I have to let y'all know about this doozie! About a month ago I purchased two round-trip tickets on TWA for my elderly in-laws to go non-stop from SAT to STL to attend the naming ceremony of a new baby in our family ($185/ticket which is a good price for a 21-day non-refundable fare). They were supposed to fly today, but this past Monday my father-in-law had an unscheduled cornea transplant (it's the front part of the eye that protects the lens). He obviously shouldn't travel with a freshly healing eye, and he's an insulin-dependent diabetic, so my in-laws stayed home this weekend to continue his recuperation.

When I called TWA to discuss re-scheduling the tickets, I got a supervisor in Los Angeles who refused to waive the $75 change fee per ticket ($150 total). Moreover, after a long discussion, the supervisor explained that TWA waives the penalty for medical reasons on international tickets "for the slightest reason in order to avoid legal problems". Domestic penalties are "never waived because we can't play God deciding who deserves medical waivers and who doesn't...except we do consider it for TWA elite Aviator members". I explained that I was AA Platinum and would consider moving my business to TWA if he waived this penalty for my in-laws. He replied that he couldn't verify who I was. I'm a physician at a major university and offered him several ways to verify that, but he still refused. I concluded (politely) that I don't play God either, but TWA should develop a committee with health professionals to determine which conditions/documentation constitute medical cause for legitimately missing a flight, rather than penalize people for circumstances beyond their control or because they haven't spent enough money at TWA (I first made elite on an airline last year after flying for more than 15 years).

Clearly, passengers have abused medical waivers, bereavement fares and the like. But now airlines do verify documentation for funerals....just not for transplanting organs!

I'll pass the soapbox on to you now. Thanks for listening...

FYI: THIS IS TRAVEL RELATED SO OMNI NOT NECESSARY.

IT is true Ferry that the airlines have been tough on waving the 75-dollar fare, I'm thinking what you can do.

A more direct approach could be if there's a T-W-A ticket office. Bring your I-D and non personal records that your father had major surgery and TALK TO A LIVE PERSON. If that doesn't help, ask them who you can talk to at Aviators (customer service) or at T-W-A itself on this.

If you show appropriate records I don't think the airlines will fall in bankruptcy if they wave a few 75 dollar fares.

You could also send a copy of this to Randy and the folks at Inside FLyer.

This could be the makings of a good feature in "Inside FLyer." CATMAN

[This message has been edited by Catman (edited 02-20-99).]

When I was canceling my Feb. Paris trip due to wife's pregnancy and associated barfdom, I was told that my (nonrefundable but upgraded) and my wife's business class award tix would both be refunded (money and points) in full with no fees if I sent them to the appropriate refund centers (refunds and MP respectively) along with a letter from me explaining the situation and a letter from her doctor describing the nature of the illness.

This seems fair, and while I have not heard from refunds, all my points have already been redeposited in my account!

Not really the same thing, but United's apprach seems fair to me...