By . Leon Watson and Mark Duell . UPDATED: . 14:49 EST, 4 November 2011 . Air travel can be infuriating at the best of times, but spare a thought for this unfortunate woman who just wanted to get away to start a new life. Teri Weissinger, 55, ended up spending eight days stuck at a California airport because she didn’t have enough money to pay the baggage fees. She didn’t know about her airline's extra baggage fees of $60, only had $30 to her name and could not raise the funds in time for her flight. Scroll down for video . Infuriating: Being trapped in San Francisco International Airport for over a week was nothing short of a nightmare for Terri Weissinger . She then had to pay $150 to transfer . to another flight and was eventually given the $210 by a church after . eight nights of sleeping in the airport. The nightmare story began as a broke . Ms Weissinger, who hadn’t flown in five years, was trying to leave San . Francisco to begin a new life in Idaho. Ms Weissinger told MailOnline she been . self-employed for 25 years and decided to move more than 600 miles to . Idaho to work for ConAgra Foods. She booked her flight just before a . law went into effect requiring ticket brokers to disclose all hidden . fees and didn't know about baggage fees. Packed her bags: She spent eight days sleeping in San Francisco International Airport while she tried to get the cash together to fly . US Airways refused her boarding . permission despite her offer to pay the $60 fee when she landed - or . even leave one of her bags behind. Terri Weissinger flew in April, before a new federal law went into effect that requires ticket brokers to make all hidden fees clear. She had booked her flight ticket on travel website Orbitz but did not know she would be charged $25 for one bag and $35 for a second bag. Price comparison sites are making airlines offer lower up-front prices to get to the top of searches, so many rely on extra fees later on. The largest airlines in the U.S. received $1.5billion in add-on fees from luggage and reservation changes in April, May and June, reported the Los Angeles Times. But the airline said their policy . didn't allow them to let her board without paying and airport security . meant she couldn't leave her luggage. ‘She was embarrassed to beg for money,’ travel lawyer Al Anolik told MailOnline. ‘When it got out of hand she called the church. 'Last time she flew there were no charges,' he added to ABC7. 'I fly every few weeks - and I don't know what the new charges are.' While attempting to resolve her . situation by calling friends and family, she missed her plane and was . then told she had to pay a $150 transfer fee. 'I started making phone calls to . everybody I knew,' she told ABC7. 'I thought: "It looks like I might . have to stay there tonight".' It left her stuck, with no option but . to live in the terminal. She slept in a stairwell and was treated for . anxiety at the airport medical clinic. When she tried to plead with airport . authorities for help, Ms Weissinger claimed she was threatened with . arrest on vagrancy charges. Nightmare: She had to find places to bed down, including a stairwell, during her stay, and was treated for anxiety at the airport medical clinic . ‘It’s ridiculous,’ she told ABC 7. 'I . couldn't believe it sometimes, you know, it's just incredibly ridiculous . situation to be in.' 'It was exhausting. I didn’t have much . money and I was buying packets of trail mix. It was like going on a . camping trip without any camping equipment' Teri Weissinger . Finally she decided to call the nearby . Airport Church of Christ, which was moved by her situation and quickly . raised the $210 she needed. Robert Urbinam, of the Airport Church of Christ, said their small congregation of 65 were happy to help out. ‘We go by what the Bible teaches and . the Bible teaches to do good to all men,’ he told Patch. ‘When someone . comes to us for help, we help them.’ On her way: She was relieved when she was finally allowed to board her plane to Idaho but said she was in an 'incredibly ridiculous situation' She had previously been told by the . airline because she could not pay the $150 change fee she would have to . shell out $1,000 on a new flight. 'It’s ridiculous. I . couldn't believe it sometimes, you know, it's just incredibly ridiculous . situation to be in' Teri Weissinger . But the church only had to pay $60 for . her in the end and she actually  got put on a United . Airlines flight in a bizarre turn of events - after the change fee was dropped, she said. ‘I was relieved because I hadn’t had a . shower in eight days,' she told MailOnline. 'I didn’t we have any money. I kept thinking I was . going to leave the next day. ‘It was exhausting. I didn’t have much . money and I was buying packets of trail mix. It was like going on a . camping trip without any camping equipment.’ Film reference: She has compared her ordeal to The Terminal, a 2004 film starring Tom Hanks, where an eastern immigrant finds himself stranded at JFK airport . 'We have apologised to Ms Weissinger . for her experience, but unfortunately are unable to offer a refund,’ a . US Airways spokesman said. 'When you purchase a non-refundable . ticket, you accept the terms and conditions' US Airways spokesman . 'When you purchase a non-refundable . ticket, you accept the terms and conditions. If a passenger cannot . travel with their bags, they need to make other arrangements.' She has even compared her ordeal to . The Terminal, a 2004 film starring Tom Hanks, where an immigrant finds . himself stranded at JFK airport. An Orbitz spokesman told ABC 7: 'For . several years, Orbitz has provided details on baggage fees on our site . as a resource to our customers.' Ms Weissinger told MailOnline she was 'really pleased and delighted' with the exposure her story has been given by news outlets around the world. See video here .
