Do I deserve a refund for a lightning strike?

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By Christopher Elliott

After a lightning strike zaps Brittany Burns’ vacation, she tries to secure a refund for her airline ticket. But is she entitled to it?

Question

I’m trying to get a refund for a flight from Dayton, Ohio, to Kingston, Jamaica, via Philadelphia. We flew the first leg of our flight, but on our stopover, American Airlines announced that all flights to Jamaica were canceled because of a lightning strike.

I called our travel agent, who assured me we would definitely be eligible for a full refund. We contacted American Airlines and it booked us a flight back to Dayton for later that day. We spent an entire day in Philadelphia.

When we returned to Dayton an American Airlines customer service agent said, “They let you fly out this morning? I don’t know why they would have done that.” So American was well aware that we wouldn’t get to our destination.

To top things off, our luggage didn’t make it back to Dayton either. We booked a trip to Mexico and left the following day flying Delta this time. We went to Mexico for the week and tried to have an enjoyable time.

I’m still fighting for our refund. My travel agent tells me that the insurance agency is trying to get money back from the airline for the flight we shouldn’t have been on and American says they haven’t been contacted by the insurance company. What in the world do I do? — Brittany Burns, Batavia, Ohio

Answer

If your agent told you that you were eligible for a refund, then you should get a refund. But you shouldn’t be the one on the phone with American Airlines. Your travel agent should be. After all, you purchased a travel insurance policy and hired a qualified travel advisor, who assured you everything would be taken care of. And that’s exactly why you hire a travel agent — so that everything is taken care of.

Instead, your agent delivered excuses. First, there seemed to be some confusion about which of your two policies covered you. Then there was another delay because of a hurricane. And finally, there was some confusion because even though American knew you’d never make it to Kingston, it still let you on the plane. (Here’s everything that you need to know before planning your next trip.)

Generali Global Assistance has been a leading provider of travel insurance and other assistance services for more than 25 years. We offer a full suite of innovative, vertically integrated travel insurance and emergency services. Generali Global Assistance is part of The Europ Assistance (EA) Group, who pioneered the travel assistance industry in 1963 and continues to be the leader in providing real-time assistance anywhere in the world, delivering on our motto – You Live, We Care.

That’s a lot of excuses, but who hires an agent to do that? You wanted — and deserved — a solution. (Related: What to do if your vacation is disrupted by a terrorist attack?)

You are eligible for a refund

Here’s the thing: American didn’t fulfill its contract of carriage, which was to transport you from Dayton to Kingston. But if it had wanted to, it could have refunded only the unused portion of your ticket, which, after using its funny math, would have been a few dollars. I’ve seen that too many times.

So, your agent was both right and wrong. Yes, you should have been eligible for a refund, but American probably wouldn’t be giving you one.

Here are the American Airlines executive contacts. A brief, polite email to one of them might have made a difference. Or not.

My fearless advocacy team contacted the airline on your behalf. Your refund is en route.

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Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can't. He's the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can't solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter. He is based in Panamá City.

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