Alitalia Cancellation Policy

[Lee Norberg]

Friends,

Three years ago had to cancel a two week vacation to Italy due to my Dad requiring surgery, the cancellation was three (3) days prior to departing JFK, New York to Rome on a Perillo Tour.

Luckily, purchased travel insurance through local Liberty Travel here on Long Island which covered the cancellation of trip and was reimbursed by
Perillo. The only sticking point was Alitalia who REFUSED to refund the airfare since they claimed it was seat revenue lost. Numerous attempts were made to persuade Alitalia by myself and Liberty Travel to refund the airfare- but they just flatly denied it.

If I have the chance to book another tour to Italy, you can bet I won't be flying Alitalia. Any travelers out "there" have any similar experience with Alitalia?


Lee Norberg
Oakdale, NY USA

[Notso Fantastic]

This ticket was probably sold by Alitalia under a no changes/cancellations condition. You were fortunately travel insured satisfactorily and this paid off your loss. However, Alitalia had a booking under these conditions and does not see why it should stand the loss when you were adequately insured. It seems hard, but I can understand it from the airline point of view. I think you will find this is fairly common amongst airlines and is not the exception. In fact, I think it is general. It is not personal or obstructive. Had the ticket been a full fare with changes allowed, which is very much more expensive, then you could have changed or cancelled. They'll all do it, whatever the reasons. I have myself forfeited the fare on more than one occasion when I have cancelled out. They are merely following their rules imposed in their ticket conditions.

[Lee Norberg]

Thanks for the "legaleese" reading on the airfare ticket.

[fendant]

Don't worry to book Alitalia again, they will be gone in a few days ( hopefully foreever ) ! Currently their summer bookings are down 40% as nobody risks to put up money upfront to fly on this wrotten, lousy and unreliable airline run by incompetent greedy bureaucrats and greasy politicians.

[Pandy]

Surely its your insurers who have lost out, if Alitalia did refund the fare it would be for the benefit of the insurers- as they have paid you out (I assume).

As for booking Alitalia again.......

.... err they lost quite a lot of money in Q1, the Italian Gov't has recently made them a loan of quite a lot and quite a lot of their pax appear to be coming to your conclusion. Quite a lot negative thinkers are even saying booking with them again won't be an option for much longer.....

Time will tell

[Globaliser]

Originally Posted by Lee Norberg

Thanks for the "legaleese" reading on the airfare ticket.

Well, was it a non-refundable fare? If so, what part of "non-refundable" is so difficult to understand?

And has it really taken three years to reach this impasse in your negotiations with Alitalia?

[Lee Norberg]

Alitalia

No my friend in the UK, that issue has been long gone. Just "asking" if somebody had a similar experience, if it was a non-refundable ticket- so be it. Just saying that due to circumstances, good money it lost!

[Notso Fantastic]

Yes, I have forfeited a couple of tickets when I was unable at a late stage (it doesn't matter what stage- you still cannot cancel or change) to make the flight. And I work in the industry! It is normal! The only way you can get your money back is if you are travel insured and there is a medical/personal emergency covered under the terms of your travel insurance. Even then it is not assured. But the airline will not, under almost any circumstances, refund you....ever. That's how it is.

[Lee Norberg]

The only way you can get your money back is if you are travel insured and there is a medical/personal emergency covered under the terms of your travel insurance. Even then it is not assured. But the airline will not, under almost any circumstances, refund you....ever. That's how it is.


Thanks for your post, well I had travel insurance and there was a medical emegency (my Dad)- but the money was lost as you indicated. Thanks!

[pwalhx]

I am somewhat confused, if you were insured and got your money back, then where is your problem? Did you not get all your money back, if not then what where you insured for?

As you are unhappy with AZ then simply book another airline.

I also have had occasion not to be able to use flight tickets at the last minute, in my case with non refundable tickets, however I was insured and was refunded that way. I have not however used Alitalia but the principle would have been the same with any airline.

[Globaliser]

Originally Posted by Lee Norberg

Just "asking" if somebody had a similar experience, if it was a non-refundable ticket- so be it.

OK - if it helps, I will add myself to the list of people who've had to throw away non-refundable tickets when I couldn't use them, after all sorts of problems including medical emergencies for which I couldn't make a claim because they were other people's not mine.

Once upon a time, it was common to be able to ask for a refund of the taxes, fees and charges - but the introduction of administration charges for those refunds made many of these requests pointless because there was nothing left to refund. But now that fuel surcharges are such big numbers, it may be that they surcharges are refundable if you don't fly, even if the underlying base fare is non-refundable.

But the "I won't fly AZ because of this" attitude is pretty pointless, as many airlines will give this response in the same circumstances.