DISQUS

Erica Douglass · 2 months ago

When my grandfather died and his funeral occurred, I could not justify the $1300 round-trip Delta wanted for the nearest airport (CVG), and no one in my family was able to make the 4+hour round-trip to IND, which would have been slightly cheaper.

I ended up not going and made me peace with him in other ways. I don't really regret not being there, but it is unfortunate that the airlines don't really help. Then again, verifying funeral dates, times, and relations is a lot of manual work and not really worth it for them.

-Erica

Flexo · 2 months ago

It's true, customer service above and beyond the call of duty is almost never worthwhile for companies. Many airlines used to make that type of service a way of doing business, but no longer.

Jimmy · 2 months ago

I'm sorry. The Visa concierge service let you down? Why does that not surprise me? If i were you I wouldn't expect that service to be useful for immediate or long term travel. Waste of money.

end rant

Greg · 2 months ago

Flexo: First and foremost our condolences are with you and your family!

Years ago I also had to travel to California for a funeral. When I called the airlines they offered a bereavement fare of $1600. Seems to me that if an airline would cater to people in desperate times that loyalty would be their reward.

The airlines are the ones that made "customer focus" the in thing and now they are the farthest from it! I've been a 1K traveler for over 12 years I can say with authority that they are all lame!

Randy · 2 months ago

I tried the bereavement fares a few years ago and found they don't really exist. The airlines (at the time anyway) didn't try to rip us off, but didn't offer a lot of other help either.

In a way, I can't blame them. Verification is a pain and asking for some kind of proof just seems low. And the bottom line is, well, the bottom line. Customers show little or no loyalty and are always after the lowest fare. Why should they be loyal to us when we aren't loyal to them? Sad, but true.

Sorry for your loss.

harm · 2 months ago

I also sympathize a bit with the airline and credit card companies, us consumers
are not exactly loyal, and if we can save a nickle by jumping to another service provider, we do
at the drop of a hat. But where did we learn that? From business. From what Flexo said, it
was Visa that pushed this 'concierge' service, promising, at least, a helpful service, and
delivering nothing.

Jerry Hirsch · 2 months ago

This is interesting. Would any of you out there who are choosing not to spend but rather are paying off debt give me a ring or email me please. I am a reporter at the LA Times and am on deadline today 9/8 with a story about plunging consumer debt numbers.. 1 800 LATIMES ext 75260 or 213 237 5260. Thank you.