Allegiant Will Refund Booted Passenger After All

Something didn't seem right when Allegiant Air claimed it didn't owe a refund to a mother (and her noisy children) it kicked off a plane. So I investigated the airline's contract of carriage. What I found was language that seemed to say the opposite, that the woman was, in fact, owed a refund. Here's what I sent to Allegiant yesterday morning:

Rule 90A of Allegiant’s contract of carriage states that:

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Later that day, Sabrina LoPiccolo, Allegiant's Manager, Public Relations/Promotions, responded:

Under the FAA requirements we are not obligated to provide a refund.  However, based on your comments below we have reviewed our policy and you are correct. Under our terms and conditions we are obligated to provide the passenger a refund. Our customer care team will be contacting the passenger and offering her a refund as soon as possible.  Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

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Hats off to Allegiant for stepping up, even if it took a little prodding.

The moral of the story here is obvious: You don't have much leverage against an airline, but you do have some. Passengers who are denied boarding or removed from a plane may have a strong case for a refund or some other form of compensation or assistance. It's all there in the contract you agree to when you purchase your ticket.

**Update, Nov. 25: LoPiccolo confirmed for me that Allegiant did send the refund, and the customer recieved it. In case you were wondering.

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