Man uses ChatGPT to get ₹2 lakh refund from airline and hotel after sudden trip cancellation

Economic Times

23-05-2025

Denied refund for cancelled trip
Using ChatGPT as legal support
Partial success and a second try
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Airline reverses decision
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A man who had to cancel his trip to Colombia due to a medical emergency recovered his flight and hotel costs by using ChatGPT to write legal letters on his behalf. He shared the full account of his experience on Reddit, where he said that both the airline and hotel initially refused to refund the $2,500 (Rs 2 lakh) he had spent. But after using ChatGPT to draft appeals based on medical grounds, he succeeded in getting a refund from both.The man had planned a visit to Medellín, Colombia, but had to cancel his travel at the last minute because of a medical emergency. When he approached the hotel and airline to request a refund, both refused. 'The hotel had a no-cancellation policy. They absolutely said no,' he explained. The airline's 'response was that there was no cancellation policy.'With no refund and faced with losing $2,500, he turned to ChatGPT for help. 'I asked ChatGPT to act as my lawyer and advocate for me,' he said. He told the AI that he had Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and also had a doctor's note to support this. Using the details provided, ChatGPT drafted a letter requesting a refund based on medical reasons.'ChatGPT researched Expedia policies, the hotel's policies, and the airline policies. It then wrote a letter for me advocating,' he said.The hotel responded positively and agreed to issue a refund. However, the airline still refused. According to the airline, 'a refund is only possible due to death or terminal illness.' Instead of giving up, the man shared the airline's response with ChatGPT and asked it to prepare a second letter.The AI assistant responded with a new letter that questioned how the airline treated mental health conditions and explained how the man's medical issue affected his ability to travel. 'It described reasons why and how my medical condition can affect the flight, and that they were being biased based on a mental illness. This thing wrote this letter to the core,' he said.After receiving the second letter, the airline changed its position within an hour. 'The airline responded that my refund will be honoured,' the man said.Reflecting on the experience, he added, 'Had I not used ChatGPT, I would have had to hire a paralegal. And that would've cost me more money. Don't take no for an answer… ChatGPT-4.0 saved me from losing $2,500.'Disclaimer: This article is based on a user-generated post on Reddit. ET.com has not independently verified the claims made in the post and does not vouch for their accuracy. The views expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET.com. Reader discretion is advised.