Chronic Illness and Cheap Airfare
I should be in an Uber to the airport right now.
Late last year my BFFs at SecretFlying.com posted an unbelievable airfare: direct from DFW to Auckland, New Zealand for less than $700!
Yeah, I know. So I bought that, joined the American Advantage program and got the credit card. The credit card came with another $200 credit, so my flight to New Zealand was actually right around $500!
Obviously, that’s an amazing deal.
I made hotel reservations, and train reservations. I booked a ferry from the North to the South Island and a flight back to Auckland.
And today I had to cancel all of it.
Alas, Milford Sound.
I will get there some day, but perhaps not at such an amazing price.
So almost two years ago now I discovered what seemed to be an excessive amount of bruising on my thigh.
Went to the doctor, got bloodwork, all according to plan.
And then I got a call telling me to get to the ER because my blood platelets were so low I was bleeding internally.
That’s how I discovered that I have an autoimmune disease called Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura, aka my body attacks my own blood platelets until my veins can no longer move blood without leaking under the skin.
Last night, of course, I noticed symptoms of bleeding so I made a quick trip to the hospital.
Instead of Auckland I’m going to Stay In Bed.
Instead of Queenstown I’ll be visiting Bleedstown.
You get the humor I’m forcing here.
Interesting things I’ve learned thanks to this adventure:
❌ American Airlines Basic Economy tickets (read: SO CHEAP) are not eligible for changes, cancellation, and/or refunds. BOO.
✅ BUT the helpful agent on the American Advantage line let me know that if I cancelled it myself online (NOT through the agent) they’d recently implemented a new policy that would remove a change fee of $99 and provide me with a travel credit for the rest of the fare. I’ve found this mentioned on View From the Wing but very little information publicly available.
Frankly, if I can get any kind of refund for this ticket, I’ll be overjoyed.
Perhaps this is a sign from the universe that I should upgrade for long-haul flights, anyway…
