In need of a vacation after her 10-year struggle with cancer, Mary Gallagher, along with her husband, Brendan, booked an April flight to Seattle on American Airlines.
It was not to be. Learning that her tumor had grown aggressively, she decided instead to go for alternative therapy in a hospital in Tijuana, Mexico.
The couple canceled their nonrefundable $306 tickets on April 25, accepting a $100 penalty each for rebooking. But since a last-minute Mexican flight on American would have been prohibitively expensive, they found a cheaper fare on America West for an April 30 flight to San Diego.
They rebooked their American Airline tickets for a follow-up trip to the Mexican hospital June 26, but Mary, 69, was stricken with pneumonia and hospitalized, and they had to rebook again for July 30, again paying $100 each plus $30 in increased fare.
The Gallaghers didn't make the July 30 flight. Having already paid $400 in airline penalties, Brendan Gallagher knows they'll be penalized another $200, for the third time. He plans to write to American Airlines.
Like the Gallaghers, many travelers face a dilemma. If they buy nonrefundable tickets, they're subject to penalties for rebooking should they have to postpone their trip. They're welcome to buy unrestricted tickets, of course, but these can cost three times as much as the nonrefundable tickets.
''We have unrestricted tickets which are designed for customers who want to allow for the most flexibility to their travel plans after ticketing,'' American Airlines says in a statement. Rather than pay $800 for the unrestricted ticket, however, most seniors take their chances on a $300 nonrefundable, which will lose a third of its value should they have to rebook.
One alternative is to purchase flight cancellation insurance from an outside company. Insurance on two tickets costing up to $500 would be about $29 per person on Access America, according to Beth Godlin, senior vice president for marketing. The pre-existing condition exclusion would be waived if you purchase the insurance within 14 days of paying for the trip, she says. However, she advises seniors to read the policy carefully to make sure specific conditions are covered. (Check the website www.accessamerica.com or call 800-284-8300.)
Most airlines charge change fees, but some say they would consider bending the rules in hardship cases. Apparently not Northwest. ''We don't make exceptions,'' said spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch. ``The higher the fare, the less restrictions; the lower the fare the more restrictive.''
Northwest does allow changes on discount fares with a fee of $100 per change if rebooked before the departure date. After the scheduled flight, the value of the ticket is lost.
America West tickets, on the other hand, are good for one year from the day of purchase, even if the change is made after the original departure date, said spokeswoman Janice Monahan. There is a $100 change fee.
Continental will ''evaluate changes on a case-to-case basis,'' said spokesman Rahsaan Johnson. Customers who need to rebook can call 800-WECARE2 (800-932-2732) and tell their problem to a customer care manager. ''We want to have a happy customer and at the same time protect the interests of the airline,'' Johnson says.
Delta also has a customer care group which will consider waiving the change fee under ''extraordinary circumstances.'' Seniors should call the reservations number, 800-221-1212, and ask for customer care.
United will allow customers in cases of illness to reschedule to the same destination at no cost if they ``provide documentation.''
Southwest is one of the few airlines that has never had penalties for rebooking, said spokesman Ed Stewart. If you bought a deeply discounted ticket and the fare has since gone up, you do have to pay the difference.
