Wrongfully Denied Boarding
May 20, 2021, 11:32 am
#32
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MCO
Programs: Hilton Diamond, AA PP
Posts: 541
May 20, 2021, 1:07 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Also - Small Claims is a court of record. So everything is binding.
May 20, 2021, 2:29 pm
#34
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
I disagree. Lawyers are usually eager to make meritorious claims go away quietly, and even to settle non-meritorious nuisance claims for cost of defense. (Example: A few years ago, my ex-wife sued me over some petty stuff that fortunately triggered coverage by my insurance. The attorney retained by my insurance company asked me if he could offer her a small settlement and I agreed; she refused. The case went to small claims court and was so thin that my ex was literally in tears 5 minutes after the hearing started.) A few companies here and there are very resistant to paying settlements to discourage other litigants (think The Trump Organization) but most don't want to sweat the small stuff. Admittedly, I've never had a material legal dispute with an airline.
May 20, 2021, 5:57 pm
#35
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage EXP | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 718
Ugh I'm so sorry that happened to you. Does anyone know if like a Chase Sapphire card with included trip insurance would cover a situation like this (i.e. trip interruption)?
I really want to go on an international trip, but unless it's a country where can get in on a vaccine passport I don't think it's worth it. There's a horror story on a FT thread of someone flying internationally long distance on Qatar Airways and the government changed the rules while they were in the air and they were denied transit. The airline was not helping them and charged them change fees to get home.
There are way too many rules which can change on a dime and the people enforcing sometimes have zero clue what's going on. I'm hoping come fall things are less insane!
I really want to go on an international trip, but unless it's a country where can get in on a vaccine passport I don't think it's worth it. There's a horror story on a FT thread of someone flying internationally long distance on Qatar Airways and the government changed the rules while they were in the air and they were denied transit. The airline was not helping them and charged them change fees to get home.
There are way too many rules which can change on a dime and the people enforcing sometimes have zero clue what's going on. I'm hoping come fall things are less insane!
May 20, 2021, 6:13 pm
#36
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IME - generally demand letters are summarily ignored and we end up in courts. But does that mean you should not send one and threaten to sue? While in most of the case, the law does not require to send one (some laws have such requirements), I would say it is customary to send one regardless. Whether mentioning the suit is totally up to you - many companies won't respond just because of the threat.
Nowadays - I usually just serve the companies with a summons and the complaint instead. But that's just me.
May 20, 2021, 7:10 pm
#38
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May 21, 2021, 9:17 am
#39
formerly jackvogt
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: Delta SkyMiles,
Posts: 822
Why not just ask for reimbursement for costs incurred. If doesn’t seem like your trip was delayed (unless I missed something). You used points. So they can refund the points and reimburse for any lodging and food expenses. No need to sue for future travel credit.
May 22, 2021, 1:22 am
#40
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Join Date: May 2004
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They used airline miles and points for a hotel and transportation to get home,
Sep 12, 2021, 11:36 am
#41
Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 10
I need help with an unusual situation. We were enroute from FAT to Aruba with a stop in DFW. We were allowed to board in Fresno and held boarding passes all the way to Aruba. When we arrived in DFW, the ticket agent denied us boarding based on not having the proper documents. We appealed to the superisor who agreed with the ticket agent. We were left stranded in DFW. We arranged our own hotel and transporttion home using points for everything. We have since checked with Aruba authorities and they confirmed WE DID HAVE PROPER DOCUMMENTS. We have reached out to AA customer service who has apologized in the email for their "error." They are offering us a meager amount for reibursement of our costs. They are picking and choosing the amounts and the value offering us nothing for the return home or any future travel. The question is: Do we have any rights since they agree it was there mistake? Should we consider small claims in California or is that just more of a waste of time and resources especially since we paid for our expenses home on points? Any other tips or suggestions?
Sep 13, 2021, 9:36 pm
#42
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