I bought a flight ticket, but now I have a health issue which specifically forbids me to take flights. Can I get a full refund?

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up vote
19
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I bought a plane ticket from Turkish Airlines, 2 months before the flight. Then I went to the doctor, and the doctor said I have a health problem, which specifically forbids me to take flights for one month.



I have a valid doctor's note too. I can document this in any valid type. Does it makes me eligible for a full refund?







share|improve this question

















  • 8




    Read the terms and conditions. Most airlines in this situation would refund your money. Ask politely.
    – The Zealot
    yesterday






  • 1




    How did you pay for the ticket? Many credit cards provide some sort of travel benefit, which may include trip cancellation insurance. On the other hand, the trip cancellation insurance for even travel-centric cards might not cover being advised by a doctor not to travel, if it's related to a condition you already had when you purchased the ticket.
    – Ben Voigt
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt in my (admittedly limited) experience, it's not so important whether the condition existed at the time of purchase but whether it had been diagnosed.
    – phoog
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt I don't see what you're talking about. Which example is it? "Traveling against the advice of a physician" is not covered, but does not apply to this case because OP is specifically seeking to avoid traveling against the advice of a physician. Pre-existing condition is a term of art in the insurance industry based on diagnosis rather than actual existence.
    – phoog
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt that's what I assumed it meant. That is, if your doctor says that travel is likely to lead to a certain health problem then developing that problem would not be covered (if, for example, it compelled you to cut your trip short). But that list is long on vagueness. Perhaps there's some fine print somewhere with more specific conditions.
    – phoog
    yesterday
















up vote
19
down vote

favorite
1












I bought a plane ticket from Turkish Airlines, 2 months before the flight. Then I went to the doctor, and the doctor said I have a health problem, which specifically forbids me to take flights for one month.



I have a valid doctor's note too. I can document this in any valid type. Does it makes me eligible for a full refund?







share|improve this question

















  • 8




    Read the terms and conditions. Most airlines in this situation would refund your money. Ask politely.
    – The Zealot
    yesterday






  • 1




    How did you pay for the ticket? Many credit cards provide some sort of travel benefit, which may include trip cancellation insurance. On the other hand, the trip cancellation insurance for even travel-centric cards might not cover being advised by a doctor not to travel, if it's related to a condition you already had when you purchased the ticket.
    – Ben Voigt
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt in my (admittedly limited) experience, it's not so important whether the condition existed at the time of purchase but whether it had been diagnosed.
    – phoog
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt I don't see what you're talking about. Which example is it? "Traveling against the advice of a physician" is not covered, but does not apply to this case because OP is specifically seeking to avoid traveling against the advice of a physician. Pre-existing condition is a term of art in the insurance industry based on diagnosis rather than actual existence.
    – phoog
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt that's what I assumed it meant. That is, if your doctor says that travel is likely to lead to a certain health problem then developing that problem would not be covered (if, for example, it compelled you to cut your trip short). But that list is long on vagueness. Perhaps there's some fine print somewhere with more specific conditions.
    – phoog
    yesterday












up vote
19
down vote

favorite
1









up vote
19
down vote

favorite
1






1





I bought a plane ticket from Turkish Airlines, 2 months before the flight. Then I went to the doctor, and the doctor said I have a health problem, which specifically forbids me to take flights for one month.



I have a valid doctor's note too. I can document this in any valid type. Does it makes me eligible for a full refund?







share|improve this question













I bought a plane ticket from Turkish Airlines, 2 months before the flight. Then I went to the doctor, and the doctor said I have a health problem, which specifically forbids me to take flights for one month.



