Winging It

Hi Tom,
I enjoy reading your articles in the Inquirer. I wanted share with you an experience that recently experienced with USAir. Perhaps you have heard how USAir calculates your new ticket cost when you change your ticket. Most people think, and they only advertise, that there is a rebooking fee of $ 100 for this service. What they fail to tell you is that any difference between your old ticket price and the new one (if there is a credit amount ) is not refunded or usable for another / future flight. For example if your original ticket PHL to LAX is $1,600. and you need to change the ticket and your new fare is $ 1200. you do not get the $400 as a credit towards a future flight. AND you cannot use the credit to pay for the rebooking fee. - They want a new CC number for that.

This is what happened to me. I purchased a ticket on USAir to go PHL to SEA in First class. The ticket total was $2300.
My meeting was cancelled so I wanted to use the ticket to attend a tradeshow in Las Vegas. The First Class fare to LAS was
approximately $1500. I was told by the reservationists on the Platinum Desk that I would lose the balance of $800. And that USAir does not refund the balance anymore. On top of that she wanted a CC number for the $ 100 change fee. She would not take the fee out of the credit balance.

I need your direction to whom I can complain. The State Attorney General? Lynn Abraham? Obviously going to
USAir directly is fruitless. I would appreciate any direction you can provide.

Robert