Read the fine print very carefully

They say the devil is in the details, and nowhere is that more true than with airfare rules. I’ve been working with a reader to help resolve a ticket change request, and you’ll want to read her story before you buy your next airline ticket.

“Our daughter is a study-abroad student in the UK,” she wrote. “We bought a ticket through British Airways with an understanding that she could change her return flight for a fee as the ending date of her program and her ability to do further traveling was up in the air at the time of booking.”

But when she called British Airways to change the flight, she was told she couldn’t make any changes — and was referred back to her agent. Now she’s faced with having to buy an entirely new ticket for her daughter.

What happened?

I contacted her agent, who said there were different rules for each one of her daughter’s flights. “The fare rules for the outbound flight do allow for a change, minus a fee,” an agency representative told me. “But the return trip does not allow for a change.”

So here’s the deal: Anytime you have more than one set of rules, the most restrictive is the one that applies. The agency had shown the customer all of the fare rules before the purchase was completed, and thus wouldn’t do anything to help.

What does this mean to you? Just that you have to do your homework when you’re buying airline tickets. Read the fare rules; don’t take an agent’s word for what it does or doesn’t say.

Because when push comes to shove, the only thing that matters is what’s written.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

1 comment