I have a valid doctor's note too. I can document this in any valid type. Does it makes me eligible for a full refund?









share|improve this question












share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited yesterday









dda

12.6k32443




12.6k32443









asked yesterday









Necati Hakan Erdogan

404410




404410







  • 8




    Read the terms and conditions. Most airlines in this situation would refund your money. Ask politely.
    – The Zealot
    yesterday






  • 1




    How did you pay for the ticket? Many credit cards provide some sort of travel benefit, which may include trip cancellation insurance. On the other hand, the trip cancellation insurance for even travel-centric cards might not cover being advised by a doctor not to travel, if it's related to a condition you already had when you purchased the ticket.
    – Ben Voigt
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt in my (admittedly limited) experience, it's not so important whether the condition existed at the time of purchase but whether it had been diagnosed.
    – phoog
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt I don't see what you're talking about. Which example is it? "Traveling against the advice of a physician" is not covered, but does not apply to this case because OP is specifically seeking to avoid traveling against the advice of a physician. Pre-existing condition is a term of art in the insurance industry based on diagnosis rather than actual existence.
    – phoog
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt that's what I assumed it meant. That is, if your doctor says that travel is likely to lead to a certain health problem then developing that problem would not be covered (if, for example, it compelled you to cut your trip short). But that list is long on vagueness. Perhaps there's some fine print somewhere with more specific conditions.
    – phoog
    yesterday












  • 8




    Read the terms and conditions. Most airlines in this situation would refund your money. Ask politely.
    – The Zealot
    yesterday






  • 1




    How did you pay for the ticket? Many credit cards provide some sort of travel benefit, which may include trip cancellation insurance. On the other hand, the trip cancellation insurance for even travel-centric cards might not cover being advised by a doctor not to travel, if it's related to a condition you already had when you purchased the ticket.
    – Ben Voigt
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt in my (admittedly limited) experience, it's not so important whether the condition existed at the time of purchase but whether it had been diagnosed.
    – phoog
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt I don't see what you're talking about. Which example is it? "Traveling against the advice of a physician" is not covered, but does not apply to this case because OP is specifically seeking to avoid traveling against the advice of a physician. Pre-existing condition is a term of art in the insurance industry based on diagnosis rather than actual existence.
    – phoog
    yesterday






  • 1




    @BenVoigt that's what I assumed it meant. That is, if your doctor says that travel is likely to lead to a certain health problem then developing that problem would not be covered (if, for example, it compelled you to cut your trip short). But that list is long on vagueness. Perhaps there's some fine print somewhere with more specific conditions.
    – phoog
    yesterday







8




8




Read the terms and conditions. Most airlines in this situation would refund your money. Ask politely.
– The Zealot
yesterday




Read the terms and conditions. Most airlines in this situation would refund your money. Ask politely.
– The Zealot
yesterday




1




1




How did you pay for the ticket? Many credit cards provide some sort of travel benefit, which may include trip cancellation insurance. On the other hand, the trip cancellation insurance for even travel-centric cards might not cover being advised by a doctor not to travel, if it's related to a condition you already had when you purchased the ticket.
– Ben Voigt
yesterday




How did you pay for the ticket? Many credit cards provide some sort of travel benefit, which may include trip cancellation insurance. On the other hand, the trip cancellation insurance for even travel-centric cards might not cover being advised by a doctor not to travel, if it's related to a condition you already had when you purchased the ticket.
– Ben Voigt
yesterday




1




1




@BenVoigt in my (admittedly limited) experience, it's not so important whether the condition existed at the time of purchase but whether it had been diagnosed.
– phoog
yesterday




@BenVoigt in my (admittedly limited) experience, it's not so important whether the condition existed at the time of purchase but whether it had been diagnosed.
– phoog
yesterday




1




1




@BenVoigt I don't see what you're talking about. Which example is it? "Traveling against the advice of a physician" is not covered, but does not apply to this case because OP is specifically seeking to avoid traveling against the advice of a physician. Pre-existing condition is a term of art in the insurance industry based on diagnosis rather than actual existence.
– phoog
yesterday




@BenVoigt I don't see what you're talking about. Which example is it? "Traveling against the advice of a physician" is not covered, but does not apply to this case because OP is specifically seeking to avoid traveling against the advice of a physician. Pre-existing condition is a term of art in the insurance industry based on diagnosis rather than actual existence.
– phoog
yesterday




1




1




@BenVoigt that's what I assumed it meant. That is, if your doctor says that travel is likely to lead to a certain health problem then developing that problem would not be covered (if, for example, it compelled you to cut your trip short). But that list is long on vagueness. Perhaps there's some fine print somewhere with more specific conditions.
– phoog
yesterday




