While changing a booked flight with United yesterday I was told that they no longer allow customers to obtain a Dr's note in exchange for waiving the change fee. I don't believe all the airlines have changed though. I seem to remember that Northwest still allows this practice.

Anyway, I asked the agent why the change in policy and she stated that too many people were abusing this and having their MD friends write notes. I am shocked anyone would consider such an act ...

RU asking me to write U an excuse?

You may remember that the nonrefundable tickets were nonchangeable and couldn't be applied to another ticket, for quite some time. When they implemented "change fees" to use the value on another ticket is about the same time they eliminated the doctor's excuses to use an otherwise worthless ticket on another trip.

I see no reason why anyone should expect an airline to waive the cancellation/change fee in case of illness. Even with a Dr's letter.

It has become standard practice in most countries to offer cancellation insurance policies when purchasing deeply discounted tickets. These cover any changes needed due to legitimate illness. I can see no reason for airlines to offer any consideration in waiving the change fee, even for illness since insurance is widely available.

Why should the airline indemnify a passenger? If you want to change, pay the fee. If you might get sick, get insurance. If you don't want to pay change fees or buy insurance, then buy full fare tickets.

Speaking as a pax, but also one who has been asked in the past for notes, I think this is unfortunate!

Shareholder - While I get your point and would find it tough to accede to a fradulent request, this was a courtesy extended by the US carriers initially when the NON-refundable issue first arose!

I wish we and the airlines could simply be honest, reasonable and consistent with each other however! It seems that all these matters are continually moving from the now long forgotten once friendly attitude, to simply civil, to legalistic and progressively, IMHO to nearly an outright competition between us!

What's next? An ouright war?

Again, I do not see anything wrong with giving a suddenly ill pax a break if at all possible!

I had no intentions of stirring things up. I was just surprised that this flexibility extended by the airlines has been pulled back.

Please comment if any are aware of those airlines who still offer this option.

While a given carrier might have an official policy to not accept doctors notes to waive change fees, its agents at airports/city ticket offices may still do this on a case by case basis. The official policy by now means represents the final say as to how you will be treated, or what service adjustments will be made.


Shareholder, while you are correct from a contractual standpoint about the carrier having no obligation to waive change fees, I think pax would expect this to be done as a customer service gesture. Such gestures do generate good will towards an airline, and this could result in future business given to that particular airline, as opposed to one that puts the rule book (and the contract of carriage) ahead of customer service. I regard such unofficial waivers of the rules to be an extremely valuable benefit, and if one airline were to do it a lot more than the others, I would strongly consider shifting business to the airline that was generous in this way with its customers.

I had to cancel a flight just last week due to illness. We were flying on Southwest. They still have their policy of applying the funds towards a future flight with no penalties. You can cancel for any reason and this would apply. I also asked about whether or not I could reschedule for the next day. She asked if I had been to the Dr. I replied that I would probably be going in later that day. She gave me the customer service # and said that with a Dr's excuse I might be able to reschedule for the next day with no fare increase or penalty depending on availability. The only thing I would lose out on would be the double credit for booking online. I love Southwest! Unfortunately I was not well enough to reschedule.

In my opinion Southwest is the most flyer-friendly carrier. Because of this some of us are willing to put up with the "cattle car" boarding and "puddle hopping" to get cross country.

I find it disengenuous to think people can go on and effectively "rip off" every benefit and loophole they can find, and also expect companies not to respond by tighening the rules and being less flexible. I stand by my post: you buy insurance or you pay the change fee. This has resulted because too many people have been cheating the arilines, so until the rest of us take a stond to reestablish a moral order, benefits will continue to be reduced. Why should be expect anything different.

Sure, a company can be flexible from time to time and bend the rules. But the airlines have been taken advantage of, and thus changed the rules.

I have even had posts on FlyerTalk asking what the best way was to convince an airline that the poster was sick, so he and his partner could stay a few extra days in Europe without having to pay a change fee, or the higher fare a change would result in. This is not what FlyerTalk is for in my view. I will assist in the honest seeking of resolving problems or increasing ones miles earned, but not to commit or condone fraud.

"I will assist in the honest seeking of resolving problems or increasing ones miles earned, but not to commit or condone fraud."

Agreed!

I agree that it's unfortunate so many people abused the doctor's note; the same abuse is the reason some airlines want to see an actual death certificate for a bereavement fare.

As for insurance: I only buy it if there are other nonrefundable expenses (tour package, cruise, etc.), because the premium is usually more than the $75 airline change fee! Yes, I realize the insurance covers other things (evacuation, etc.) but those aren't worth much to me - if I'm well enough to start a trip, I'm probably going to be well enough to finish it (I hope). Besides, at 20 to 30 trips per year, it would get pretty expensive!