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AIBU?

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Original poster

Cancelling non refundable air tickets

234 replies

FlossieLondon · 22/05/2014 10:01

It is looking inceasingly like I won't be able to go the States with my husband for a family wedding, as I have to stay home to care for our son. (See previous thread.)

We've been on to the airline to cancel my tickets (to reclaim tax) to be told that this can't be done for one person on the booking - it is both of us or nothing. We can't do that my husband is best man, he needs to go out on the flight we booked.

After a lot of pleading the airline has finally agreed to cancel my ticket if I want, but the admin fee means that we only get a few pounds back. This is only a matter of changing the booking on a computer? What the hell? I am bloody furious.

Keeping the ticket for the moment... hoping and praying that another seat will become available so our son can come with us.

OP posts:
HappyMummyOfOne · 22/05/2014 22:43

Who wants to bet the mum will end up with the toddler whilst on sick leave?

Given the OPs attitude, it's no wonder the sister won't help and wants her own weekend away.

Bearbehind · 22/05/2014 22:46

Eh? What's with the underlining of the word 'using'?

What other word do you suggest I should have used?

The OP would need to 'use' her mothers medical records to make a claim.

How the fuck does that translate to me thinking your suggestion is fraudulent?

Bearbehind · 22/05/2014 22:47

Oh, and I'm not convinced the OP is such a 'darling daughter' right now.

ILoveCoreyHaim · 22/05/2014 22:49

I wonder how the ops DSis feels about the pressure being put on her DM.

ScarlettlovesRhett · 22/05/2014 22:50

Bright side, if you don't get on last minute you haven't lost any money - you were paying out for the ticket anyway.

You will actually save extra expense by not going!

Seriously, do the 'saying goodbye to dad' whilst being ready for last minute seat availability - if it doesn't happen, then chalk it up to experience and enjoy a week off with just you and your son. Maybe you could do something with your sister too?

Hope things work out, but you do need to sort the foot stamping attitude out too.

brdgrl · 22/05/2014 22:53

The tickets are non-refundable, non changeable.
Yes. That is why they were priced as they were when you purchase them. You bought them on those terms. It is unreasonable to complain about that now or expect the airline not to stick to the terms.

But really. Who cares, right? OP is so clearly one of those people who makes life a misery for those who work in the service or retail professions: I would hate to be her barista. I am certain she will show up with three-year-old bat in tow, and proceed to browbeat, harass, and whinge at every possible airline employee, all the while insisting that policies, international travel regulations, and notions of fairness do not apply top her as she is a special rainbow snowflake. God help anyone who is on the standby list ahead of them!

Bearbehind · 22/05/2014 22:53

Good question ilove.

That's why I think it's a bad idea about using her medical records to get a refund.

To me it adds more pressure on her.

Stress might not be classed as enough of an emergency to warrant a refund on a grown up child's flight and the mother might think she has failed to deliver again.

swlondonnanny · 22/05/2014 22:57

Flossie
Was this in reply to my suggestion?

Because we can't afford a seat in business - why do I have to keep saying the same things over and over. I don't why I bother coming in here some of you are so fucking stupid you can't even read.

If yes just out of curiosity how much is the last minute ticket on the day of flight in economy going to cost? And is there still going to be a seat free to book for your child on your return flight then ( 6 days before the flight)? And how much is that going to cost then? And how much is 1 seat in business class now?
Anyway I did read the whole thead before I posted, you said that you can't afford upgrade to business class - you said 'we can't afford ' so I assumed you meant both you and your DH + the new ticket for your child ( and - well - that's not what I suggested anyway).

ADishBestEatenCold · 22/05/2014 23:19

"How the fuck does that translate to me thinking your suggestion is fraudulent?"

Where did I say that it did translate into that?

"Oh, and I'm not convinced the OP is such a 'darling daughter' right now."

No, but it's quite possibly not dislike of her offspring or her offspring's behavior that is causing her stress, it's quite possibly contributed to (rightly or wrongly) by feelings of guilt that the offer she made, having fallen through, is now going to cause one of said offspring buckets of money.

"Stress might not be classed as enough of an emergency to warrant a refund on a grown up child's flight and the mother might think she has failed to deliver again."

Might not, depends on terms & conditions, however it might well be that all is required is a bona fide medical certificate (which I understand has already been issued).

Bearbehind · 22/05/2014 23:23

I hope when saying this you do not mean that my suggestion was in any way fraudulent, unethical or immoral

Er...there?

