not even a flight credit for the very ill
 

Booked a flight for 5 people to UK but then my wife was diagnosed with a very agressive cancer. I asked BA to please refund my tickets because my wife had to go into the hospital. I explained that I could get letters from the surgeons. They refused. I asked if I could get a credit for future travel. They refused. I asked if I could book tickets for another date they said yes but the cost was 50% to 100% more than what I had already spent. I asked if they could at least wave the cost of the rescheduling fee and they refused. I explained with my wifes illness I can not be sure I will be able to travel anytime soon plus I have 2 young children. I asked If I could speak with a supervisor and/or whom I could contact that could reconsider and they told me no one. I asked the name of the supervisior and I was told by one of the attendants that she did not remember and it will not make any difference. I called the new york office once and the london office twice and got no where. Because my wife is so ill I lost approx $4000 and only got back approx $ 900 in taxes. To top it all off included in the $4000 BA kept was a $50.00 refund fee they charged me. Another well known entity that I had made reservations with realized our circumstance and dispair and provided a 100% refund with no fees but BA would not do anything to help us and kept approx $4000.00 out of $4900.00.

Sorry to hear about your wife, but that is why every time you travel, you either need to buy flexible tickets or invest in a family travel insurance which covers sickness. British Airways or any airline has no obligations to refund or reschedule inflexible tickets in cases of sickness.

Yes they are not obligated, nor were the airlines that did provide a refund to others in the same circumstance. We know physicians that have provided such letters. ALso a credit is not a refund and that was not even offered.

Then read the rules regarding your ticket and refund/rescheduling options, I am sure that it is clearly stated that this either is not possible.
Whether other airlines has done so by courtesy is irrelevant and definitely not something you can use as an argument.

Yes you hit it on the nail head some airlines are more courtious. British Airways is definately not one of them. Lets face it no one is obligated to do anything kind when people are in need but if peopele didnt what would the world be like? What it comes down to is they kept the money becasue they could not because they had to. Medical bills are quite expensive.

My wife has just completed chemo and now is having radiation. she will have a 4 week break before she goes back for more chemo. her cancer is triple neg. We would have used a credit to see our family during this break but BA would not consider a refund so we can not see relatives