Miscarriage, missed vacation — and no refund
DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER >> My wife and I recently bought a seven-night, air-inclusive package to Grand Cayman through Apple Vacations for our fifth anniversary. We didn’t buy travel insurance. We did not purchase the insurance because we didn’t think anything could stop us from going.
We were wrong. A few days before our vacation, we rushed my wife to the emergency room, where she suffered a miscarriage. She was 12 weeks pregnant. The next day at her visit, the doctor told us that she could not fly due to the complications and uncertainty of the miscarriage.
The day after that, she had to have an emergency dilation and curettage. Again, the doctor urged us not to take our trip. We have records and documentation of both emergency room visits and the doctor’s visit, as well as a doctor’s note stating no travel.
We shared our story with Apple Vacations, and the company said there was nothing it could do until the trip was canceled. An Apple Vacations representative promised us a credit by phone. Instead, the company issued us a $172 gift card and told us that we have $672 each to use at American Airlines, minus a $200 change fee.
We have called multiple times and have written several emails trying to reach Apple Vacations’ customer-care department. Because we did not purchase the insurance, the company’s automated response reads that it will get back to us in 21 to 35 business days.
We feel that this is completely unacceptable. We understand that rules are rules, and, looking back, regret not purchasing the trip insurance. We hope that someone with a heart within this company can review our case and help us out.
I was on the phone for three hours with Apple Vacations this evening, only to be told again that there was nothing that could be done, but to try another phone number. I fear that the company is spinning me in circles, hoping I give up. Do you have any suggestions?
— Tim Kersten, Orland Park, Illinois
ANSWER >> I’m really sorry to hear about the miscarriage. At a time like that, you would expect your tour operator and airline to offer a compassionate response. And, indeed, a representative initially did offer you a credit.
Then reality hit. You hadn’t purchased trip insurance, and Apple Vacations appeared to reverse course. Travel insurance isn’t always necessary, but in your case, you might have benefited from it. I say “might” because I’ve seen pregnancy-related claims go both ways. Insurance companies sometimes consider a pregnancy a “pre-existing” medical condition and deny claims. Other times, I’ve seen them do the right thing and honor a claim made after a complication or miscarriage. In other words, having insurance is no guarantee that your case would have turned out any better.
The terms of your purchase were clear. Cancellations 44 to 31 days prior to departure are subject to a $125 per person penalty, and outside of 44 days prior to departure there is a $45 per person penalty. But cancel within 30 days and you lose everything. You agreed to those terms when you booked your vacation. Your airfare was even more restrictive — a nonrefundable economy-class ticket that, as you already mentioned, will give you a flight credit minus a $200 change fee. That change fee alone eats up almost a third of the value of your ticket, and American gets to resell the seat you didn’t use.
I keep coming back to the Apple Vacations employee who listened sympathetically to your story and then promised you a credit. Somewhere, there’s a recording of that conversation, and if the company took the time to listen to it, it might see things your way.
To nudge a company like Apple Vacations, you might try contacting an executive directly. I list the names, numbers and email addresses for its parent company’s execs on my consumer-advocacy site: www.elliott.org/company-contacts/apple-leisure-group.
I contacted American Airlines and Apple on your behalf. Although they were under no obligation to do so, both the airline and tour operator agreed to refund your vacation.