I booked a Birmingham–Kolkata flight with Emirates through the agency Travel Trolley. My original travel date was 7 April, flying from Birmingham to Dubai and then Dubai to Kolkata, with a layover of 1 hour 20 minutes in Dubai.
A few days ago, I noticed on the Emirates app that the Dubai layover had changed to 11 hours 55 minutes. This was not manageable for me because I would be travelling with a 3‑year‑old child and a 9‑month‑old infant.
I contacted the agency, and they insisted on switching me to an Etihad flight on 5 April from London to Abu Dhabi and then to Kolkata.
Meanwhile, on 31 March, my wife was hospitalised with severe stomach pain and diagnosed with gallstones. The doctors scheduled her surgery for 4 April. I informed the agency again and explained why we would not be able to travel. I asked to reschedule the trip by one week, but they said it would cost an additional £1,000.
Since travelling was impossible, I asked to cancel the booking. They told me the refund would be only £40, even though the total booking cost was £1,582.
I then emailed Travel Trolley with all the details. They replied that Etihad does not offer refunds on medical grounds, and I was forced to accept the refund they offered: £178 per adult, £60 for the child, and £30 for the infant.
My question is: if passengers are expected to compromise when airlines make changes, why can’t the airline or agency show the same flexibility in situations
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