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Passenger expected airline to cancel Asheville flight days after Helene, issue refund

By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com
By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — There’s a club in downtown Asheville called Rabbit Rabbit. If you don’t know the superstition, saying “rabbit” twice is supposed to bring you good luck.

But Sarah Bilovesick had no luck catching a concert at Rabbit Rabbit. She and her fiancé planned to fly from Las Vegas to catch a show, see the fall foliage, and visit her mother.

Then, Hurricane Helene hit.

The concert was canceled and Bilovesick wasn’t sure she could even get to her mother with the roads the way they were. She thought going was no longer a good idea because she could have been in the way of emergency crews.

HELENE IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY:

“I was a wreck when all of this was happening,” she told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke.

She assumed the airline — American Airlines — would cancel the flight, but it didn’t.

“Why on earth would you fly tourists to an area that has declared a state of emergency after a natural disaster?” she wondered.

If she had a refundable ticket, she could get her money back. But hers was nonrefundable. She says the tickets cost “about $375 each, so it was closer to $800.”

She says she called American and that it offered her a voucher for a future flight.

“This is the first flight I booked with American Airlines in probably five to 10 years. I just don’t use that airline. So I don’t want a credit,” she said.

MORE HELENE COVERAGE IN BUNCOMBE COUNTY:

Bilovesick says she has a new plan. Her mother is flying to her in December instead of Bilovesick coming the Asheville. She hopes to have more luck that way.

American Airlines says it ended up refunding her money as a goodwill gesture.

The airline also said it tries to avoid canceling flights if possible. It says it considers multiple factors, including safety, its staffing, access to TSA staff, and the capacity of the airport to handle the current situation. Plus, some people had a critical need to travel to western North Carolina for the relief efforts.

The airline says if it does cancel a flight, it tries to resume it as soon as possible.

Keep in mind:

  • If your flight is canceled or significantly changed, you’re entitled to a cash refund. It’s automatic, so you shouldn’t have to request it.
  • Airlines must issue refunds within seven business days if you paid with a credit card and 20 calendar days for other forms of payments. That includes all the fees that went with it, like baggage.

Significantly changed means:

  • A three-hour delay for domestic flights or a six-hour delay for international ones
  • A different arrival or departure airport
  • Added connecting flights
  • A class of service downgrade

With that said, know the following:

  • You’re not entitled to a refund for any expenses you may have incurred because of the flight issues… like a rental car, hotel, extra meals, etc.
  • For the most part, you’re not entitled to a refund because of bad service.
  • Obviously, airlines can still reimburse you for those—or at least give you a credit or voucher—if they want, but the point is that they don’t have to.

And if the flight isn’t canceled or significantly changed:

  • You can still get a refund if you have a refundable ticket, but not if you have a nonrefundable one.
  • Travel insurance doesn’t usually cover cold feet or a change of heart.

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