Monthly Archives: December 2011

How to go Bankrupt

My mother is spending a month with us. She flew in last Saturday… and her arms are still tired. Since our local “International” airport… well… isn’t, her flight came in through Miami.

The two-leg flight was so exhausting that she asked me to change the flight so that she gets a few days in Miami to rest up.

I spoke to the airline. They wanted to charge me a $150 change fee, along with the extra cost of the internal flight to Miami, total: $300.

I than asked if I could arrange a flight to Miami with another airline and cancel the first leg of the trip. They wanted $150 for this.

Wait a minute… I am offering to give them a seat on an internal flight that they get to sell again, and they want to charge me for the privilege?

You betcha; they gave me some guff about the internal flight being a “feeder” flight (translation: a seat on a flight that nobody wants), and they actually had the gall to state that the direct London-to Miami return flight costs more than the two-leg London-Miami-Louisville-Miami-London flight.

Huh?

Anyway, there was no changing their minds; even though I am actually giving them something and aking for nothing in return the $150 “change fee” is set in stone.

Sheesh, what a way to run a business. With an attitude like that, it’s a wonder that they haven’t gone bankrupt.

The airline? American.