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American Airlines - Bereavement Flights

American Airlines • Stranded • Accommodating illness • Bereavement policy • Luggage lost/damaged • Baby stroller mangled • Slovenly service • Price gouging • Smokers snuffed • Group bookings • Code sharing • The Wedding that Wasn't --- News • Straight-Talking Captain Calms Delayed Passengers • American Raises Baggage Fee $5 • American Begins Wi-Fi Service on Some Flights • American Slashes Routes, Charges for One Checked Bag

Amy of Brooklyn NY (8/9/03):
On August 1, 2003 I received an urgent call from my family in New York advising me that my mother was dying and it was necessary for me to return home. I was in St. Maarten at the time and was not due to leave until Sunday, August 3rd. When I called American Airlines I was informed that there was a flight leaving St. Maarten (#5305) at 6:36 p.m. going to San Juan, Puerto Rico where I would connect to flight #1478 leaving Puerto Rico at 10:10 p.m. The fee for the change would $100.00 each for me and my husband.

Flight #5305 did not leave St. Maarten until approximately 8:30 p.m. When we asked the American Airlines agent at the airport what the problem was, we were informed that the plane had not left Puerto Rico, no further information was given. When I arrived in Puerto Rico, after going through the first customs check-point I contacted an American Airlines agent, advised her that my mother was dying and I had get on to flight #1478 which had already boarded. This was at 10:05 p.m. She told me that the flight had already boarded and there was no way I was going to make it.

She gave me vouchers for transportation and a hotel and changed my tickets so that I would leave San Juan the following day at 9:20 a.m. to arrive at JFK at 1:20 p.m. What would it have taken to hold the plane for another five minutes so that I could board, knowing my situation, when I spent four hours waiting in the St. Maarten airport for my flight to take off. Was that too much to ask?

On the way to the hotel we met another couple who were supposed to be on the 3:05 p.m. flight (#1412) out of St. Maarten, and here again the plane did not show up, no explanation as to why. I cannot understand how a plane just doesn�t show up and no one at the airport had any kind of explanation. Not only did I have to pay $200.00 to change my reservations, spend four hours at the airport in St. Maarten, have to put up with an arrogant airline representative in San Juan who had no sympathy for my situation, when I arrived home I found out that my mother had already passed.

This is not the first time that I had problems with your staff in Puerto Rico, and I think it�s unfortunate that your airline, in my eyes, is one of the worst I�ve ever used. You can be sure that in the future I will spend the extra money that it will cost me for airline tickets to use Continental Airlines.

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