Please lock!

[bigmama67]

I've had enough. Can a Mod please lock this? Thanks very much!

 

[Lewisc]

Did the OP really expect posters would agree with her attempt to defraud the insurance company?

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I have purchased plane tickets many times and never read the cancellation. Dumb, I know. But human. And thankfully, I have never had to cancel. My dad, however, bought a ticket to Arizona last year and purchased flight insurance. He had a medical problem that came and went, it was totally unpredictable. So he purchased the insurance. Well, about a week before his trip, he got sick. Called to cancel, they sent him a form for his dr. to fill out. The dr. confirmed that my dad had this issue and sent the paperwork back in. The insurance company refused to refund any of his money because his condition was considered "preexisting". So that kind of stinks. There probably was a condition in the contract advising that the insurance would not cover anything preexisting, but my dad never saw it. Was it his fault? Yes. But in his defense, you would think that if you are diabetic or something and end up really sick, they would approve that over an ear infection.
Anyway, best of luck to you...crunch the numbers and see if you can still go to Disney.

 

[crashbb]

I have purchased plane tickets many times and never read the cancellation. Dumb, I know. But human. And thankfully, I have never had to cancel. My dad, however, bought a ticket to Arizona last year and purchased flight insurance. He had a medical problem that came and went, it was totally unpredictable. So he purchased the insurance. Well, about a week before his trip, he got sick. Called to cancel, they sent him a form for his dr. to fill out. The dr. confirmed that my dad had this issue and sent the paperwork back in. The insurance company refused to refund any of his money because his condition was considered "preexisting". So that kind of stinks. There probably was a condition in the contract advising that the insurance would not cover anything preexisting, but my dad never saw it. Was it his fault? Yes. But in his defense, you would think that if you are diabetic or something and end up really sick, they would approve that over an ear infection.
Anyway, best of luck to you...crunch the numbers and see if you can still go to Disney.

Just an FYI - there are some insurance plans that will cover some pre-existing conditions. They are, however, more expensive. It doesn't help your dad any, but it is perhaps something to look into for future travel.

 

[bigmama67]

Sorry to hear about your father. My husband DID have a bad ear condition four years ago (he has since had surgery) and the doctor's note was sufficient to get a refund on his ticket (DS and I ended up having to take the trip without him and DS was 3 at the time...that was a challenge!)

Anyway, so far we have cancelled the hotel and dining reservations and will get refunds on that. I have to deal with the airline next week because I have my final project due for school. Then I guess I get to start sending out resumes again...

 

[Magic Mom]

Seriously??? You should probably check your insurance policy before you ask your pede to lie for you.

I would imagine that's illeagal, isn't it?

 

[bigmama67]

OK, this is truly my final word...

I won't try to deny or hide the fact that I said something I am not proud of and ultimately would not do. Desperation can make you consider the most outrageous things...

No, I would not ask my pediatrician to lie for me. I was not thinking clearly when I wrote that, I adore him and would never want to jeopardize anything for him.

It's not as if anyone else has ever posted something here that they've then regretted writing, or anything like that...

 

[DISdreamin']

Did the OP really expect posters would agree with her attempt to defraud the insurance company?

Clearly the answer to that is, by all appearances, a resounding YES.

FWIW, I think the change fees are outrageous, but I realize I am rolling the dice when I buy tickets in advance, and if a situation were ever to arise where we couldn't fly....meh? Yup, we'll be out a significant chunk of change, but them's the breaks. If you buy a non-refundable ticket with a hefty change fee to save money, you get a non-refundable ticket with a hefty change fee. Surprise, surprise.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Argh! I bought tickets in late December for our August trip. Now we've had to spend $4K on waterproofing our basement after the Nor'easter...and it is possible that I may be out of work as of the beginning of July, because we were just informed that the law firm I work for is splitting up (and I am last hired!)

I'm not that stressed about the work situation yet, because I may still be kept on...but DH and I came to the realization this week that it is not wise to forge ahead with the August trip, especially because we just came back from a week in Arizona and need to get our ducks in a row financially...I figured we could change the tickets and hold onto our theme park tickets for a future trip (February perhaps)?? I can also get our hotel deposits refunded with no trouble, etc...

SO tonight I called Continental, and got the unwelcome news that to EITHER change our tickets OR cancel them, it will cost us $150 per ticket! This brings a $912 trip to $1500...there is no way we can swing that, but if we don't, we're out the original fares! I got a number to call for "Customer Care" but I doubt they will tell me anything different. I'm trying to figure out if flight insurance will cover this (we did buy it), but I'm really stressed meanwhile...and sad...isn't it bad enough we can't go, without them trying to make a profit off our misfortune?