@BenVoigt that's what I assumed it meant. That is, if your doctor says that travel is likely to lead to a certain health problem then developing that problem would not be covered (if, for example, it compelled you to cut your trip short). But that list is long on vagueness. Perhaps there's some fine print somewhere with more specific conditions.
– phoog
yesterday










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
32
down vote



accepted










The conditions of carriage for your ticket do not include a provision for a refund in this case. Though there is a provision (3.2.1.3) to extend the validity of your tickets if you can't travel due to illness, but it only applies if you get sick once your trip starts.



However, many airlines will make accommodations in such situations as a customer service gesture. You can contact the airline, explain the situation, tell them you have a doctor's note, and politely ask if they can grant a refund. If they aren't able to do so, you might ask for a supervisor to see if they can make an exception. If their policy forbids a refund (airlines are generally quite reluctant to ever refund non-refundable tickets), they may be able to provide a lesser remedy, such as allowing you to reschedule the flight without paying a change fee.



If that fails, you could contact a travel advocacy journalist like Christopher Elliott to see if they can get anywhere with the airline. His site also has contact information for Turkish Airlines management (see advice on writing for help), who would be the final word on what the airline will do in this situation.



If you have travel insurance, this may be a reason for a claim as well.






share|improve this answer

















  • 36




    Remember: when you're talking with the customer service people, be the kind of person they will want to help !! They spend all day dealing with people who are jerks to them. If you treat them like a human being, they're much more likely to return the favor. Do it as soon as possible -- the longer it is before the flight, the less "cost" there is in refunding your ticket, since they have more opportunity to sell it to someone else.
    – Jeffiekins
    yesterday


















up vote
6
down vote













As the accepted answer says, your airline doesn't have a policy to provide refunds in that case, but you may be able to get one with a personal approach.



In the event you don't succeed, you can still get a refund on airport fees and taxes. In low cost tickets (which nonrefundable ones generally are), these can amount to half the cost.



Don't settle for this, though, only as a last resort. A medical condition is a very strong reason for a full refund.






share|improve this answer





















  • "Low-cost" doesn't have much to do with it. Even tickets with full-service airlines are typically non-refundable, unless you pay a lot extra for a refundable one.
    – David Richerby
    4 hours ago










  • FSA tend to be more permissive with their return policies (health, visa, other reasons). But yes, non-refundable ones are common with both, LCC are just much harder on this concept. Turkish used to be a FSA, but has shifted about as much towards the LCC model as they could - not that they are distinct classes anymore anyway.
    – Therac
    4 hours ago


















up vote
2
down vote













Speaking from experience, although only one particular case. My father-in-law was planning to visit us in UK from Georgia, flying with Turkish Airline. About a week before the planned trip, he was admitted to hospital in relation to a previously undiagnosed heart problem - and he was actually still in hospital on the day of the planned travel.



The ticket was a non-refundable, non-exchangeable, etc, etc. (i.e. the cheapest possible). With a note from the hospital, the airline agreed to refund the actual price of the ticket, but not the taxes and airport fees, as they don't control those. In our case, it was about half the ticket price. The remainder of the costs (i.e. taxes, fees, etc.) were covered by his travel insurance (minus USD $25 deductible).



All in all, we lost about $25 out of about $400 cost of the ticket - better than losing everything.






share|improve this answer






























    up vote
    1
    down vote













    In this situation it will be especially important to have a note written from the doctor.
    Typically there is a processing or cancellation fee so don’t expect a full refund. You might be better able to pursuade them to give you a credit that you would have to use within the year.
    When you call the airline, the first person you will speak to usually doesn’t have the authority to do anything beyond the standard policy. If you are hoping to make the cancellation and get a refund or a credit, you will likely have to escalate to a manager. I encourage you to be kind as you will likely get a better result.






    share|improve this answer





















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      4 Answers
      4






      active

      oldest

      votes








      4 Answers
      4






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes








      up vote
      32
      down vote



      accepted










      The conditions of carriage for your ticket do not include a provision for a refund in this case. Though there is a provision (3.2.1.3) to extend the validity of your tickets if you can't travel due to illness, but it only applies if you get sick once your trip starts.



