Senators urge U.S. airlines to issue ticket refunds after bailout

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nine Democratic U.S. senators on Tuesday urged the chief executives of 11 major airlines to issue full cash refunds to customers canceling flights during the coronavirus pandemic after Congress approved $25 billion in cash grants for the hard-hit industry.

"We believe your company has a moral responsibility to provide real refunds, not travel vouchers, to consumers, and to support State Department efforts to repatriate any American citizens trying to come home," Senators Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Richard Blumenthal, Chris Murphy, Sheldon Whitehouse and Bob Casey said in the letter.

Most U.S. airlines are temporarily waiving coronavirus-related change and cancellation fees but are not issuing cash refunds.

"Americans need money now to pay for basic necessities, not temporary credits towards future travel," the senators wrote.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/senators-urge-us-airlines-to-issue-ticket-refunds-after-bailout/ar-BB11YwBm?li=BBnb7Kz

[NYC Liberal]

1. A strongly worded letter. I'm sure the airlines will get right on doing the right thing...

[llmart]

2. Wow! This headlines really caught my eye because...

I had to cancel a flight with Delta and was told that refunds would only be issued for first class tickets plus I would have to pay the $63 TSA fees and federal taxes myself. I immediately sent an email to Elizabeth Warren asking her to do something about this fleecing and I know my email wasn't the only thing to prompt them to do something, but it makes me feel better knowing that others are ticked off about this also.

What good is a voucher if you have to use it before the end of the year and the virus is still around?

I am going to email all of these senators again tomorrow to voice my opinion.

Thanks for posting this!

[Horse with no Name]

5. I had First Class tickets and couldn't get a refund. N/t

[llmart]

7. Which airline?

Delta told me only first class tickets would get refunds.

[Horse with no Name]

9. Alaska Airlines n/t

[llmart]

10. Hmm..

Guess they have an even crappier policy than Delta.

When it comes to my money and companies that want to take advantage of people, I am one tenacious customer. I have pursued a number of issues where I felt like the company wasn't standing by their product or service including some big ones like AT&T. Yes, it's time consuming and you have to keep hammering them sometimes, but I have always gotten results. My secret is starting out with the BBB. That always seems to get results. Oftentimes the company will throw in an extra freebie besides refunding my money.

As I said, I am tenacious. Yes, consumers shouldn't have to do that if companies were ethical and cared about customers, but the old adage the squeaky wheel gets the grease is true.

I will be writing more letters tomorrow and contacting Delta higher up the ladder with a copy to BBB, AARP (I'm a senior on a fixed income), and my Senators who are both Dems regarding my feelings about Delta. Delta doesn't want to get on the wrong side of Detroit, Michigan where I live.

[captain queeg]

3. They furlough everyone without pay

Few flights, huge fuel savings as well as the minimal snacks supplied. They’ll save a bunch and classify it as profit, buy back stocks...I’m sure they’ve learned their lesson.

[Horse with no Name]

4. I had to cancel a flight

For the end of March to San Francisco.
After haggling, the best that I got was a credit and that I wouldn’t have to pay a rebooking fee.

[customerserviceguy]

6. The airlines

are the only business in America that can treat their customers like shit and get away with it.

I know that C-19 Stimulus #4 involves getting the airlines to reduce emissions, fine, but while there are so many planes out of service, it's time to refit them for seat spacing, too. It would be a good idea to mandate THAT in the next bailout as well.

[spinbaby]

8. Travel insurance doesn't cover this

I had relatives that were supposed to visit me this week. They canceled their flights, of course, but now have vouchers they have nine months or so to use. They had travel insurance, but travel insurance specifically excluded epidemics.

[PA Democrat]

11. We have airfare booked for Europe at the end of May with United.

This is the exact text of the email I received from them yesterday:

You can change your flight to a date up to 12 months from your original ticket issue date or cancel your ticket and retain the credit for future use, both without a change fee.

If you aren’t planning to fly, please change or cancel your flight now to avoid losing the value of your ticket.

Of course the travel insurance we took out does not cover pandemics, but if you rebook your original insurance is null and void and you would have to buy a new policy which again does not cover a pandemic. Kind of crappy that they get to hold onto your money for who knows how long before it is safe to fly again.

[llmart]

12. Follow up on my post

I emailed Delta and informed them that I had contacted both of my Senators and Senator Warren, the BBB and AARP and that I thought it was unconscionable for them to not refund money and issue vouchers instead. I included the link to this article. After a couple of back and forth emails and me finally pulling out the old "single senior on a fixed income" card, the agreed to "make an exception in your case" and refund the entire amount of the ticket.

I have found that these days the only way you get what's rightfully yours is to persevere and dog the heck out of these companies to do the right thing. There is no earthly reason they should be allowed to keep your money. And while we're on the subject, why is it that we have to pay up front the entire price for a ticket before we actually fly? The hotel I booked didn't ask for their money up front. This is one of those policies that people just accept as status quo and the companies are banking on most people not having the time to pursue fighting it.

I still hope the Dems in the Senate who pursued this issue shame the airlines into giving people their money back. It's the least they could do while they're asking for a handout from the federal government. If this were a single mother asking for help from the federal government the GOP'ers would call the welfare queens, but let massive airline companies cry poor mouth and the dollars start to flow.

[PA Democrat]

13. I just notice your reply. Thank you for your advice.

I don't foresee being able to travel any time in the near future. I am going to give it a try.