While many of us are only able to afford to take tripsbecause of the availability of cheaptravel options such as cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, and cheap vacation packages, fewthings sting as much as paying an airlines $200 change fee for making anon-optional flight change.
Airline change fees tend to inspire epic rants against BigBusiness and their evil ways.
A recent American Airlines customer, Alex Hamberger, took adecidedly different approach when he was hit with a $200 change fee.
In March of this year an unexpected illness forced Alex, ofBuffalo, New York, to cancel a flight to see his 9-month old niece in KansasCity. In order to re-book he had to paya $200 change fee.
He decided to contact American Airlines customer servicedepartment to request that the airline drop his change fee.
Alex wrote American a snail mail letter. He used all of his significant wit and charmto request that the airline rescind its change fee.
He laid it on thick and started off his letter saying:
Dear Most Kind and Benevolent American Airlines CustomerService Staff Member,
I write to you with the hopes that you may take mercy on meand afford a little sympathy for this flyer who was taken quite ill and had topostpone his trip to see his beloved niece.
In his letter Alex wrote American all about his postponedtrip, his precious niece, and how he hoped that they would cut him some slack.
He signed his opus:
With gratitude,
Alex Hamberger
Frequent Flyer
Brother
Uncle
Formerly sick person
Currently healthy person
Grateful flyer
Alex said that the reason he decided to send AmericanAirlines an actual letter was because he believed that an email would just getlost in the shuffle. For added effect,he included in his letter a few pictures of him and his very cute niece.
Alex said I hoped that if they saw that someone had takenthe time to write it with their own hand, they might read it. That it might make a difference. At the very least it might brighten someonesday.
Bottom line was that his letter worked and AmericanAirlines reversed its change fee.
An American Airlines customer relations representativeresponded back to Alex Im glad you are formerly sick and currently healthyto make plans to see your precious niece. She sure is lucky little girl to have such a loving Uncle A!
The lesson to be learned here is twofold:
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