      However, many airlines will make accommodations in such situations as a customer service gesture. You can contact the airline, explain the situation, tell them you have a doctor's note, and politely ask if they can grant a refund. If they aren't able to do so, you might ask for a supervisor to see if they can make an exception. If their policy forbids a refund (airlines are generally quite reluctant to ever refund non-refundable tickets), they may be able to provide a lesser remedy, such as allowing you to reschedule the flight without paying a change fee.



      If that fails, you could contact a travel advocacy journalist like Christopher Elliott to see if they can get anywhere with the airline. His site also has contact information for Turkish Airlines management (see advice on writing for help), who would be the final word on what the airline will do in this situation.



      If you have travel insurance, this may be a reason for a claim as well.






      share|improve this answer

















      • 36




        Remember: when you're talking with the customer service people, be the kind of person they will want to help !! They spend all day dealing with people who are jerks to them. If you treat them like a human being, they're much more likely to return the favor. Do it as soon as possible -- the longer it is before the flight, the less "cost" there is in refunding your ticket, since they have more opportunity to sell it to someone else.
        – Jeffiekins
        yesterday















      up vote
      32
      down vote



      accepted










      The conditions of carriage for your ticket do not include a provision for a refund in this case. Though there is a provision (3.2.1.3) to extend the validity of your tickets if you can't travel due to illness, but it only applies if you get sick once your trip starts.



      However, many airlines will make accommodations in such situations as a customer service gesture. You can contact the airline, explain the situation, tell them you have a doctor's note, and politely ask if they can grant a refund. If they aren't able to do so, you might ask for a supervisor to see if they can make an exception. If their policy forbids a refund (airlines are generally quite reluctant to ever refund non-refundable tickets), they may be able to provide a lesser remedy, such as allowing you to reschedule the flight without paying a change fee.



      If that fails, you could contact a travel advocacy journalist like Christopher Elliott to see if they can get anywhere with the airline. His site also has contact information for Turkish Airlines management (see advice on writing for help), who would be the final word on what the airline will do in this situation.



      If you have travel insurance, this may be a reason for a claim as well.






      share|improve this answer

















      • 36




        Remember: when you're talking with the customer service people, be the kind of person they will want to help !! They spend all day dealing with people who are jerks to them. If you treat them like a human being, they're much more likely to return the favor. Do it as soon as possible -- the longer it is before the flight, the less "cost" there is in refunding your ticket, since they have more opportunity to sell it to someone else.
        – Jeffiekins
        yesterday













      up vote
      32
      down vote



      accepted







      up vote
      32
      down vote



      accepted






      The conditions of carriage for your ticket do not include a provision for a refund in this case. Though there is a provision (3.2.1.3) to extend the validity of your tickets if you can't travel due to illness, but it only applies if you get sick once your trip starts.



      However, many airlines will make accommodations in such situations as a customer service gesture. You can contact the airline, explain the situation, tell them you have a doctor's note, and politely ask if they can grant a refund. If they aren't able to do so, you might ask for a supervisor to see if they can make an exception. If their policy forbids a refund (airlines are generally quite reluctant to ever refund non-refundable tickets), they may be able to provide a lesser remedy, such as allowing you to reschedule the flight without paying a change fee.



      If that fails, you could contact a travel advocacy journalist like Christopher Elliott to see if they can get anywhere with the airline. His site also has contact information for Turkish Airlines management (see advice on writing for help), who would be the final word on what the airline will do in this situation.



      If you have travel insurance, this may be a reason for a claim as well.






      share|improve this answer













      The conditions of carriage for your ticket do not include a provision for a refund in this case. Though there is a provision (3.2.1.3) to extend the validity of your tickets if you can't travel due to illness, but it only applies if you get sick once your trip starts.



