Platinum Insurance - Has Anyone Else Had Problems Collecting?

[Jade13]

I have a theory as to why HAL has addressed our traveling passenger and not the canceling passenger who now tries to get a reimbursement under the CPP she purchased. However, I would like to get all of your thoughts before I taint you with my theory as to why HAL is digging in its heals on this.

 

Any thoughts?

 

This isn't hard to figure out.

 

I have never heard of charging someone after the trip is over. Did they go ahead and charge the credit card of the lady who did travel? I am not clear about that.

 

It sounds like HAL made the error not to access the single supplement before the ship departed.

 

They probably know if they reimburse the lady who canceled, they will not get the monies from the lady who traveled, because she was not aware of the single supplement (or was she)? In any event, I don't understand how this works with unrelated passengers traveling together as we always book one stateroom (for two people) on one credit card.

 

I think HAL owes the refund to the lady who canceled because she bought the policy. I think they should not collect the single supplement from the lady who traveled as that should have been done when she boarded the ship and not after the cruise had ended, and that was HAL's mistake.

 

Btw, what would have happened if they had asked the lady who boarded for the single supplement at check-in?

[sirwired]

Hmmm... I guess it depends on how the booking is accounted for. If there are two entirely separate bookings for each person, then HAL has no leg to stand on. However, I believe that each cabin is booked as a unit. (This would be backed up by the fact that they apparently can't figure out who to send correspondence to... they are probably just sending it to the first person listed on the booking.) In that case, it make sense for the Cancellation Fee waiver to simply "balance the books" for the cabin and deduct the Single Supplement from the reimbursement.

 

In summary: If "cabins" or bookings get charged fees, instead of people, this makes sense. If the fee was charged to a person (and the wrong one), then there is a problem.

[vbmom87]

I have browsed through this thread and I hope the OP can get this situation settled in a fair way.

 

What I want to say, is that since I began researching Travel Insurance, I have decided one needs a Master's Degree in travel insurance. The thing is, every plan is a bit different. I have learned a lot in the last four years, and most of it has been from the trip insurance store. Many people blindly buy trip insurance without a clue regarding exceptions. There is much to learn. This is a good place to start:

 

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/

 

I suggest anyone buying travel insurance to go to this website and spend a few hours reading the links. It is not the most organized site, but if you delve into it, you will get a quick education. If you click on the names of the insurance plans (found on the left) I like the way the website owner had charted out the good things (why buy it?) and the not so good things (Quibbles). There are many blog articles that are very informative.

[kjn]

For those unable to clearly see and read the attached letter in my previous post, here is the text of the main body of the letter sent by HAL:

 

Dear Mrs XXXXXXX,

 

We have received multiple phone calls from your travel agent, Robert, regarding your ms Westerdam sailing on January 14, 2011. First and foremost, we apologize for the disappointment you experienced.

 

We are very sorry to learn of your dissatisfaction with our single supplement policy. Please note that our cruise fares are based on double occupancy, and all of our staterooms are designed to accommodate at least two guests. As such when a single guest reserves a stateroom for his or her self, or another person in your booking cancels at the last minute, such as Ms. XXXXXX, a supplemental fee is charged in order to make up for the lost revenue of the second party. While we do regret your disappointment with our single supplement policy, we hope that you can understand our reasoning behind this pricing structure that is widely used in the travel industry.

 

In addition, it was your tour leader who informed the ship that Ms. XXXXXX was not going. Had the guest canceled prior to sailing, it would have given you adequate notice to either cancel the booking and only pay the cancellation fees or take the option of traveling alone and paying the single supplement.

 

Lastly, we have enclosed a copy of your booking confirmation which was sent to your travel agent. You will note on the 3rd page under 'Summary of Benefits', 'Trip Cancellation' that you may cancel for any reason prior to your scheduled cruise or cruisetour departure, however, the plan does not protect double-triple-quadruple occupancy rates should one or more members of your party cancel. It is unfortunate if you were not fully aware of this aspect of your booking.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to provide us with your comments. We look forward to welcoming you on board again in the near future.

 

Best regards,

 

(Signature)

[vbmom87]

For those unable to clearly see and read the attached letter in my previous post, here is the text of the main body of the letter sent by HAL:

 

Dear Mrs XXXXXXX,

 

We have received multiple phone calls from your travel agent, Robert, regarding your ms Westerdam sailing on January 14, 2011. First and foremost, we apologize for the disappointment you experienced.

