A humanitarian aid group en route to Haiti suffered from a scheduling change made by American Airlines and had to pay $450 in hotel bills. American Airlines (AA) refused to offer hotel vouchers in return.

That’s just the way it is, that’s our policy,” said Mary Francis Fagan, American Airlines spokesperson, to a Chicago Tribune reporter.

“It’s hard, because all of us keep putting our money in, and we’re like, man, this could go to a much better purpose,” Sue Walsh, the volunteer group
s organizer said. “That would be a lot of X-rays and a lot of lab work.”

The eleven-person group planned to visit the beleaguered island to deworm children and provide vitamins to the malnutrition-suffering.

To AA’s credit, they did inform the group’s travel agent, Capital One, of the scheduling change. Capital One okayed it. It’s AA’s policy only to distribute vouchers if there’s a mechanical failure, said Fagan. The trip could also have been cancelled for a full refund.

Incidentally, “Fagin” is the name of the master pickpocket and thug in Oliver Twist, wherein Dickens describes him as a
loathsome reptile
and having
fangs such as should have been a dog
s or rat
s.

Haiti Aid Workers Get No Help From Airline With Hotel Bills [Chicago Tribune] (Thanks to Jim!)

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