Need Your Help!

My good friend Rachel has asked for help and I am passing her plea along. Here is her blog post.


If any of you know anything about me, you know that I am a photographer and a Military Wife. These two things are both the center of my universe. It has been brought to my attention today by a very dear friend and photographer (and fellow destination wedding bride) that AMERICAN Airlines does NOT refund ticket prices should a member of the military be called to Active Duty or deployed before the ticket has been used.

When I heard this today, I was shocked.

Get this, not only do they not refund the money for the ticket, THEY CHARGE A $150 CANCELLATION FEE! What!?

I am heartbroken. As someone who has endured all the military can throw at a family… I know that the last thing a family needs to be dealing with in the face of a deployment is fighting with an airline company. It’s wrong, it’s unfair and they deserve their money back… plain and simple.

Here is the excerpt from Allie’s fiancee Jeff’s blog post explaining the situation:

“American Airlines does not refund tickets purchased by military personnel if they get called to active duty before they use the ticket. You heard me, not a single cent. Not only do they not refund the money, but they charge a $150 cancelation fee and give the soldier a credit (now $150 less) for a ticket that expires before most of their tours are up.

Here’s our story: We booked a photographer for our wedding in Mexico and agreed to fly her and a second shooter (military husband) down in exchange for the services. About four weeks later, she contacted us saying that her husband had been called back to Afghanistan for another yearly tour. Our thought was that, since his being called to active duty is out of his control, American Airlines would gladly change the name on the ticket to someone who could actually go. Not the case. Even after submitting US Military paperwork to American, the best they could do is the exact same deal they give to customers that call and bitch about changing a flight: a huge cancellation fee and credit for a later flight (which he’ll never be able to use). Nice work American Airlines, you guys are a class act.”

American Airlines? I don’t think so.

Ladies and gentleman, I’m asking for your help. Spread the word about this. Tweet the hell out of American Airlines. Ask them WHY they refuse to refund the ticket price of a man who is protecting their freedom. Let’s raise a little hell.