      However, many airlines will make accommodations in such situations as a customer service gesture. You can contact the airline, explain the situation, tell them you have a doctor's note, and politely ask if they can grant a refund. If they aren't able to do so, you might ask for a supervisor to see if they can make an exception. If their policy forbids a refund (airlines are generally quite reluctant to ever refund non-refundable tickets), they may be able to provide a lesser remedy, such as allowing you to reschedule the flight without paying a change fee.



      If that fails, you could contact a travel advocacy journalist like Christopher Elliott to see if they can get anywhere with the airline. His site also has contact information for Turkish Airlines management (see advice on writing for help), who would be the final word on what the airline will do in this situation.



      If you have travel insurance, this may be a reason for a claim as well.







      share|improve this answer













      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer











      answered yesterday









      Zach Lipton

      51.7k8156215




      51.7k8156215







      • 36




        Remember: when you're talking with the customer service people, be the kind of person they will want to help !! They spend all day dealing with people who are jerks to them. If you treat them like a human being, they're much more likely to return the favor. Do it as soon as possible -- the longer it is before the flight, the less "cost" there is in refunding your ticket, since they have more opportunity to sell it to someone else.
        – Jeffiekins
        yesterday













      • 36




        Remember: when you're talking with the customer service people, be the kind of person they will want to help !! They spend all day dealing with people who are jerks to them. If you treat them like a human being, they're much more likely to return the favor. Do it as soon as possible -- the longer it is before the flight, the less "cost" there is in refunding your ticket, since they have more opportunity to sell it to someone else.
        – Jeffiekins
        yesterday








      36




      36




      Remember: when you're talking with the customer service people, be the kind of person they will want to help !! They spend all day dealing with people who are jerks to them. If you treat them like a human being, they're much more likely to return the favor. Do it as soon as possible -- the longer it is before the flight, the less "cost" there is in refunding your ticket, since they have more opportunity to sell it to someone else.
      – Jeffiekins
      yesterday





      Remember: when you're talking with the customer service people, be the kind of person they will want to help !! They spend all day dealing with people who are jerks to them. If you treat them like a human being, they're much more likely to return the favor. Do it as soon as possible -- the longer it is before the flight, the less "cost" there is in refunding your ticket, since they have more opportunity to sell it to someone else.
      – Jeffiekins
      yesterday













      up vote
      6
      down vote













      As the accepted answer says, your airline doesn't have a policy to provide refunds in that case, but you may be able to get one with a personal approach.



      In the event you don't succeed, you can still get a refund on airport fees and taxes. In low cost tickets (which nonrefundable ones generally are), these can amount to half the cost.



      Don't settle for this, though, only as a last resort. A medical condition is a very strong reason for a full refund.






      share|improve this answer





















      • "Low-cost" doesn't have much to do with it. Even tickets with full-service airlines are typically non-refundable, unless you pay a lot extra for a refundable one.
        – David Richerby
        4 hours ago










      • FSA tend to be more permissive with their return policies (health, visa, other reasons). But yes, non-refundable ones are common with both, LCC are just much harder on this concept. Turkish used to be a FSA, but has shifted about as much towards the LCC model as they could - not that they are distinct classes anymore anyway.
        – Therac
        4 hours ago















      up vote
      6
      down vote













      As the accepted answer says, your airline doesn't have a policy to provide refunds in that case, but you may be able to get one with a personal approach.



      In the event you don't succeed, you can still get a refund on airport fees and taxes. In low cost tickets (which nonrefundable ones generally are), these can amount to half the cost.



      Don't settle for this, though, only as a last resort. A medical condition is a very strong reason for a full refund.






      share|improve this answer





















      • "Low-cost" doesn't have much to do with it. Even tickets with full-service airlines are typically non-refundable, unless you pay a lot extra for a refundable one.
        – David Richerby
        4 hours ago










      • FSA tend to be more permissive with their return policies (health, visa, other reasons). But yes, non-refundable ones are common with both, LCC are just much harder on this concept. Turkish used to be a FSA, but has shifted about as much towards the LCC model as they could - not that they are distinct classes anymore anyway.
        – Therac
        4 hours ago













      up vote
      6
      down vote










      up vote
      6
      down vote









      As the accepted answer says, your airline doesn't have a policy to provide refunds in that case, but you may be able to get one with a personal approach.



