Please don't move thread...anyone ever hold tickets on an airline that closed?

[Rock'n Robin]

Please don't move this to the transportation board as I would like more people to see it and hopefully reassure me in some way.
I bought tickets Tuesday on NWA for our trip. Now I'm finding out the pilots may go on strike soon, and that might make the airline go under.
If NWA goes out of business, will my money just be gone, or will they help me find other arrangements? DH says if we lose the money ($985!) we'll have to drive, which means 1-2 extra days each way and a hot, hot drive. I hate driving.
Has anyone here ever had tickets on an airline that went under? Did you lose your money, or get it back, and if you got it back how long did it take?
Robin M.

 

[bicker]

There is a great website that discusses all of this, with great detail:

http://www.hasbrouck.org/articles/bankruptcy.html

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Thanks Bicker, that's a great site. I guess I have to hope that if they do go under, they do it within 60 days if buying the ticket, since I used a credit card I would have the best hope of getting $ back.
Robin M.

 

[Pinnie]

There is a great website that discusses all of this, with great detail:

http://www.hasbrouck.org/articles/bankruptcy.html

Thanks for that link, bicker! It's a great one, and now I am more determined NOT to book on NWA this spring and summer!

pinnie

 

[rigs32]

If you used a credit card to book the tickets and cannot utilize the service you bought (the tickets), you can challenge the charge and the credit card will refund your money. DH and I booked a cruise on a line that went under and we got all our money back through visa.

I always book travel on a credit card, not my debit card (even though it has a visa logo) just in case.

 

[mom2boys]

Robin,
I hope all works out with your airline tickets.
Thank you for posting this. I am getting ready to book tickets for four of us for our summer trip out West. That link is very informative.

Will trip insurance cover such a loss and any increased cost to replacing bankrupt airline tickets?

 

[Free4Life11]

NWA may be going under? If they did, what would they do with all of their planes, hubs, etc.?? They aren't some podunk airline...they are big!

 

[DebbieB]

When Independence Air went under recently, the other airlines offered some accomodations for their passengers. Northwest is huge though, other airlines would probably pickup their routes.

Trip Insurance probably would not cover it because the airline is already in bankruptcy.

 

[bicker]

If you used a credit card to book the tickets and cannot utilize the service you bought (the tickets), you can challenge the charge and the credit card will refund your money.

This is only guaranteed within 60 days of the original purchase of the tickets, regardless of the trave date. After that, it depends on the bank, and how much the bank values their relationship with that specific customer.

 

[bicker]

Industry analysts contend, almost unanimously, that one of the major airlines does need to cease operations; and more specifically that, in doing so, their assets, including the flights they flew, need to be removed from the market, in order for the industry to be able to maintain any significant level of profitability.