Trip insurance helps Navy vet reschedule flight to Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We want to update a story we brought you last week about a local Navy sailor trying to get a refund for an airline ticket.

The story generated a huge response on social media -- many of you supporting the sailor. But now we have some new information.

Sarah Higgenbotham is stationed in San Diego. She bought a ticket on a Spirit Airlines flight to come home to Houston for Christmas. But then her deployment on the USS Peleliu was unexpectedly extended and Spirit would not grant a refund. At the time, we interviewed the sailor's mother, who was angry with the airline.

A Spirit representative told us their non-refundable ticket policy is clear on their website.

We've now learned that Higgenbotham did not purchase her ticket directly from the airline, she bought it through a third party travel website.

Higgenbotham will have to work with them to try to get a refund.

The good news is she says she bought trip insurance and hopes to get it all sorted out once she returns home.