Bearbehind · 22/05/2014 23:33

Sorry adish, I don't mean to have a go at you, it's just that the OP seems to be leaving a trail of devastation behind her in her quest to attend this wedding and I think adding to the misery should be avoided.

At the end of the day her and her husband considered their son too naughty to take on a flight so booked to go without him.

The mother offered to look after him but her work commitments took priority.

OP assumed her sister would drop her plans and step in.

So OP has made her mother feel immensely guilty, has pissed her sister off beyond words, then comes on here only seeming to care about getting a refund on the ticket, and insulted everyone on the thread.

ADishBestEatenCold · 22/05/2014 23:33

That was indeed my hope. Not an accusation. Not the only possible meaning I could have taken from what you said. However, yes, it was one possible meaning I could have taken from what you said, so best to ascertain. Or would you rather that I had just assumed that it was definitely what you meant, and come in all guns blazing?

ADishBestEatenCold · 22/05/2014 23:34

Cross post. Thank you for that, and I do understand your frustrations with both this thread and the other.

SpecialAgentFreyPie · 23/05/2014 00:02

Bloody hell... Shock You are breathtakingly selfish and rude.

PlantsAndFlowers · 23/05/2014 00:25

It seems odd to me that your mum is saying it's not your fault that she's off with stress.

Why would it be your fault?

Is it in fact your fault?

Have you been moaning about the whole situation to her?

SweetsForMySweet · 23/05/2014 01:26

Op, have you asked if any of your dh's family/friends are flying out on the same flight for the wedding?, could you buy their seat off them for your ds and they get a different flight?

ItIsAnIdeasGame · 23/05/2014 06:51

YOU CANNOT TRANSFER FLIGHTS! IT IS NOT LIKE A TRAIN JOURNEY. though if someone comes on and says that it is possible i stand corrected Grin

wannabestressfree · 23/05/2014 06:53

Here's a thought. Let it go.....
Tell your husband to have fun and wave him off.

JodieGarberJacob · 23/05/2014 06:57

Has the op's other thread been pulled? It's disappeared off my 'om' list.

JodieGarberJacob · 23/05/2014 06:58

Om? That should be 'on'.

diddl · 23/05/2014 07:03

But if her mum doesn't need looking after, why would her being ill get OP a refund?

OwlCapone · 23/05/2014 07:07

So OP has made her mother feel immensely guilty

I never got an indication of that.

It is the mother who volunteered the sister for babysitting duties anyway.

I'm not completely surprised the OP was rude on this thread. Umpteen people who couldn't be arsed to read the thread bleating on about changing the names or swapping with someone else when it's clearly been state time and time again that this is not possible. It was also made perfectly clear that they can't afford to upgrade to business class but still it gets suggested.

No need to have been quit so rude but, TBH I can understand why.

sleepdodger · 23/05/2014 07:09

Which airline is it? Look for code share flight for same time
Eg BA and quantas or virgin and continental - look for exact sane flight times, as it might be say ba's allocation on a flight is full but not quantas so you could buy a ticket for that
Being super polite twitter is your friend
Explain
Politely pester
Get a loyalty card for the company
Ask the company where they're based as they have most sway eg emirates- Dubai
See if there are any premium seats on the flight?

Bearbehind · 23/05/2014 07:24

owl, I meant that the mother feels guilty now, not that she was guilt tripped into offering in the first place.

OP said on her original thread that this situation was 'tearing her family apart' or something equally dramatic and unnecessary. The mother is hardly likely to not feel guilty that it's happened because she now can't look after her grandson, even though it's not her fault.

It's also highly unlikely that all this hasn't contributed to her being off with stress now as her boss has had to formally cancel her leave and it seems there is a lot of ill feeling in her workplace because of it.

Re the people who don't RTFT, I agree about those suggesting changing the names but it wasn't a bad suggestion to buy just one business class seat on the flight and one adult use it whilst the other adult and child stayed in economy. OP said 'we couldn't afford to upgrade' implying she'd only looked at the option of all three of them flying business.

Bearbehind · 23/05/2014 07:42

YOU CANNOT TRANSFER FLIGHTS! IT IS NOT LIKE A TRAIN JOURNEY

You can if you have bought a flexible ticket or if the airline policy allows you to (with a fee) so in principle those suggestions were sound......at first.

The OP has made it quite clear the airline won't allow it so the continued suggestions by some posters, as if they are the only person to have even considered it, are tiresome.