7 On Your Side helps woman fight $880 flight change fee

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Chances are if you booked a family trip, you'd expect to travel together, but that almost didn't happen for one San Jose family.

The trip of a lifetime turned urgent when a couple received some life changing news. Traveling together as a family became especially important.

Jeannine Slater has fond memories of her trip with her partner Steven and their two youngest sons. The San Jose couple spent nearly two weeks on a Viking River Cruise down the Rhein from Switzerland to Germany.

"We've been wanting to do this about four years," Slater said. "We planned to do this in a couple of years."

Those plans had to be moved up when doctors diagnosed Steven with cancer. After emergency surgery, the prognosis was not good.

They planned to each bring their youngest son. When they received the itinerary it had the sons traveling on a different flight than the parents. The couple made the arrangements through World Travel, but Viking Cruises took care of the airline reservations.

"Why would we not want to travel together? He knows the entire situation. Why would he put us on different flights," Slater said.

Neither World Travel nor Viking Cruises would change the flight without an $880 change fee. Jeanine argued for three days without success. She reluctantly paid it and the family managed to put their disappointment aside.

"There is castle after castle. Little villages. Absolutely breathtaking. So that was amazing," Slater said. "Every night having dinner. The four of us and laughing and really enjoying ourselves."

When she got home, she shared her memories with her friends. But there was that one nagging issue with the change fee.

Friends encouraged her to contact 7 On Your Side.

She did and we contacted World Travel and it moved to resolve the matter. "Our customer relations department worked diligently with Viking Cruises to resolve Mrs. Slater's complaint," World Travel said.

Viking Cruises agreed to refund half the change fee, World Travel refunded the rest.