He missed his flight: another $2,350, please.
Philip Gibicar missed his flight to from Bakersfield, Calif., to Phoenix. He thought US Airways might put him on the next flight or, at worst, charge him a modest change fee. Instead, it demanded an additional $2,350.
“What’s this world coming to?†asks travel commentator Chris Elliott.
“We knew the flat-tire rule was dead. But this is too much. This time they’ve gone too far,†added the travel blogger.
Flyer Gibicar could not find any US Airways representatives (surprise). So he phoned his travel agent, Expedia, to see what he should do about getting to Phoenix and making a connection to Chicago.
Apparently there are some things Expedia can’t protect you from. When he returned to the counter later in the day, once the US Airways workers had come back, he was given something of an ultimatum.
“I was left with the offer of fees totaling over $2,350 for both ticket changes. The ticket agent said I was over the two-hour limit from missing my first flight to avoid the new fare penalty,†he recalls.
The flyer has learned his lesson.
The moral of the story: Get there early, like at least 90 minutes early, even for a domestic flight, says Mr Elliott.
Report by David Wilkening