 

We are very sorry to learn of your dissatisfaction with our single supplement policy. Please note that our cruise fares are based on double occupancy, and all of our staterooms are designed to accommodate at least two guests. As such when a single guest reserves a stateroom for his or her self, or another person in your booking cancels at the last minute, such as Ms. XXXXXX, a supplemental fee is charged in order to make up for the lost revenue of the second party. While we do regret your disappointment with our single supplement policy, we hope that you can understand our reasoning behind this pricing structure that is widely used in the travel industry.

 

In addition, it was your tour leader who informed the ship that Ms. XXXXXX was not going. Had the guest canceled prior to sailing, it would have given you adequate notice to either cancel the booking and only pay the cancellation fees or take the option of traveling alone and paying the single supplement.

 

Lastly, we have enclosed a copy of your booking confirmation which was sent to your travel agent. You will note on the 3rd page under 'Summary of Benefits', 'Trip Cancellation' that you may cancel for any reason prior to your scheduled cruise or cruisetour departure, however, the plan does not protect double-triple-quadruple occupancy rates should one or more members of your party cancel. It is unfortunate if you were not fully aware of this aspect of your booking.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to provide us with your comments. We look forward to welcoming you on board again in the near future.

 

Best regards,

 

(Signature)

 

I surely feel bad about this. To me it seems to be another one of those unfortunate cases where the purchaser does not understand all the terms under which they purchased. Buyer beware surely applies here. There are so many ins and out of travel insurance, that it is very difficult for anyone to ever fully make someone aware of all the details. The buyer does have to take some of the responsibilty. I am currently reading through 78 pages of the Travel Insurance Protection Plan I am considering purchasing for my next vacation. I doubt many people do that, but I have learned by reading travel forums that many people do not get travel claims covered. I have to say from my reading it seems that if you have a legitimate claim you will get a prompt payment. It is just that many of the claims are not covered by the plan, so they go unpaid. People assume too much about travel insurance and what it will and will not cover. Also, what one plan covers, another might not. After I read the 78 paged of the insurance I am considering, I will then call or use Live Chat on the Travel Insurance store website to get my questions answered. I prefer live chat, because I can print out the conversation.

 

I highly suggest people read the links on the website I posted above. You will get quite an education and be more prepared with what kinds of questions to ask before you purchase.

 

Good luck and in the end I do hope one of the insurances will find you have a legitimate claim.

[kjn]

 

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/

 

I suggest anyone buying travel insurance to go to this website and spend a few hours reading the links.

 

Thanks for the link. Excellent advice. Maybe a thread regarding the HAL CCP would make a good permanent "Sticky" post for this bulletin board? I think everyone reading this thread has learned a lot about HAL insurance, and it would be a shame to see it all disappear in the archives.

 

.

 

Btw, what would have happened if they had asked the lady who boarded for the single supplement at check-in?

 

We would have probably had no choice but to pay (under protest) as our traveler would have otherwise been stranded in Ft. Lauderdale. Interestingly, this "pay at the port" issue was already addressed with HAL by Robert, our travel agent. Robert is going to post a re-cap of his discussion with HAL later today but, for now, suffice it to say HAL apparently takes the position they have no responsibility to collect any supplement due at check-in.

 

As to whether or not she was charged after-the-fact, this has not occurred. Had they done that, the topic of this thread would be about "Getting hit with a surcharge after the cruise" rather that one about having a problem collecting, as HAL would have no reason to deny reimbursement.

 

Interestingly, HAL has not addressed the claim for reimbursement with our canceling passenger and it appears they are reluctant to do so, as evidenced by its sending this rather strange letter to our traveling passenger. From all I have read, anyone that has recovered a reimbursement has done so with a simple call. However, a formal written demand is being sent by our canceling passenger, and we will see what HAL has to say in direct response to that demand letter.

 

As I read it, HAL has a contractual duty to our canceling passenger that is completely independent of any fare issue that have with the traveling passenger. They promise 90% reimbursement if one cancels for any reason, and there are no applicable limitations preventing her right to receive reimbursement. She canceled and she should be reimbursed.

[vbmom87]

 

As I read it, HAL has a contractual duty to our canceling passenger that is completely independent of any fare issue that have with the traveling passenger. They promise 90% reimbursement if one cancels for any reason, and there are no applicable limitations preventing her right to receive reimbursement. She canceled and she should be reimbursed.

