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View Full Version : Parkland victim's mom gets break on shocking $36G bill for charter flight



jimnyc
05-02-2018, 03:24 PM
What a horrible thing to have to go through. First you find out that your son has been murdered, but then you can't find a flight out to get to Florida where it all happened. Trust me, I have all the sympathy in the world. As a parent, I really just can't imagine what all of these folks went through. And then having no choice but to use a charter flight. That sucks.

But they wanted this flight, at all costs, and acknowledged as much. I'd love to be a fly in their correspondence and find out just how they approached Talon to seek a discount, and on what exactly. From afar, I would say that they should give them a dang break on the empty return flight. It's likely in their contract, one they likely didn't read being their state of mind and being in such a rush back then. But also due to all the surrounding circumstances, so long as they aren't literally losing money, then it would be cool to see them give a larger break on the return trip. But she's not "entitled" to it, and knew it would be very costly, and I'm a betting man, and bet that all of this is spelled out in the contract. Chartering a flight is no joke, very expensive!!

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Parkland victim's mom gets break on shocking $36G bill for charter flight

The mother of a Parkland shooting victim finally received the break she sought from a charter plane operator that flew her to Florida and then handed her a $36,000 bill.

Linda Schulman's ordeal began after she learned her son, Marjory Stoneman Douglass geography teacher Scott Beigel, had been killed in the Feb. 14 shooting. She immediately tried to get a flight down to Parkland, but everything was booked.

"We took to our computers searching every airline that could get us to Florida from Islip, LaGuardia, JFK or Newark. Long story short, due to school having winter break and a major PGA golf tournament taking place in Florida, there were no available flights to be had," she wrote on Facebook.

Every airline she contacted told her there were no seats available for the urgent flight, so she booked a charter flight with Talon Air Inc.

"Even though I had never chartered a plane before, I knew it was going to be super expensive. It didn’t matter what the cost ~ I had to get to my son!" she wrote.

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Soon after the flight, the grieving mother was hit with a crippling $36,458 bill for the flight down and then flying the empty plane back – a common practice for airline companies.

“I have no problem accepting that I have to pay for one way, even the fuel charge for the return flight,” Beigel’s mother wrote on Facebook. “Where is the compassion from Talon Air Inc.?”

Rest - http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/05/01/mom-parkland-shooting-victim-shocked-by-36000-charter-flight-bill-asks-for-compassion.html


Facebook:

Today marks day 74 since my son Scott J. Beigel was shot and killed senselessly at the Parkland massacre. I have waited all this time in hopes that the owner of Talon Air, Inc.. would show some compassion, but as you read on you will see that unfortunately he has not.

On February 14th, at approximately 2:30pm, after hearing that a geography teacher and cross- country coach had been shot at Margory Stoneman Douglas HS in Parkland, FL., my husband, my brother (Mark Peters), and I were frantically trying to find the next commercial flight down to Florida ~ that teacher and coach was my son and I had to find out what hospital he was in because I had to be with him. We took to our computers searching every airline that could get us to Florida from Islip, LaGuardia, JFK or Newark. Long story short, due to school having winter break and a major PGA golf tournament taking place in Florida, there were no available flights to be had. Without taking an extra second we got on the phone and proceeded to call charter plane companies pretty much begging to get us on a flight down to Ft. Lauderdale, the closest airport to the command center. We explained our circumstances to Talon Air, Inc. and they said they could have a plane ready to go in 90 minutes.

We were out the door within 15 minutes, headed straight to Farmingdale where we signed the necessary forms, handed them a credit card and were on our way. The pilots were more than accommodating and truly seemed to understand our “as best as could be held together hysteria”. We landed, got into a rental car and were at the Marriott command center by 9:40pm. The rest of the story is history or, as I refer to it, my living nightmare.

Soon thereafter we received the bill from Talon Air, Inc.. Even though I had never chartered a plane before, I knew it was going to be super expensive. It didn’t matter what the cost ~ I had to get to my son! Talon Air, Inc. not only charged us $18,229.57 one way ~ they charged us another $18229.56 to bring the plane back to Farmingdale because they did not have anyone wanting to charter the plane back from Ft. Lauderdale. REALLY???

Now anyone who knows me knows that I have never taken to social media to write a negative
review about a company. This being said ---

We called and emailed Talon Air, Inc. and explained and re-explained our circumstances. From the $36,459.13 bill they offered us a $1000.00 discount or a $2000.00 donation to the charity of our choice. After much back and forth, they agreed to reduce our $36,459.13 charge to $34,459.13. I ask, “Are you kidding me?”

I have no problem accepting that I have to pay for one way, even the fuel charge for the return flight… but $18,229.56 for the return of the plane? Where is the compassion from Talon Air, Inc.??? After February 14th JetBlue offered 30 days for any flights to and from Florida at no cost to the victims’ families. They even gave us a special # to call so that they could help make our flight arrangements. JetBlue could not have been more accommodating and understanding.

I ask anyone reading this post to not even consider chartering a plane from Talon Air, Inc.. There are many more charter companies available and I would bet way more compassionate and understanding.

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