[bankdude78]

Below is an email I sent to US Airways regarding a situation my wife had with US Airways customer service.

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to describe to you a situation that occurred on March 10, 2011 regarding my wife. My wife is going to Boston from Honolulu for a job interview and when she scheduled her trip she timed it based on the fact that we have been trying to get pregnant for a year and a half and she is going through fertility treatments.

Unfortunately due to medical circumstances her doctor scheduled an appointment for the day she arrives back in Honolulu. Due to the time the plane lands she would be unable to make that appointment. Since fertility treatments are timed so precisely going another day would not be a viable solution.

My wife called US Airways and spoke with three supervisors, two of them being women, to explain the situation and asked in this circumstance if you would waive the flight change fee because we don’t have the extra money right now. All three of them responded the same, “No, it will still be $175.”

Any company that trains its employees not to have compassion for human life is one that I will never do business with again. If US Airways feels that $175 is worth more than the birth of a child, then perhaps they can explain why to the media outlets that I will be contacting. Unless you can resolve the situation to my satisfaction I will make sure to tell everyone I know about the incident that occurred.

My wife was extremely upset after the incident and US Airways is actually making it more difficult for my wife to become pregnant by adding stress, cost, and uncertainty for her fertility treatments. It is a shame that this is how you treat your customers and that your management structure allows for no flexibility.

I also intend to file a complaint with the Aviation Consumer Protection Division as I feel that you are strong-arming someone with a medical issue.

[Gromit801]

I'm going to get hammered for this, but there was no human life at risk here. No life or death medical treatments. You had an elective procedure scheduled. I'm sorry your scheduling conflicted with the airline's, but in no way can you say they had no respect for human life. There wasn't any human life to disrespect, and no guarantee there would be.

[bankdude78]

Gromit,
You are of course entitled to your opinion as am I and everyone else, however I am curious as to what is your main objection. Is it due to the fact the the medical procedure is elective? Do you support the airlines decision based on that? If someone was having a kidney transplant which they could instead stay on dialysis would the same rules apply? What about if someone was getting a pacemaker and the doctor could get them in earlier? What about a root canal or tonsillectomy?
Or is it due to the fact that I said human life? Perhaps the life that I was referring to was my wife's. I don't know if you are a man or a women, or are married or not. I also don't know if ever had a child or had medical concerns about a spouse or anyone that you care about for that matter. I think anyone that has gone through any type of fertility treatments would agree that it is a medical condition, that takes a toll on you and effects your life like any other medical condition, sure it might not be cancer, but it effects your day to day life. Also fertility issues are mandated by law to be covered by insurance in at least 12 states, which by definition makes it not elective. Conversely I suppose anything could be considered elective since you also have the option not to have heart surgery if you so choose. If your issue with the posting is the reference to human life I could always change the title of the post to US Airways has no compassion for anyone's medical situation no matter what it is going to cost you or how important it is to you.
My concern with US Airways is that the procedure can not be performed another day and be effective, which was deemed by the doctor, not us. Do you think that strictly as a customer service issue that US Airways should have, at the very least, tried to come to a compromise versus losing a costumer permanently? I think most people understand, even men, that an issue with fertility would be a delicate subject with a women.
So is your objection with the title of my posting, the elective nature of the medical procedure, or simply the fact that they can do what they want because it is not illegal? Would you at least agree that perhaps it was poor customer service?
Think about whatever the most important thing in the world to you is right now and then think of talking to someone that says to you, too bad, you may never get it unless you pay $175 and even though I could help you I am not going to. How would you feel toward this person?

[wanderer]

For future travel find out if travel insurance covers your wife's situation.

[ChrisH]

I wish you and your wife well, however, this is not US Airways' fault, nor their responsibility. They deal with people everyday who use (and in many cases - make up) stories like yourself in an effort to get out of paying fees. I'm not accusing you of making this story up - I believe you, however, it is because of this reason, that the airlines to not waiver from the fees and do charge them to each person.

I'm not sure what type of ticket your wife purchased, but each ticket will have fare rules and a terms of service associated with it. This will spell out the rules, including change fees, that will apply and how the change fee is charged, without exception.

USAirways did not know when your wife purchased the ticket that she was going through this procedure. It wasn't their responsibility to know. This was something that occurred that was outside of the airline's fault and as a result, they have no obligation to not charge the fee. In the end, it is doubtful that any media outlet will cover this story (this type of thing happens everyday with the airlines) and while you can choose not to fly USAirways again, keep in mind that most other airlines likely would have done the same thing. They all charge these fees.

[jimworcs]

Southwest would not have charged this fee. I suggest you use them in future.

[Gromit801]

Since the op was wondering what an elective procedure was:

Procedures that are NOT medically required to sustain life.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_th...#ixzz1GbGZgPrm

[retributionavoide]

I write this with a pseudonym becuase I know US Airways not only lacks compassion for their customers but holds them in complete contempt. They are only a short step from actively hunting down and actively attacking their opponents.

Unfortunately, yours is just one more is a long series of valid complaints that are ignored by this airline and just one more reason why this airline and the ones like it that charge onerous fees need to be strongly regulated and penalized extensively. US airways, in particular should be put ouyt of business for this and other thousand or so legal hold-ups they carry out each day on their customers.