 

I am not familiar with the HAL Cancel for any reason, but the ones I am familiar with say that you must cancel up to 48 hours before the scheduled trip.

 

As I often read, it is best not to get insurance through the supplier of your travel plans.

 

You are correct, this thread has been a good education for many.

 

And once again, good luck getting it resolved.

[Jade13]

As I read it, HAL has a contractual duty to our canceling passenger that is completely independent of any fare issue that have with the traveling passenger. They promise 90% reimbursement if one cancels for any reason, and there are no applicable limitations preventing her right to receive reimbursement. She canceled and she should be reimbursed.

 

Does she have a separate "Customer Confirmation" from HAL? It should be a pdf. I do not understand if these two ladies had separate confirmations or not.

[FunForUs]

I have browsed through this thread and I hope the OP can get this situation settled in a fair way.

 

What I want to say, is that since I began researching Travel Insurance, I have decided one needs a Master's Degree in travel insurance. The thing is, every plan is a bit different. I have learned a lot in the last four years, and most of it has been from the trip insurance store. Many people blindly buy trip insurance without a clue regarding exceptions. There is much to learn. This is a good place to start:

 

http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/

 

I suggest anyone buying travel insurance to go to this website and spend a few hours reading the links. It is not the most organized site, but if you delve into it, you will get a quick education. If you click on the names of the insurance plans (found on the left) I like the way the website owner had charted out the good things (why buy it?) and the not so good things (Quibbles). There are many blog articles that are very informative.

 

I agree with you & use Trip Insurance Store for all my travel insurance. In addition to so much information on their web site, they are just a phone call away from helping you sift through the information to chose the right insurance. There are so many exceptions it can be overwhelming.

[JJPacer]

I've tried to follow this long and complicated thread. Am I correct in these facts?

 

The traveling passenger was not charged the single supplement either at the time of check in at the dock or after the cruise ended?

 

The canceling passenger has not been reimbursed for her canceled cruise by HAL: even though she & her travel agent has requested she be reimbursed?

 

Speculation is that the canceling passenger has not received reimbursement because the traveling passenger should have been charged a single supplement, and further speculation is that the single supplement will be deducted from the canceling passengers 90% reimbursement?

 

Do I have the gist of the controversy? :confused:

[hammybee]

I've tried to follow this long and complicated thread. Am I correct in these facts?

 

The traveling passenger was not charged the single supplement either at the time of check in at the dock or after the cruise ended?

 

The canceling passenger has not been reimbursed for her canceled cruise by HAL: even though she & her travel agent has requested she be reimbursed?

 

Speculation is that the canceling passenger has not received reimbursement because the traveling passenger should have been charged a single supplement, and further speculation is that the single supplement will be deducted from the canceling passengers 90% reimbursement?

 

Do I have the gist of the controversy? :confused:

 

I'm right there with you.

 

Assume no insurance.

 

2 people booked a cabin. 1 party cancels. 1 party sails. The cruise line charges the sailing party a single sup at some point in time, presumably before the party disembarks the ship.

 

Instead, we have a convoluted situation.

[sail7seas]

Has anyone here heard of a guest being charged fees after they have left the ship? I've seen mini bar purchase added but that is about it.

 

[tropicj]

I'm right there with you.

 

Assume no insurance.

 

2 people booked a cabin. 1 party cancels. 1 party sails. The cruise line charges the sailing party a single sup at some point in time, presumably before the party disembarks the ship.

 

Instead, we have a convoluted situation.

 

The difference here appears to be because there was insurance involved. In the scenario you suggest, the sailing party would never be charged a single supplement - because the canceling party wouldn't get any money back (assuming the cancellation happened at the last minute, as it did here). There would be only one person in the cabin, but HAL would have been paid for double occupancy.

 

The situation here is that the canceling party wants reimbursement, which leaves a single person sailing in the cabin having paid only a single fare based on double occupancy, which HAL does not permit. Based on the description of what happened at check-in with the sailing passenger, it sounds as though she may have simply said her cabin-mate wasn't coming. If she didn't say that the cabin-mate also intended to make an insurance claim, why would the check-in person have told her about the single supplement? That only became an issue once the canceling party sought to get her 90% reimbursement.

