Mother forced to pay double at airport after son's ticket reservation was canceled

A United Airlines customer reached out to News 5 Investigates for help in getting a refund following a reservation nightmare.

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.I'M ALASYN ZIMMERMAN.AND I'M DIANNE DERBY.THANKS FOR JOINING US FOR NEWS 5AT 4.

ROB IS OFF.OUR TOP STORY TODAY.TRAVELING DURING THE PANDEMICCAN BE STRESSFUL FOR SOMEPASSENGERS.BUT NOTHING MAY BE MORESTRESSFUL THAN SHOWING UP TO THEAIRPORT AND FINDING OUT YOURTICKET HAS BEEN CANCELED AT NOFAULT OF YOUR OWN.AN AIRLINE MISTAKE FORCED ONECOLORADO SPRINGS MOTHER TO PAYDOUBLE AT THE TICKET COUNTER TORE-BOOK HER SON'S FLIGHT.AFTER HER ATTEMPTS TO GET AREFUND FOR THAT TICKET WEREUNSUCCESSFUL..SHE CONTACTED CHIEFINVESTIGATIVE REPORTER ERIC ROSSFOR HELP AND HE'S GETTINGRESULTS.IF YOU'RE A FREQUENTFLYER----CHANCES ARE YOU HAVE ATLEAST ONE NIGHTMARE STORYINVOLVING AN AIRLINE DELAY OROVERBOOKED FLIGHT...BUT THAT'S NOTHING COMPARED TOTHE STRESS LEVEL EXPERIENCEDWHEN SHOWING UP TO BOARD APLANE.....AND LEARNING THEAIRLINE ACCIDENTALLY CANCELEDYOUR RESERVATION.THE MOTHER YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEARFROM SAYS SHE TRIED ON HER OWNTO GET UNITED AIRLINES TO FIXTHE ISSUE....BUT WHEN THATDIDN'T WORK....SHE REACHED OUTTO US.KATY HOUSTON BOOKED A FLIGHT ONUNITED AIRLINES FOR HER AND HERSON....KATY'S FATHER WAS TERMINALLY ILLAND THE TWO NEEDED TO GET TOKENTUCKY TO SAY THEIR GOODBYES."IT WAS A PRETTY EMOTIONAL TRIPAND WE NEEDED TO GET THEIR ASSOON ASPOSSIBLE."KATY BOUGHT TWO TICKETS.....TRAVELING FROM COLORADO SPRINGSTO DENVER....THEN ONTOLOUISVILLE."THE NIGHT BEFORE THE TRIP, IWAS CONTACTED BY UNITED AIRLINESANDWAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE DELAYFROM THE CREW THAT WAS WORKINGTHE FLIGHT FROM COLORADO SPRINGSTO DENVER." THE DELAY MEANT SHEAND HER SON WOULD MISS THEIRCONNECTI FNGLIGHT OUT OF DENVERTO LOUISVILLE."I GOT UNITED CHAT WITH AN AGENTAND SHE RE-BOOKED US THROUGHCHICAGO AND WHEN SHE DID THAT INOTICED THAT FLIGHT WAS ALSODELAYED." KATY SAYS SHE TOLDUNITED TO STICK WITH THEORIGINAL RESERVATION....BUT INSTEAD OF TAKING THE FLIGHTLEG FROM COLORADO SPRINGSTO DENVER....THEY WOULD JUST DRIVE....AND FLYDIRECT FROM DENVER TOLOUISVILLE.WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT DIA....KATYWAS ABLE TO CHECK IN FOR HERFLIGHT...BUT HER SON COULD NOT.THAT'S WHEN KATY WALKED OVER TOAN AGENT AT THE CHECK IN COUNTERAND ASKED FOR HELP."SHE TOLD ME TO GO TO THE REDPHONE WHICH WAS THE RESERVATIONLINE AND REBOOK ANOTHER TICKETAND THAT'S WHAT I HAD TO DO."THE ORIGINAL TICKET PRICE WAS$408....AT THE AIRPORT---THE PRICE WENTUP TO $886."IT WAS 2 HOURS BEFORE THEFLIGHT, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TOSORT THROUGH THIS.I JUST NEEDED TO GET MY SON TOKENTUCKY SO I BOUG AHTN $886TICKET TO KENTUCKY."KATY SAYS SHE NEVER GOT ANEXPLANATION FROM THE AIRLINE ONWHY HER SON'S TICKET HAD BEENACCIDENTALLY CANCELED....THE AIRLINE INITIALLY AGREED TOGIVE HER A PARTIAL REFUND FORTHE CANCELED TICKET....BUT WOULDNOT REIMBURSE HER FOR THE NEARLY$900 SHE HAD TO SPEND AT THEAIRPORT TO RE-BOOK HER SON'SFLIGHT."I'M JUST HOPING THEY WOULD DOTHE RIGHT THING AND GIVE ME THE$886 BACK THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVEHAD TO SPEND BECAUSE THEIRAGENT CANCELED MY SON'S FLIGHT."I SHARED KATY'S CASE DIRECTLYWITH UNITED...A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE AIRLINERESEARCHED THE CASE....AND SOONAFTER.....KATY RECEIVED AREFUND....MAKING HER WHOLE FORTHE $886 TICKET SHE SHOULD HAVENEVER HAD TO PURCHASE IN THEFIRST PLACE.NOW YOU MAY BE WONDERING HOW YOUCAN AVOID A SITUATION LIKETHIS...UNFORTUNATELY WITH AIRLINEDELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS----YOU MAY HAVE TO CHANGE YOURFLIGHT ITINERARY...IF YOU DO IT OVER THEPHONE....MAKE SURE YOU GET ACONFIRMATION EMAIL AND CHECKOVER THE DETAILS JUST TO MAKESURE THE CHANGES MADE WEREINDEED WHAT YOU WANTED.ALSO---ALL DOMESTIC FLIGHTSALLOW YOU TO CHECK IN 24 HOURSIN ADVANCE ON YOUR PHONE ORCOMPUTER.....SO IF YOU GET ANERROR MESSAGE OR THE SYSTEMCAN'T FIND YOUR TICKET....THAT'SA RED FLAG THAT THERE MAY BE APROBLEM AND YOU SHOULDIMMEDIATELY CONTACT CUSTOMERSUPPORT VS WAITING TO SORT ITOUT AT THE CUSTOMER SERVICECOUNTER AT THE AIRPORT.AS ALWAYS IF YOU NEED OURHELP----WE'RE HEAR TO ASSIST ASMANY OF OUR VIEWERS AS POSSIBLE.IF THERE'S A PROBLEM OR ISSUEYOU THINK NEEDS OURATTENTION----YOU CAN ALWAYS CALLOUR 24/7 TIP LINE OR SEND ANEMAIL TO NEWS FIVE INVESTIGATESAT KOAA DOT COM.ALWAYS WATCHING OUT FOR YOUSOUTHERN COLORADO, I'M CHIEFINVESTIGATIVE REPORTER ERICROSS.====