $4,329, while British Airways' portion came to $6,136. This was not, however, reimbursement for his replacement Beijing-London tickets, but rather a refund of the unused portions of his original RTW fare, and the rationale behind who paid what, and why, are as complex as those fare rules.
How can you avoid trouble?
Go to the airport even earlier if you have made changes to your booking. If your itinerary has to be reticketed, it may require extra time, and the more complex your trip, the longer that process may take. Buying replacement tickets is invariably more expensive, and getting a refund will be an uphill battle.
Bring your e-ticket number and passenger record locator number to the check in counter.
Ask for a supervisor to assist if you're having difficulty understanding a problem or if there's a language barrier.
Consider travel insurance. Major trip insurers operate emergency assistance hotlines. It's easier for them plan and book your new flights home than for you to handle it from a hospital.
Linda Burbank first began troubleshooting travelers' complaints for the Consumer Reports Travel Letter. She now writes regularly for Consumers Union publications and is a contributing editor for National Geographic Traveler. E-mail her at travel@usatoday.com. Your question may be used in a future column.