A new mom was so excited to finally have saved up enough reward points to afford a flight to go see her husband, who was deployed in Japan.
But what should have been an amazing trip turned into an absolute nightmare thanks to a shocking mishap by the airline.
According to the woman, named Katie, 28, from Orange County, California, American Airlines accidentally charged her an extra $3,674.11 – and refused to refund her at first.
While chatting with the Daily Mail about the ‘frustrating’ ordeal, Katie explained, ‘On May 5, I booked a one-way flight from Japan to LAX for May 28 using 60,000 miles and about $50 in taxes and fees.
‘I had been strategically saving up miles for months so I could afford to visit my husband, who was deployed overseas.
‘Flying to Japan would have been way too expensive otherwise, especially with a baby.
‘I’m pretty savvy with using credit card points and airline miles, so I’d been checking the American Airlines site daily for an award ticket to open up.
‘When one finally became available, I booked it and immediately called American Airlines to add my five-month-old as a lap infant.’
A new mom named Katie, 28, from California, was so excited to finally have saved up enough reward points to afford a flight to see her husband, who was deployed in Japan
But what should have been an amazing trip turned into an absolute nightmare after she said American Airlines accidentally charged her an extra $3,674.11
Katie explained that while speaking to an American Airlines representative, she was told she’d have to spend an additional $386 for her infant, which she happily paid over the phone.
But when she got the email receipt, she was horrified. Not only did she pay the $386, but she was also charged an addition $3,674.11 for ‘a second full-price ticket under her name.’
‘So now I had two tickets in my name, on the same flight, under the same confirmation code,’ she explained.
‘When I saw the receipt, my heart dropped. I called American Airlines right away and explained what happened.
‘The representative apologized and assured me the $3,674 charge would be reversed within five to seven business days.’
But days and soon weeks passed with no refund.
‘I kept calling, and each time I was told the same thing: just wait a little longer,’ claimed Katie. ‘Eventually, May 28 rolled around and it was time for my flight, still no refund.
‘When I tried to check in at the airport in Okinawa, the Japan Airlines agent was confused because there were two tickets under my name on the same confirmation code.
Katie booked a one-way flight from Japan to LAX for May 28 using 60,000 miles. She was told she’d have to spend an additional $386 for her infant, which she happily paid over the phone
But when she got the email receipt, she was horrified. Not only did she pay the $386, but she was also charged an addition $3,674.11 for ‘a second full-price ticket under her name’
‘He had to call over a manager, and it took about 45 minutes just to check in. Because of the language barrier, we used Google Translate, and I asked to be checked in under the award ticket. He assured me that’s what he did.
‘The next day, after my trip, I followed up with American again. I asked to speak with a supervisor, who told me that because JAL checked me in under the ticket I had been wrongly charged for, my refund would now take even longer.
‘I explained that this shouldn’t have even been an issue, the overcharge happened almost a month ago.
‘He was extremely dismissive, told me American Airlines has millions of customers and they “can’t get to everyone immediately,” and then hung up on me.’
Katie said she felt ‘completely dismissed’ and described the situation as ‘beyond frustrating.’
‘I had this huge weight on my chest knowing a massive corporation had taken thousands of dollars from me, and it would keep me up at night,’ she added.
‘Each time I called, I’d be on hold for about an hour on average. A few times, I thought I was finally making progress with a helpful representative – only for the call to drop.
‘That happened multiple times, and no one ever called me back. It was especially difficult because I’m a full-time mom and my husband is deployed overseas, so my window to make these calls was extremely limited – basically only when my baby was sleeping.’
White Katie, seen here with her husband, was initially told she’d get a refund, it never came, and after the trip passed, she was told she would no longer be getting a refund at all
She told the Daily Mail that a few weeks ago – over two months after the initial charge – she was told by an American Airlines representative that she would not be getting a refund at all.
The agent allegedly said there was an ‘extensive file’ on her case and that their ‘hands were tied’ because she ‘used the charged ticket.’
‘I explained that this was American Airlines’ fault for not cancelling that ticket in the first place,’ Katie said.
‘Then she suggested I dispute the charge with my credit card company. I was stunned, an employee openly acknowledged her company was in the wrong and essentially admitted they were committing fraud.
‘I was so taken aback that I even asked for her permission to record the conversation because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
‘I felt extreme anger and frustration. I had already opened a credit card dispute months earlier, but I wasn’t making much progress.’
Katie said she began to consider ‘suing American Airlines,’ but that would mean even more ‘time, energy, and money’ spent, adding, ‘By this point, I had easily spent over 50 hours trying to get this resolved.’
As a ‘last-ditch effort’ to get her money back, she decided to share her frustrations on TikTok.
‘I felt desperate – everything else I’d tried had failed. I only had 33 followers and a few low-quality videos, so I honestly didn’t expect anything to come from posting it,’ she explained.
It wasn’t until after the mom-of-one, seen here with her baby, posted about it on TikTok that American Airlines finally refunded her
And while she’s now relieved that she’s been refunded, looking back, Katie said she thinks American handled it in the ‘worst way possible’ and ‘failed at every step’ (stock image)
‘But at that point, I figured I couldn’t be in a worse position than I already was.’
The video went viral, gaining more than 1.5 million views, and after her story took off, hoards of social media viewers from across the globe got involved.
Suddenly, people started commenting on American Airlines’ videos urging them to refund Katie.
‘It was surreal,’ recalled Katie. ‘That’s when I got a call from American.’
Katie said the American Airlines representative told her she’d be getting a refund for the charge as well as a 7,500-mile bonus as an ‘apology.’
‘It’s funny – just days earlier, their “hands were tied,” but a little bad PR and suddenly they weren’t tied anymore,’ Katie reflected.
‘A few hours after that call, I got an email saying my refund was in process. I felt so much relief knowing I was finally getting my thousands back.
‘I also felt vindicated – it was the justice I’d been fighting for all along.’
Six days after she posted her video, the money was back in her account.
And while she’s now relieved that she’s been refunded, looking back, Katie said she thinks American handled it in the ‘worst way possible’ and ‘failed at every step.’
She said the airline made a ‘huge, unacceptable error’ and ‘should have done everything possible to fix it immediately.’
‘It’s incredibly disappointing that such a large corporation can fail their customers this badly,’ she stated.
In a statement, American Airlines told the Daily Mail, ‘Our team has been in touch with this customer and offered her an apology, refunded her in full and offered her a gesture of goodwill.’
Katie’s advice to others? ‘Document everything, and don’t give up,’ urged the mother-of-one.
‘Use the power of social media to your advantage. I never imagined I’d create a viral video, but it worked,’ she concluded.
‘I was blown away by how supportive the TikTok community was, and I’m so thankful for them.
‘Everyone rallied behind me, giving me hope that I’d finally reach a resolution. Never underestimate social media – it’s an incredibly powerful tool.’
