A Leominster family planned to take their children to visit family in Nigeria. But after spending nearly $8,000 on tickets, they had to cancel their trip due to a medical emergency. The airline gave them a credit but when it came time to use it, they were told it was no good.
For more than a year Magdeline and Wilson Inam scrimped and saved to buy plane tickets to take their two teenage boys to finally meet their grandfather in Nigeria. Magdeline tells the I-Team her dad is 80 and is not in the best health and she has not seen him in 17 years.
Trip canceled due to medical emergency
On January 2, 2024, the couple paid British Airways $7,329.20 for four roundtrip tickets. The family planned to travel in June when the kids got out of school. Magdeline says they were all packed when just days before they were scheduled to leave, Wilson suffered a medical emergency. Diagnosed with a blood clot, doctors told him that he should cancel the trip and that it was not safe for him to fly.
Magdeline tells the I-Team she called British Airways to cancel their trip. The airline offered her a credit and was told the voucher would be good for one year.
Weeks ago, on January 7, 2025, with Wilson now well, he called British Airways to rebook their trip. But the airline said it was too late. “You lost the credit because today’s the seventh and you booked the ticket January 2,” Magdeline said.
The travel credit expired five days earlier. Magdeline says that meant the family was out nearly $8,000 for the four tickets. “That was the cheapest ticket we could find,” Magdeline said. “They said ‘oh we are sorry; we can’t do anything about it.’ That’s a lot of money.”
That’s when Magdeline called the I-Team’s Call for Action. “I always watch WBZ. I sent an email and just a few days later you contacted me,” Magdeline said. “I was so excited.”
British Airways restores travel credit
After WBZ reached out to British Airways, the airline had a change of heart and agreed to restore the family’s travel credit.
In a statement British Airways said: “We recognize how important it is for families to spend time together, so we are pleased to be able to help our customer on this occasion, as a gesture of goodwill.”
Magdeline couldn’t believe it. She is ecstatic that her children will now get a chance to meet their grandfather this summer. “I really appreciate you not only doing that for my family. You never met us, you’ve never met me, and you took your time to do that for us. So, thank you,” Magdeline said.
Last year, the federal government created new rules for passenger refunds when airlines cancel flights, but, if the passenger cancels the trip, getting your money back or a credit varies by airline, and usually depends on the fare type and how far in advance you booked.