 

We encountered this situation in my family in December. My brother's girlfriend could not sail at the last minute due to work reasons. We priced it out and it was actually cheaper to just tell them at check-in that she wasn't coming and not make the insurance claim, than it would have been to claim her 90% reimbursement and have my brother pay the single supplement (they were in a balcony room, so the supplement was another full fare). At check-in, he simply said his girlfriend couldn't make it. They asked if she was going to try to join the cruise later. He said no. That was the end of it. They didn't ask about whether she planned to make an insurance claim, and they didn't tell him about a single supplement because the room was paid for double occupancy.

[cruiseco]

The difference here appears to be because there was insurance involved.

 

It's even more narrow than that. This only happened because HAL's insurance was involved. If the canceling party had third-party insurance this would also never have come up for the reasons you stated.

[peaches from georgia]

tropicj: You summed up the entire situation perfectly and clearly. This supplement only occured because insurance reimbursement became involved. Unfortunately the change in the sailing person's status to a single cabin occupant occured at the very last minute and wasn't known until after the cruise when the insurance claim was filed by the cancelling pax. No way HAL could have asked for the single supplement from the sailing pax until they were aware of the claim, so HAL wants to deduct the supplement from the cancelling pax' reimbursement to be sure they have received it and not try to collect from the sailing pax after the fact.

 

I wonder if the cancelling and sailing pax are friends or were just in the same cabin as part of a group. If friends it is a touchy situation because the sailing pax is being charged the supplement due to the late cancellation by her friend, through no fault of her own. If I were the cancelling party I would feel some kind of responsibility for putting my friend in what is probably a financial bind. Does anyone know how much $$$ we are talking about with this supplement that somebody is bound to have to pay?

[Jade13]

Has anyone here heard of a guest being charged fees after they have left the ship? I've seen mini bar purchase added but that is about it.

 

 

I have the same question, and I think HAL made the mistake and should eat this loss.

[Jade13]

The difference here appears to be because there was insurance involved. In the scenario you suggest, the sailing party would never be charged a single supplement - because the canceling party wouldn't get any money back (assuming the cancellation happened at the last minute, as it did here). There would be only one person in the cabin, but HAL would have been paid for double occupancy.

 

The situation here is that the canceling party wants reimbursement, which leaves a single person sailing in the cabin having paid only a single fare based on double occupancy, which HAL does not permit. Based on the description of what happened at check-in with the sailing passenger, it sounds as though she may have simply said her cabin-mate wasn't coming. If she didn't say that the cabin-mate also intended to make an insurance claim, why would the check-in person have told her about the single supplement? That only became an issue once the canceling party sought to get her 90% reimbursement.

 

We encountered this situation in my family in December. My brother's girlfriend could not sail at the last minute due to work reasons. We priced it out and it was actually cheaper to just tell them at check-in that she wasn't coming and not make the insurance claim, than it would have been to claim her 90% reimbursement and have my brother pay the single supplement (they were in a balcony room, so the supplement was another full fare). At check-in, he simply said his girlfriend couldn't make it. They asked if she was going to try to join the cruise later. He said no. That was the end of it. They didn't ask about whether she planned to make an insurance claim, and they didn't tell him about a single supplement because the room was paid for double occupancy.

 

Great points. And also thank you for telling us what happened in the same scenario. Another difference is that you all understood the insurance guidelines for the Platinum Protection. In this other case the canceling passenger is claiming they do not know anything about a single supplement (or it is not their concern because they have an individual booking in double occupancy room).

[Jade13]

tropicj: You summed up the entire situation perfectly and clearly. This supplement only occured because insurance reimbursement became involved. Unfortunately the change in the sailing person's status to a single cabin occupant occured at the very last minute and wasn't known until after the cruise when the insurance claim was filed by the cancelling pax. No way HAL could have asked for the single supplement from the sailing pax until they were aware of the claim, so HAL wants to deduct the supplement from the cancelling pax' reimbursement to be sure they have received it and not try to collect from the sailing pax after the fact.

 

I wonder if the cancelling and sailing pax are friends or were just in the same cabin as part of a group. If friends it is a touchy situation because the sailing pax is being charged the supplement due to the late cancellation by her friend, through no fault of her own. If I were the cancelling party I would feel some kind of responsibility for putting my friend in what is probably a financial bind. Does anyone know how much $$$ we are talking about with this supplement that somebody is bound to have to pay?

