A California woman hoping to start a new life in Idaho was marooned for eight days in the airport for eight days after she said she didn't have enough money for a surprise baggage fee.
Teri Weissinger told KGO-TV that she only had $30 in her pocket after she purchased a ticket Orbitz.com - not enough for the $60 surcharge to get on the U.S. Airways flight to the Gem Stateto start a new life in Idaho. With just $30 in her pocket, she was unable to pay the $60 baggage fee U.S. Airways said she owed.
She offered to leave a bag behind, but couldn't because of security regulations and also said she could pay when she arrived at her destination - which the airline declined to allow.
So instead of a new life, she ended up stranded.
"I found a little stairway and I lay on the floor and slept there," she told the TV station.
With no way to return home, she missed her flight - which added $150 to her trip. But the next day, the airline told her her new flight would cost about a grand.
Panicked, she ran out of cash and wandered the airport desperately looking for help. When she asked police, she was almost arrested for vagrancy, she said.
"I was tired, hungry, dirty" she told the TV station.
Finally, she saw a listing for the Airport Church of Christ and called for help. The church raised $210 to get her to her destination - which despite the airline's original estimate for a new ticket, proved to be enough.
The airline remained unmoved when contacted by KGO-TV.
"We have apologized to Ms. Weissinger for her experience, but unfortunately are unable to offer a refund. When you purchase a non-refundable ticket, you accept the terms and conditions. If a passenger cannot travel with their bags, they need to make other arrangements," a spokesperson said.
Orbitz also skidded away from responsibility for the ordeal.
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