Pregnant pause causes change-fee standoff
— -- Question: In March 2008, my wife and I purchased Continental tickets for a November trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We were going to spend Thanksgiving there with friends.
We found out in September that my wife is pregnant. Her doctor strongly suggested that we not take any risks by going to Mexico. I called Continental and asked it to refund our tickets. We also faxed in a note from the doctor.
Continental denied several refund requests. One airline agent stated that pregnancy is not an illness but a "state of the body" and refused to refund our tickets or waive the $100 per-ticket change fee. Also, since we purchased the tickets so early, we only have until March 2009 to use their full $1,800 value. Given that my wife is five months pregnant, she's not looking forward to air travel any time soon. At this point, we'd appreciate just getting the change fees waived. Can you help?
—Sherman Brown, Clearwater, Fla.
Answer: When a visit from the stork prevented the Browns from flying south, they contacted Continental to ask for a refund. But the airline agent's illness versus state-of-the-body quibble was downright baffling. Continental doesn't dabble in definitions about pregnancy, nor does its medical-waiver policy specifically mention it, or any other medical condition.
In theory, the carrier's medical-waiver policy is broad and straightforward. If a doctor indicates that a patient is unable to fly for medical reasons, and that customer provides medical documentation, then airline policy generally provides for a waiver of change fees, according to Continental representative Mary Clark.
In reality, however, broad policies can be subject to interpretation by individual agents, and it seems the representative handling Brown's request decided to create a distinction that doesn't officially exist. Not only that, the agent made a second error by failing to notice that the fare rules for Brown's tickets allowed for a refund due to illness. When such policies overlap, Continental agents are supposed to apply the most liberal—so Brown should have gotten the refund he requested, rather than a debate over semantics, particularly since he had a note from his wife's doctor.
Medical policies aside, Brown misunderstood his tickets' expiration policy. He had until the end of March 2009 to rebook their trip, not to complete travel. Since travelers can book airline tickets 334 days in advance, he and his family would have had until early 2010 to use the tickets, had he chosen that option.
I sent Brown's complaint to Continental for investigation. The carrier checked its records, but didn't find a customer-service file on the Browns. This indicates that Brown's request was routed through airline reservations, rather than its customer-service department, which may have made a difference in that policy interpretation. Continental quickly refunded the full $1,800 tickets.
"We regret that the Browns' initial request wasn't handled with our usual high level of customer service and are pleased to have had the opportunity to settle the matter to their satisfaction," says Clark.
How can you avoid trouble?
• Contact customer service — not reservations — with problems, since booking agents may not be up to speed with policy nuances. In an ideal world, you'd automatically be routed to the right department, but mistakes happen.
• Check rules on traveling while pregnant. Most airlines have few restrictions on flying right up until labor starts, but it's smart to check details with every travel provider.
• Provide written documentation of medical issues, and be persistent. Communications can go astray, so it's important to follow up.
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.