Hoping this will all work out somehow...

Sometimes being an adult sucks, but sorry lesson learned.

 

[heatherleigh]

Sorry to hear about your situation. We haven't purchased our airline tix as of yet, and this is one of the reasons I'm hesitant. I have to buy 6, which is a lot of money for me. I decided to go w/ SouthWest, because I hear they're pretty lenient when it comes to changes. Of course, I do not intend on making adjustments to our trip, but anything could happen this far in advance.

 

[Lewisc]

One option is to cancel everything but the airfare. A significant schedule change (4 hours?) would give the OP an opportunity for a full refund. Some carriers will offer a refund for minor schedule changes.

SW doesn't always offer the lowest fares but they give you a full credit if your plans change.

 

[wshupnastar]

I am sorry to hear about your possible job loss and costly home repairs. Hopefully you will get to take your trip either at the scheduled time or in the future.

That's all.

Hope things are better soon.

 

[disneybound31]

I had a friend of mine try to use the travel insurance she purchased to try to cancel and get a refund on her airfare just because she decided she wanted to travel one week later. She was incensed that the airline refused stating that 'just because I changed my mind' was not an acceptable reasoning to utilize trip insurance.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Just an FYI - there are some insurance plans that will cover some pre-existing conditions. They are, however, more expensive. It doesn't help your dad any, but it is perhaps something to look into for future travel.

Thanks! I'll let him know

 

[wdwfamilyinIL]

I perhaps might have misread something, but the thing that gets me from this on top of everything else is, in the op signature she is hoping for a dec trip, and then in an earlier post talks about the possibility of another trip, and then just got home from a trip. My husband and I both work our fannies off to be able to have 1 trip a year, and in this economy that is a good thing. While I don't know her situation, and its none of my business.....maybe they need to travel less. I look at it this way I would rather have a quality vacation with my kids and family than several trips. Life is all about choices but that is just my opinion. Then on the ear infection comment, I am a RN....No one would realize how many people try to get doctors to do things like this all the time, and then they wonder why our health care is out of control....Really

 

[TinaMcTeer]

I can't believe how judgemental some people are. The OP obviously needed to vent. I thought this board to to bring people that have a love of Disney together and share their experiences, not tear them down because you don't agree with them. Didn't your mother say that "if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all". We are all entitled to our opinions but come on people show a little courtesy!

 

[bigmama67]

Yes, we went to visit family who we never get to see. I got those tickets a year ago so I could use frequent flyer miles that were donated to us, for one of the tickets.

We have had a very, very hard time for a number of years (a long stretch of unemployment, the loss of both of my in-laws and my father in the space of four years), and things are finally turning around. So, yes, I got excited about going in August, and bought the tickets last December, when it looked like things were fine. I came to realize that we had overextended ourselves. I suppose nobody else here has ever done that either.

We have now cancelled that trip and will be doing a short camping trip instead.

The December trip will likely not happen unless I get a code and am securely employed. If I do, we will use our GAD tickets and probably whatever credit we get from these airline tickets, and it will be just me and DS. I don't know if that's going to happen, of course.

I get the point, I have already stated that I would NOT really ask my pediatrician to do this, I was just in a desperate state of mind...nobody else has ever felt like that either, and said things you regret?

And of course all of the posts I have done which address concerns people have raised are being completely IGNORED!

TTFN, as Tigger would say.

 

[crashbb]

Just a warning about the credits (I may be misreading what you wrote). Generally, they are only valid for the person whose name was on the original ticket. So, you wouldn't be able to combine the four credits into two flights (for you and your DS) - you'd have to use the four credits to buy four tickets and the original four people would need to use them.

While I still don't think you have a valid complaint against Continental, I understand being frustrated with yourself and I do apologise for not correctly reading that is Delta (I'm guessing on a previous trip), who offered the flight credit.

 

[gracie1]

I would call back again, and speak to someone different. You can always speak to a supervisor as well. When I flew airtran last year, I needed to change my reservation and I spoke to the lady who then went to her supervisor and was able to change our tickets without being charge the change fee. It is definately worth trying, and I would keep trying as well!
Good Luck

 

[dis-happy]

One option is to cancel everything but the airfare. A significant schedule change (4 hours?) would give the OP an opportunity for a full refund. Some carriers will offer a refund for minor schedule changes.

SW doesn't always offer the lowest fares but they give you a full credit if your plans change.

The voice of reason and GREAT advice!!!