      In the event you don't succeed, you can still get a refund on airport fees and taxes. In low cost tickets (which nonrefundable ones generally are), these can amount to half the cost.



      Don't settle for this, though, only as a last resort. A medical condition is a very strong reason for a full refund.






      share|improve this answer













      As the accepted answer says, your airline doesn't have a policy to provide refunds in that case, but you may be able to get one with a personal approach.



      In the event you don't succeed, you can still get a refund on airport fees and taxes. In low cost tickets (which nonrefundable ones generally are), these can amount to half the cost.



      Don't settle for this, though, only as a last resort. A medical condition is a very strong reason for a full refund.







      share|improve this answer













      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer











      answered yesterday









      Therac

      1611




      1611











      • "Low-cost" doesn't have much to do with it. Even tickets with full-service airlines are typically non-refundable, unless you pay a lot extra for a refundable one.
        – David Richerby
        4 hours ago










      • FSA tend to be more permissive with their return policies (health, visa, other reasons). But yes, non-refundable ones are common with both, LCC are just much harder on this concept. Turkish used to be a FSA, but has shifted about as much towards the LCC model as they could - not that they are distinct classes anymore anyway.
        – Therac
        4 hours ago

















      • "Low-cost" doesn't have much to do with it. Even tickets with full-service airlines are typically non-refundable, unless you pay a lot extra for a refundable one.
        – David Richerby
        4 hours ago










      • FSA tend to be more permissive with their return policies (health, visa, other reasons). But yes, non-refundable ones are common with both, LCC are just much harder on this concept. Turkish used to be a FSA, but has shifted about as much towards the LCC model as they could - not that they are distinct classes anymore anyway.
        – Therac
        4 hours ago
















      "Low-cost" doesn't have much to do with it. Even tickets with full-service airlines are typically non-refundable, unless you pay a lot extra for a refundable one.
      – David Richerby
      4 hours ago




      "Low-cost" doesn't have much to do with it. Even tickets with full-service airlines are typically non-refundable, unless you pay a lot extra for a refundable one.
      – David Richerby
      4 hours ago












      FSA tend to be more permissive with their return policies (health, visa, other reasons). But yes, non-refundable ones are common with both, LCC are just much harder on this concept. Turkish used to be a FSA, but has shifted about as much towards the LCC model as they could - not that they are distinct classes anymore anyway.
      – Therac
      4 hours ago





      FSA tend to be more permissive with their return policies (health, visa, other reasons). But yes, non-refundable ones are common with both, LCC are just much harder on this concept. Turkish used to be a FSA, but has shifted about as much towards the LCC model as they could - not that they are distinct classes anymore anyway.
      – Therac
      4 hours ago











      up vote
      2
      down vote













      Speaking from experience, although only one particular case. My father-in-law was planning to visit us in UK from Georgia, flying with Turkish Airline. About a week before the planned trip, he was admitted to hospital in relation to a previously undiagnosed heart problem - and he was actually still in hospital on the day of the planned travel.



      The ticket was a non-refundable, non-exchangeable, etc, etc. (i.e. the cheapest possible). With a note from the hospital, the airline agreed to refund the actual price of the ticket, but not the taxes and airport fees, as they don't control those. In our case, it was about half the ticket price. The remainder of the costs (i.e. taxes, fees, etc.) were covered by his travel insurance (minus USD $25 deductible).



      All in all, we lost about $25 out of about $400 cost of the ticket - better than losing everything.






      share|improve this answer



























        up vote
        2
        down vote













        Speaking from experience, although only one particular case. My father-in-law was planning to visit us in UK from Georgia, flying with Turkish Airline. About a week before the planned trip, he was admitted to hospital in relation to a previously undiagnosed heart problem - and he was actually still in hospital on the day of the planned travel.



