Travel Insurance Provider 'Just Fly' Accused Of Charging Passengers To File Claims
CHICAGO (CBS)—United Airlines helped out a passenger recently who was let down by her travel insurance provider.
The passenger is telling her story to help other airline customers avoid the debacle she went through when she tried to get a refund when her plans changed at the last minute.
Helen Cazzola said she purchased travel insurance along with her flight because she knew her family member was sick and she might have to change her plans.
"I booked a flight to see my brother," Cazzola said. "And took insurance, in case his situation became worse, which it did."
Cazzola suddenly had to rush down to Jacksonville, Florida to see her brother sooner than she had expected.
The last minute trip meant she could not use the other airline tickets she had bought.
"I was worried my brother might go downhill quicker," she said.
Cazzola paid an extra $24 for travel insurance from justfly.com on top of the ticket costs, so she thought she would easily be eligible for a refund.
"I was already under a lot of stress," she said. "I just felt like they were trying to get a letter from me to get money to cover my insurance."
Cazzola says the travel agency demanded $75 dollars per ticket -- so a total of 150 -- for a letter -- just to have the right to file a claim to 'maybe' get back $293.
"They're saying, 'buy the insurance,'" Cazzola said. "If you want the insurance you have to pay money to prove you need it."
Cazzola is not alone with a gripe against Just Fly.
The Better Business Bureau has a pattern of complaints against Just Fly dating back to 2016.
The company has a history of being accused of charging additional fees, as well as customer service issues.
Just Fly has not responded to a request from CBS 2 for comment.
United Airlines stepped in to help after learning what happened. The airline credited Cazzola for her unused tickets.