Soldier's Home for Christmas, But Only After Complications

When Canyon Country resident Mary O'Neill found out her son stationed overseas might not make it home for Christmas due to some ticket complications, she took matters into her own hands, and called her local congressman.

U.S. Army Pfc. Michael O'Neill, 19, had been stationed in Vincenza, Italy, since June, and was eagerly awaiting a trip home for Christmas when the travel complications first arose.

After purchasing a commercial airline ticket from Orbitz.com - a Web site devoted to low-cost airline ticket and hotel reservations - Michael couldn't figure out how to have the ticket mailed to his Army base address, and instead made arrangements for it to first be shipped to his dad in California, before being forwarded to Italy. However, the ticket never arrived.

"It just never got to me," said Michael. "So I printed up my itinerary and brought my (identification) hoping for the best."

However at the airport in Venice, Italy, there were more complications when British Midland Airways - just one of the airlines being used on the trip - informed Michael he would not be able to board the flight with just a paper ticket.

After checking for any available military flights on which he could hitch a ride home, Michael started to accept that he wouldn't be coming home for Christmas.

"I just figured I'd go to Ireland or something instead," Michael said.

"He called me as soon as he didn't get on the plane and said 'Mom, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ruined your Christmas,'" said Mary O'Neill of her son who would be stationed in Iraq by Christmas next year. "So right away, I started calling."

Those calls included one to American Airlines - which said it did not have any of the missing ticket information because it had been purchased from Orbitz.com - and another to Orbitz, which said that such information would have to be obtained from American Airlines.

Eventually it was determined that to receive the ticket information, Michael would have to travel to an American Airlines ticket desk - the closet being in Milan, Italy - to retrieve the information to cancel the original ticket and receive a partial refund, before purchasing a second ticket home at an estimated cost of $4,000."

"For anybody at Christmas, coming up with $4,000 is not going to be easy," said Mary O'Neill. "But we discussed the fact that we're fighters, we're family, and we'll push forward. America is like that, we can do anything here."

It was then that Mary decided to contact U.S. Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon's office in Santa Clarita, where staff members immediately began making calls to help resolve the situation. Eventually McKeon's office was able to reach the American Airlines diplomatic office, where arrangements were made for British Midland Airways to provide the missing ticket information and book Michael on a new flight home.

Mary then made the trip to Burbank Airport - the closet American Airlines ticket counter - and paid the relatively manageable $100 lost ticket fee, finalizing her son's new trip itinerary.

After more than a day's worth of anxious phone calls and complicated uncertainties, Michael would be home just in time for Christmas, arriving safely at LAX on Dec. 23 - after more than 32 hours of combined flight and layover time.

"I just want to say that the reason my son got home was because of Mr. McKeon's office. It's because we have a congressman that's actually responsive to us," said Mary O'Neill. "I didn't really have an awful lot of hope out of the congressman's office. But you've got to try everything, and I was really, really impressed with them."

"I just want to say thank you. My son isn't going to be home for Christmas next year, so this was my present for two years," said Mary O'Neill. "And it was all because McKeon's office was so willing to help."

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