Note that some fares are quite clear that they do not allow extensions of validity on the grounds of illness or other medical condition. I see this a lot with cheapie fares out of Australia - not sure if this applies elsewhere though, but something to be mindful of. As always of course, individual cases can always be looked at by the airline and a compassionate/understanding supervisor can make all the pain go away....

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RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.