 

Approx. $300.00. They paid $99.00 each for the policy.

 

I also want to know if these two are friends and whether or not they had one booking with both names or not (I assume they do).

[kjn]

Wow, there has been a lot of activity on this thread since I signed off this afternoon. I'll try and answer everyones' questions.

 

jade13 - Each passenger received her own confirmation. There is only one name listed on each confirmation.

 

JJPacer - Your understanding of the facts is correct with one exception. The request for reimbursement was made by the travel agent, which is the routine procedure. (There was actually one other cancellation in our group that occurred about 4 days prior to sailing. It was by a lady traveling alone. A reimbursement was on its was following one call from the travel agent. We tried to substitute another single into the cabin, but HAL said "no". The cabin was re-booked and occupied for the sailing, and I think there were 2 in the cabin..)

 

Peaches from Georgia - If the single supplement were paid as a pre-condition for reimbursement, the net reimbursement would be about $300. These ladies met as a result of the cruise. Both were single travelers looking for a cabin mate. They have since become friends, even though they never actually traveled together.

 

tropicj - You have an interesting point I hadn't considered. However, I doubt this is the first time this scenario has occurred, and if a single supplement has the potential to become an issue, HAL could have long-ago established a procedure to prevent this. I would think the check-in program should (or certainly could) be programmed to flag the need to assess the supplement as soon as the cancellation information is entered into the system. My guess it that HAL has no desire to give the remaining traveling party the option to cancel a cabin that cannot be rebook at the last minute. If that happened, HAL would lose 90% of the total booking plus onboard sales, rather than just the reimbursement for one passenger.

 

Jade 13 - The guest confirmations sent to the travel agent have only one name per confirmation. Each purchased the CPP, so as a matter of contract, it looks like each should have an independent right to cancel and receive reimbursement.

[Jade13]

 

Jade 13 - The guest confirmations sent to the travel agent have only one name per confirmation. Each purchased the CPP, so as a matter of contract, it looks like each should have an independent right to cancel and receive reimbursement.

 

Without seeing the copy, that is exactly what I think. It sounds like each guest has a separate confirmation from HAL AND a separate policy. But, did HAL send a copy of the plan description to the travel agent to forward to their client?

 

I am willing to bet the travel agent did not send a copy of the Platinum Cancellation Plan along with the confirmation to these two women. And, that would be the travel agents fault because they than sold a policy and did not either give a copy or explain what was purchased. We have seen this before where it is easy to blame HAL. If all this was purchased directly from a TA they did have a responsibility to understand what was being purchased, but at a minimum give a copy to the guests. When we have bought this plan we have always taken a copy with us on our trip. It includes numbers to call. And, there is already a post from someone whose brothers girlfriend canceled and they knew exactly what they had bought and exactly how it would result in a single supplement. They made a conscious decision not file a claim.

 

They do each have a right to receive reimbursement for cancellation, but HAL has a right to access a single supplement. If they collected the single supplement there would be no issue in the canceling passenger collecting their 90% reimbursement.

 

Now, I think your TA needs to negotiate with HAL to make an exception in this case and not access the single supplement on principal it is not right to do so after the trip is over. HAL can do this without setting a precedent on the policy contents. In the future HAL needs to collect whatever fare is do at check-in, not months later. HAL also need to make sure the policy with single supplement terms is better attached to the "Guest Confirmation" pdfs that are routinely sent directly to guests or their agents.

 

Instead of arguing the policy details, it would better to request that HAL make the exception based on their error of not advising or collecting the single supplement in a timely manner. See the difference?

[vbmom87]

Without seeing the copy, that is exactly what I think. It sounds like each guest has a separate confirmation from HAL AND a separate policy. But, did HAL send a copy of the plan description to the travel agent to forward to their client?

 

I am willing to bet the travel agent did not send a copy of the Platinum Cancellation Plan along with the confirmation to these two women. And, that would be the travel agents fault because they than sold a policy and did not either give a copy or explain what was purchased. We have seen this before where it is easy to blame HAL. If all this was purchased directly from a TA they did have a responsibility to understand what was being purchased, but at a minimum give a copy to the guests. When we have bought this plan we have always taken a copy with us on our trip. It includes numbers to call. And, there is already a post from someone whose brothers girlfriend canceled and they knew exactly what they had bought and exactly how it would result in a single supplement. They made a conscious decision not file a claim.