        The ticket was a non-refundable, non-exchangeable, etc, etc. (i.e. the cheapest possible). With a note from the hospital, the airline agreed to refund the actual price of the ticket, but not the taxes and airport fees, as they don't control those. In our case, it was about half the ticket price. The remainder of the costs (i.e. taxes, fees, etc.) were covered by his travel insurance (minus USD $25 deductible).



        All in all, we lost about $25 out of about $400 cost of the ticket - better than losing everything.






        share|improve this answer

























          up vote
          2
          down vote










          up vote
          2
          down vote









          Speaking from experience, although only one particular case. My father-in-law was planning to visit us in UK from Georgia, flying with Turkish Airline. About a week before the planned trip, he was admitted to hospital in relation to a previously undiagnosed heart problem - and he was actually still in hospital on the day of the planned travel.



          The ticket was a non-refundable, non-exchangeable, etc, etc. (i.e. the cheapest possible). With a note from the hospital, the airline agreed to refund the actual price of the ticket, but not the taxes and airport fees, as they don't control those. In our case, it was about half the ticket price. The remainder of the costs (i.e. taxes, fees, etc.) were covered by his travel insurance (minus USD $25 deductible).



          All in all, we lost about $25 out of about $400 cost of the ticket - better than losing everything.






          share|improve this answer















          Speaking from experience, although only one particular case. My father-in-law was planning to visit us in UK from Georgia, flying with Turkish Airline. About a week before the planned trip, he was admitted to hospital in relation to a previously undiagnosed heart problem - and he was actually still in hospital on the day of the planned travel.



          The ticket was a non-refundable, non-exchangeable, etc, etc. (i.e. the cheapest possible). With a note from the hospital, the airline agreed to refund the actual price of the ticket, but not the taxes and airport fees, as they don't control those. In our case, it was about half the ticket price. The remainder of the costs (i.e. taxes, fees, etc.) were covered by his travel insurance (minus USD $25 deductible).



          All in all, we lost about $25 out of about $400 cost of the ticket - better than losing everything.







          share|improve this answer















          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 4 hours ago









          David Richerby

          8,95253766




          8,95253766











          answered 7 hours ago









          Aleks G

          9,18823060




          9,18823060




















              up vote
              1
              down vote













              In this situation it will be especially important to have a note written from the doctor.
              Typically there is a processing or cancellation fee so don’t expect a full refund. You might be better able to pursuade them to give you a credit that you would have to use within the year.
              When you call the airline, the first person you will speak to usually doesn’t have the authority to do anything beyond the standard policy. If you are hoping to make the cancellation and get a refund or a credit, you will likely have to escalate to a manager. I encourage you to be kind as you will likely get a better result.






              share|improve this answer

























                up vote
                1
                down vote













                In this situation it will be especially important to have a note written from the doctor.
                Typically there is a processing or cancellation fee so don’t expect a full refund. You might be better able to pursuade them to give you a credit that you would have to use within the year.
                When you call the airline, the first person you will speak to usually doesn’t have the authority to do anything beyond the standard policy. If you are hoping to make the cancellation and get a refund or a credit, you will likely have to escalate to a manager. I encourage you to be kind as you will likely get a better result.






                share|improve this answer























                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote









                  In this situation it will be especially important to have a note written from the doctor.
                  Typically there is a processing or cancellation fee so don’t expect a full refund. You might be better able to pursuade them to give you a credit that you would have to use within the year.
                  When you call the airline, the first person you will speak to usually doesn’t have the authority to do anything beyond the standard policy. If you are hoping to make the cancellation and get a refund or a credit, you will likely have to escalate to a manager. I encourage you to be kind as you will likely get a better result.






                  share|improve this answer













                  In this situation it will be especially important to have a note written from the doctor.
                  Typically there is a processing or cancellation fee so don’t expect a full refund. You might be better able to pursuade them to give you a credit that you would have to use within the year.
                  When you call the airline, the first person you will speak to usually doesn’t have the authority to do anything beyond the standard policy. If you are hoping to make the cancellation and get a refund or a credit, you will likely have to escalate to a manager. I encourage you to be kind as you will likely get a better result.







                  share|improve this answer













                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer











                  answered yesterday









                  Joss

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