October 2nd, 2018, I’m trying to check-in online for my flight Boston-London when I read some unexpected news, my flight had disappeared. Primera Air, the airline flying me to London, had gone bankrupt and ceased operations a day before, leaving hundreds of passengers and employees stranded around the world and I was one of them.
In this article, I want to share how important and helpful are points/miles and reliable credit cards during emergencies, and how even in some pressing situations you can still asses your options and make the best decision given the circumstances.
One of my best friends had asked me to be a Master of Ceremonies for her wedding in London, I was honored and I gladly accepted. It would have worked out perfectly since the week before I had a family wedding in Boston, so if planned correctly I could go to both weddings, Boston and London, and then fly back to Dallas (home) from London.
I found a cheap ticket via Primera Air, a Scandinavian low-cost airline. My ticket was $191 including a bag, very affordable and perfect for my dates. I’m not a big fan of low-cost airlines but my resources aren’t infinite and for $191 I was more than happy to sacrifice comfort to be at 2 destination weddings in 7 days. I already had my London-Dallas flight booked.
Imagine my surprise when I was trying to check-in and the website was down, all contact channels off, and my friends expecting on the other side of the Atlantic.
Contacting Primera Air was not an option and I wasn’t going to waste my time trying. My goal was to get to London and be at the wedding without taking a big hit to my finances, I weighed my options as soon as I could.
Certain airlines such as Virgin and Norwegian were offering discounts for stranded passengers however even with those discounts, one-way direct flights Boston-London were close to $1000. I reviewed my options adding a layover and prices were more affordable, down to $700. However the layover was about 12 hours, and I had conference calls for work that I didn’t want to take at the airport.
Finally, I reviewed my options with award tickets and found something perfect. Via British Airways there was a direct flight that morning at 7:30 am and they had available award space. The award price was 13000 British Airways Avios and $198.40.
I quickly transferred 13000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points from my Chase Ink account to British Airways in order to book the award ticket and pay for the balance.
After paying for the award ticket I felt relieved even though I didn’t get any sleep. By the time I was boarding the plane, I definitely felt victorious. I was able to solve my emergency thanks to my points and knowledge and made it to my friend’s wedding and we all had a fantastic time.
Even though I had lost the $191 from my original ticket with Primera Air, I still submitted a dispute with Citi since the service was never delivered. At that moment I used Citi Prestige for all my travel transactions and I’m aware they had a more comprehensive travel protection program. Fortunately, Citi refunded me for my original ticket and their great customer service is a reason I’m still with them.
Since my original ticket was refunded, my out-of-pocket expenses were almost as originally planned ($198.40 instead of $191) plus I had to convert 13000 points into miles. Still, a pretty good deal.
I know my experience had a positive outcome, compared to many that were stranded far from home (I have family in Boston) and I was fortunate to be able to solve this in a couple of hours. Nevertheless, I hope I was able to share how helpful can be your points/miles in emergencies, the support you can get from a good credit card’s customer service, and knowing your options.
Safe travels and adventures!
Nice tip for travelers, and what a freaking time, you had to write this!
Thanks! I was fortunate to make it but it was definitely an adventure!