 

They do each have a right to receive reimbursement for cancellation, but HAL has a right to access a single supplement. If they collected the single supplement there would be no issue in the canceling passenger collecting their 90% reimbursement.

 

Now, I think your TA needs to negotiate with HAL to make an exception in this case and not access the single supplement on principal it is not right to do so after the trip is over. HAL can do this without setting a precedent on the policy contents. In the future HAL needs to collect whatever fare is do at check-in, not months later. HAL also need to make sure the policy with single supplement terms is better attached to the "Guest Confirmation" pdfs that are routinely sent directly to guests or their agents.

 

Instead of arguing the policy details, it would better to request that HAL make the exception based on their error of not advising or collecting the single supplement in a timely manner. See the difference?

 

Some good points.

 

I heartly agree that this all falls back on the TA. When you book a cruise through a TA you are typically doing so because they should understand what they are selling and communicate that to their clients. They are making a commission and it is their responsibility to know the ins and outs of what they are selling. We should expect nothing less. I say if HAL does not make an exception, the TA should cover any losses.

 

I am buying my own insurance and as I mentioned above, I have been researching on the tripinsurance store and reading the 78 page policy VERY SLOWLY to make sure I have no surprises.

[kjn]

Jade 13,

 

I can't find fault with our TA in this case. As group leader, I worked directly with our TA on all the bookings, and I was actually the one that sent information regarding the CPP to the members in our group. To that end, I did receive a copy of the Plan Description from our TA and also downloaded it from the website.

 

I also read it careful to make sure it contained no "trap", and the single supplement language does not appear in the Plan Description, as has been pointed out numerous times in this thread. As the controlling document, the Plan Description is where any exclusions or limitations on coverage should be.

 

The only place I have found "pre-purchase" reference to the dual-supplement rate protection is on the webpage summary of the Standard Plan. As you were the first to point out in this thread, that language implies that if you upgrade from the Standard to the Platinum, the rate would be protected.

[Jade13]

Jade 13,

 

I can't find fault with our TA in this case. As group leader, I worked directly with our TA on all the bookings, and I was actually the one that sent information regarding the CPP to the members in our group. To that end, I did receive a copy of the Plan Description from our TA and also downloaded it from the website.

 

I also read it careful to make sure it contained no "trap", and the single supplement language does not appear in the Plan Description, as has been pointed out numerous times in this thread. As the controlling document, the Plan Description is where any exclusions or limitations on coverage should be.

 

The only place I have found "pre-purchase" reference to the dual-supplement rate protection is on the webpage summary of the Standard Plan. As you were the first to point out in this thread, that language implies that if you upgrade from the Standard to the Platinum, the rate would be protected.

 

Has there been any update or resolution?

[sail7seas]

Thanks for asking, Jade. I've been wondering about this.

 

Hopefully OP will tell us the 'rest of the story' after having this lengthy thread, it would be good to know the resoluation, if any.

 

[kjn]

Here is an update for those of you that have contributed to or have followed this thread.

 

About three weeks ago, our canceling passenger sent a certified letter to HAL requesting the reimbursable amounts. Although HAL never gave a written response to her letter, she did receive a charge card credit of $354, which was about 55% of the $642 in fare she paid. I'm not sure what HAL used to calculate the 90 percent of reimbursable amounts, but needless to say, our canceling passenger was not thrilled with her 55% reimbursement, and can now be classified as someone who had 6 cruises with HAL and will never have a 7th.

 

Interestingly, when you add the $288 HAL did not reimburse, plus the $99 insurance payment, HAL ended up keeping $387 of the total amount our canceling passenger paid. As the single supplement for this cabin was only $296, HAL has to this point already netted more from this booking than it received for a similar cabin booked at a single-occupancy rate. It now gets more interesting......

 

I thought this might be the end of the issue, but HAL decided it will pursue additional collection. Yesterday afternoon, a HAL representative called our travel agent demanding that he collect the single supplement from the traveling passenger. Our TA refused to authorize the additional billing. We aren't sure if the amount HAL seeks is the $296 supplement in effect at the time of booking, or the $592 supplement in effect at the time of cancellation. I guess we will find out when HAL sends a letter to our traveling passenger.

 

I have no idea how this will resolve, but I'll will keep you apprised of what happens as things develop.