Apologies for question mark not included in left column; I've retyped this message several times, losing it and just getting lost.  I must have missed the box with my last attempt.  Mea culpa! 

I’ll keep this short, sparing you details, as best I’m able, which don’t speak directly to my question. 

I purchased airline tickets in October 2010, through Booking.com to travel to England in March 2011 on British Airways, in addition to related non-refundable reservation expenditures.  I discovered only a day before my scheduled drive from my home to San Francisco Int’l Airport, that I had lost my passport.  About 24 hours before the flight departure I called BrAir to cancel my tix and purchased seat number, knowing that the charges were non-refundable.  I just seemed to be the responsible thing to do. 

Whining EXCUSE

 I had actually had my hands on the passport only 24 hours before cancelling my reservations and doubtless had tucked it inside my trip planning notebook, which I took with me to a doctor’s appointment to work on my plan as I awaited the visit.  I do not remember (a consequence of my chemotherapy several years ago) specifically having the notebook with me, but it was lost to me after the appointment, despite being available earlier.  I have not seen it since.  So I probably left the notebook in the waiting room and someone else ran off with it rather than turning it over to staff.  Only hours later did I notice the loss and begin to take my household stacks of paper and notebooks apart searching for it. 

CUSTOMER SERVICE BACKGROUND:

• On May 15, I submitted a request through the standard customer services request link, detailing the medical background into my cognitive failure and my longstanding desire to visit with my British family, Grade II* British Heritage listed ancestral home, CRUFTS, and traveling around the countryside over just a 3-week timeframe.  I asked simply for the opportunity to re-schedule my travel, rather than dollars refunded. I received no response. 

• On July 9, I again attempted to obtain at least a denial, if not my wished for ticketing approval, through “Customer Relations,” referencing my earlier request.  I received a response with an associated “Request Reference Number” and the statement, in part, “I hope I can assure you we will be in touch with you again in the very near future.”   I did not hear from them after that communication.  I have not followed-through since receiving this response.

Soooooo, I am thinking that one last time I might contact them with the associated case number from the July communication, again begging their consideration in the hopes that they might give me another ticketing opportunity. 

QUESTION:

I suppose I should just accept their lack of continued contact as their decision to deny my request.  But this follow-through on the July response will be my final attempt to connect in some meaningful way so as to finally let go of my longstanding dream to visit my ancestors’ home and cousins whom I have never met in person.  I simply cannot, as an early disability retiree, afford another expenditure toward this end, sadly.  Please be kind. I am an inexperienced traveler and couldn’t imagine needing to purchase travel insurance when nothing would keep me from going.   Yeah, RIGHT! 

Can any of you experienced travelers or retired travel industry personnel tell me how best to beg my case.   Thoughts?  Wisdom? 

Gratefully,

Linda, Leading-edge Babyboomer