Just curious Vagabond. Say you make portraits. A husband comes to you and pays you $1000 do make a portrait of you and his wife. materials cost you $900. After you paint it, what would you do if he calls you and says "I don't need it anymore she died and it will be too painful to look at." Put yourself out of the $900? How soon before the flight did he ask for the refund? Could they have resold the seats? It sucks but that is business. They shouldn't be put out for someone else's unfortunate luck. Although in this case with this large a company the bad publicity will be worse than giving the refund.