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American’s Refusal to Refund Deceased’s Ticket Sparks Scrutiny of Legacy’s Regard for Policy

An investigative report into an accusation that American ignored its own refund policy after a passenger was forced to cancel travel plans due to a death in the family has revealed a widespread pattern.

When a local news station came to the aid of grieving parents who felt wronged by the largest airline in the world after the death of their 9-year-old daughter, producers didn’t know that they would uncover a troubling pattern. In February, Chicago’s NBC 5 News took up the cause of the Cantrell family, who was forced to cancel a planned family vacation after their youngest daughter, Scout Cantrell, died as the result of a serious asthma attack.

Despite providing a death certificate as proof, American Airlines refused to offer a refund for Scout’s ticket. Instead, the airline reportedly sent the family a letter which began:

On behalf of American Airlines, please accept our sincere condolences. After reviewing the documentation submitted, it has been determined the request does not meet our exception requirements. The ticket purchased is non-refundable so we cannot offer a refund, issue a travel voucher, or transfer this ticket to another person.

American’s refund denial seemed to directly conflict with its published policy regarding a death in the family. Following the airing of the investigative report, the airline agreed to fully refund Scout Cantrell’s ticket and admitted that “the situation had not been handled as sensitively as it should have been.”

In a statement regarding the refund, American wrote:

We refunded Scout’s ticket on Tuesday, March 10 and apologized to Mrs. Cantrell for not doing so immediately when she first contacted us. Our hearts go out to the Cantrell family for the loss of their daughter and we are glad that we had the opportunity to make things right. We look forward to seeing them this spring and we’ll take special care to ensure their travels with us are enjoyable.

The Cantrells also received an apology from American Airlines officials and pronounced themselves satisfied with the resolution, albeit delayed. However, it turns out that the Cantrells were not alone in their plight.

After the family’s story aired, Chicago’s NBC 5 News says it received a flood of calls from viewers who found themselves locked in a struggle with American under nearly identical circumstances, leading to allegations that the carrier is systematically disregarding its own refund policy.

[Photo: American Airlines]

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2 Comments
U
Ulotka March 27, 2015

TEEVEE. And when there is a monster award your ticket price will go up.

T
teevee March 26, 2015

surprise, surprise. i would love to see a class action suit filed against them and a monster award of punitive damages, as well as the removal of some key managers that spread these types of wrongful denials.