Couple Reimbursed After Airline Turns Their 50th Wedding Anniversary Cruise into a Nightmare

A 50th wedding anniversary is a rare milestone deserving of a celebration. Fiffik Law Group Attorney Rebecca Kuna’s clients spent months planning a luxury cruise anniversary trip, only for a careless airline to turn it into a nightmare.

Attorney Kuna’s clients were an elderly married couple in their 70s. The wife uses a wheelchair, so they relied on the airline to meet them at the gate of their first flight to transport them to the gate of their connecting flight. The comedy of errors leading to the disastrous week ahead began here; the airline failed to meet the couple at their gate with a wheelchair, causing them to miss their connecting flight.

After the couple realized they had missed their flight, the airline reluctantly booked them on the next flight out, which was several hours later. Even if everything had been on time and gone smoothly (which it did not) the couple would barely land in time for them to board their cruise ship on time. There was also the issue of their checked luggage – even though their luggage would not be on the same plane as them, they were assured by the airline that their luggage would be waiting for them as soon as they arrived since both planes were going to the same place.

However, when they finally arrived at their destination, their luggage was nowhere to be found.

The couple did not have time to waste hunting for their missing bags since they had a cruise ship to catch. The unsympathetic airline brushed them off and assured them that their luggage would be sent to the cruise ship’s first destination. I am sure you can guess where this is going…

When the couple arrived on their cruise ship to the first destination, their luggage was still was not there.

Now, this couple, just trying to enjoy a well-deserved wedding anniversary trip, was left stranded on the cruise ship with nothing but the clothes on their backs and minimal personal items. With no bathing suits, they were unable to enjoy the pool or the ocean like the other guests. And for the entire cruise, they had to wear the same clothes all day and night (socks, underwear, everything) and wash them the best they could in the sink. It was a nightmare.

When the couple finally made it home after their anniversary trip from hell, they contacted the airline for reimbursement – it was the least they could do after what they put them through. After numerous calls and emails over the course of several weeks, the defeated couple received no response. But just before they gave up, they used their LegalShield membership to contact Fiffik Law Group and enlisted the expert aid of Attorney Kuna.

Attorney Kuna sent official letters to the airline requesting rectification for the whole ordeal. After the second letter, she received a response.

“Without attorney involvement, you’re going to get the runaround,” Attorney Kuna said. “They never would have gotten an answer without LegalShield.”

At first, the airline insisted that they could only reimburse for incidentals – for example, the cost of a toothbrush if they had to buy a new one. However, after persistent communication, Attorney Kuna finally got in contact with someone who she was able to appeal to on a human level.

“I just could not let this go," Attorney Kuna said. “I said, ‘Imagine if these were your grandparents.’”

Ultimately, the airline reimbursed the couple $3,000 for their cruise and gave them two $750 vouches to fly. The couple was extremely grateful to Attorney Kuna, and they are already planning their anniversary trip re-do.

“It’s such a blessing to do a job like this because you can actually make a difference,” Attorney Kuna said.

Fiffik Law Group’s mission is to provide access to justice for all. Without Attorney Kuna and their LegalShield membership, this couple would not have gotten justice from their situation. If you find yourself in a similar situation, contact us for a free initial consultation. Let us be your advocate.

Learn more about LegalShield here.