Braniff’s Failure Leaves Passengers Four Options

When cash-starved Braniff Inc. cancelled all passenger service last Tuesday, many consumers were left holding tickets. What hope do they have of getting value from those tickets?

There are four options:

Some other airlines are accepting Braniff tickets on a standby basis. Among them are Continental, Midway, Eastern and Delta (for return travel only), although this varies, depending upon flight availability. Contact the individual airlines to find out.

Consumers who paid for their Braniff tickets by credit card and have not yet paid the bill may refuse to do so and be protected under truth-in-lending laws. Call the credit card issuer for specific instructions. It will advise you on how to apply in writing.

“That’s one of the cleanest, easiest ways,” according to a Braniff spokesman.

Travelers who purchased tickets by cash or check on or after Sept. 28, the date Braniff filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, can apply for a refund by sending the original ticket (keep a copy for your files) plus name and address to: Refund Accounting Department, Braniff Inc., Box 7035, Dallas, Tex. 75209.

Braniff is not offering any time table for the refunds. “I don’t have any idea of the time element,” a Braniff spokesman said.

Customers holding unused Braniff tickets purchased before Sept. 28 will need to apply for refund through the bankruptcy court. To file, get a Proof-of-Claim form from a stationary store that sells legal forms or from a United States courthouse. Fill out the form and send, along with the Braniff ticket and proof of purchase for any other expenses incurred such as replacement tickets on other airlines to: United States Bankruptcy Court, Middle District of Florida, First Bankers Building, 135 West Central Boulevard, Suite 950, Orlando, Fla. 32801. Be sure to include the case number: 89-3325 and keep a copy of both the completed Proof-of-Claim form and of tickets.

And don’t spend the refund money yet. This process is not guaranteed and will undoubtedly take a long time.

For more information, call Braniff toll-free at (800) 282-5586, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST.

Film maker Warren Miller’s “New Zealand on My Mind” will be screened five times in the Los Angeles area this month, starting Tuesday at the Mirimar Sheraton, 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica.

Other showings are on Wednesday, Hyatt on Sunset, 8401 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; Thursday, Warner Center Hilton, 6360 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills; Nov. 28, Ramada Renaissance, 111 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, and Nov. 29, Torrance Marriott, 3635 Fashion Way, Torrance.

Admission to the program, which also includes a slide presentation on transport, accommodations and sightseeing in New Zealand, is free. All screenings begin at 7:30 p.m. and reservations are requested.