It is true. Here is the background, the facts, and how you can help:
Upon receiving a September invitation to take a group of Belmont University students to Honduras with the KidSake Foundation, I immediately began developing budget information on trip expenses, particularly airline fares. On the advice of a travel agent, I adjusted travel dates in order to get less expensive seats. I was also advised that New Year's flights were filling rapidly and that reservations should be made as soon as possible. We were able to reserve 10 seats on Continental for $785 each, without placing names on tickets, and by paying a $100 deposit per ticket for the ten tickets we felt that we would need ($1,000).
Fast forward to the last week of November, just 30+ days from our anticipated departure: Our need for mission team tickets drops from 10 down to 4. We have names to place on the four tickets and the originally quoted, $785 per seat monies in hand. Then, the call from our agent who explained, "Continental will sell us four tickets, however, since there are no longer 10 people going, the ticket price will be $1400+ each." To be clear and fair here, I expected there to be a penalty for not filling all 10 reservations. The nearly double fare increase was not something that I could take back to students who had been raising funds for the last couple of months. I was given no choice, considering the deadline for payment, but to let the reservations go. That also meant forfeiture of the full $1,000 deposit...a perfectly legal move on the part of Continental.
Instead of cancelling the trip, I made a quick inquiry online to check out ticket options. That search revealed the following: there were anywhere from 20 to 40 open seats available on several flights. Secondly, there were equivalent connections and available seats on American Airlines that were were $70+ cheaper, per ticket, than the original deal that Continental gave us. I made the reservations with American and had confirmation within a few hours.
- Phone calls earlier this week to Continental's customer care service agent(s), who by the way were very professional and understanding, confirmed the following:
- Continental intends to keep the $1000 deposit because we failed to meet the original terms of the reservations
- When asked, "What do I have to show for my $1000?", Continental's response was that you purchased the right to a low, advanced fare and you forfeited that right..so you have nothing to show for it.
- The original Continental flight is now eiither full, or nearly full....apparently they were able/fortunate/lucky to move our ten tickets at the higher rates one generally finds closer to departure dates. (My conscience is clear. We did not contribute to any demise of a struggling industry).
- Requests for vouchers for future travel or partial refund, or, consideration of the humanitarian nature of the trip were denied..repeatedly.
At this juncture, what I have to say from here forward may be considered whining. My conscience bothers me over the evaporation of $1000 and the good that it could have brought in Central America and the impact that trips such as this have on the students involved. I am guessing that there are others who have faced this issue and that there may be others in the future So, here is what I am asking:
I am asking you to help us replace the mission fund monies by contributing $5.00, using a secure, online form ( that can be counted as a tax deductible donation). Each $5.00 donation will generate an email to Continental Airlines requesting that they please review their refund policies for humanitarian, mission teams. The email will read exactly as follows:
I am helping Belmont University recoup the $1000 deposit that they recently forfeited to Continental Airlines. I am also asking that Continental Air review their refund policies for groups who are doing humanitarian work to allow for more flexiblity in Continental's group reservation policy. Thank you.
I suspect the bad taste from this experience will be reflected in future ticketing options for mission trips and the projected ticket numbers (<200) from Belmont next year are probably peanuts to Continental...but there are lots of other churches and organizations out there who may find themselves in a similar position.
I would love to be able to say thank you to Continental for stepping up to say, "We can help"...rather than 'sorry, there is nothing we can do. If you can help: click here.