Teri Weissinger was stuck at San Francisco Airport .
She only had $30 and US Airways wouldn't let her on .
After missing her flight she had to pay $150 change fee .
Local church eventually paid $210 so she could fly .
By . Leon Watson and Mark Duell . UPDATED: . 14:49 EST, 4 November 2011 . Air travel can be infuriating at the best of times, but spare a thought for this unfortunate woman who just wanted to get away to start a new life. Teri Weissinger, 55, ended up spending eight days stuck at a California airport because she didn’t have enough money to pay the baggage fees. She didn’t know about her airline's extra baggage fees of $60, only had $30 to her name and could not raise the funds in time for her flight. Scroll down for video . Infuriating: Being trapped in San Francisco International Airport for over a week was nothing short of a nightmare for Terri Weissinger . She then had to pay $150 to transfer . to another flight and was eventually given the $210 by a church after . eight nights of sleeping in the airport. The nightmare story began as a broke . Ms Weissinger, who hadn’t flown in five years, was trying to leave San . Francisco to begin a new life in Idaho. Ms Weissinger told MailOnline she been . self-employed for 25 years and decided to move more than 600 miles to . Idaho to work for ConAgra Foods. She booked her flight just before a . law went into effect requiring ticket brokers to disclose all hidden . fees and didn't know about baggage fees. Packed her bags: She spent eight days sleeping in San Francisco International Airport while she tried to get the cash together to fly . US Airways refused her boarding . permission despite her offer to pay the $60 fee when she landed - or . even leave one of her bags behind. Terri Weissinger flew in April, before a new federal law went into effect that requires ticket brokers to make all hidden fees clear. She had booked her flight ticket on travel website Orbitz but did not know she would be charged $25 for one bag and $35 for a second bag. Price comparison sites are making airlines offer lower up-front prices to get to the top of searches, so many rely on extra fees later on. The largest airlines in the U.S. received $1.5billion in add-on fees from luggage and reservation changes in April, May and June, reported the Los Angeles Times. But the airline said their policy . didn't allow them to let her board without paying and airport security . meant she couldn't leave her luggage. ‘She was embarrassed to beg for money,’ travel lawyer Al Anolik told MailOnline. ‘When it got out of hand she called the church. 'Last time she flew there were no charges,' he added to ABC7. 'I fly every few weeks - and I don't know what the new charges are.' While attempting to resolve her . situation by calling friends and family, she missed her plane and was . then told she had to pay a $150 transfer fee. 'I started making phone calls to . everybody I knew,' she told ABC7. 'I thought: "It looks like I might . have to stay there tonight".' It left her stuck, with no option but . to live in the terminal. She slept in a stairwell and was treated for . anxiety at the airport medical clinic. When she tried to plead with airport . authorities for help, Ms Weissinger claimed she was threatened with . arrest on vagrancy charges. Nightmare: She had to find places to bed down, including a stairwell, during her stay, and was treated for anxiety at the airport medical clinic . ‘It’s ridiculous,’ she told ABC 7. 'I . couldn't believe it sometimes, you know, it's just incredibly ridiculous . situation to be in.' 'It was exhausting. I didn’t have much . money and I was buying packets of trail mix. It was like going on a . camping trip without any camping equipment' Teri Weissinger . Finally she decided to call the nearby . Airport Church of Christ, which was moved by her situation and quickly . raised the $210 she needed. Robert Urbinam, of the Airport Church of Christ, said their small congregation of 65 were happy to help out. ‘We go by what the Bible teaches and . the Bible teaches to do good to all men,’ he told Patch. ‘When someone . comes to us for help, we help them.’ On her way: She was relieved when she was finally allowed to board her plane to Idaho but said she was in an 'incredibly ridiculous situation' She had previously been told by the . airline because she could not pay the $150 change fee she would have to . shell out $1,000 on a new flight. 'It’s ridiculous. I . couldn't believe it sometimes, you know, it's just incredibly ridiculous . situation to be in' Teri Weissinger . But the church only had to pay $60 for . her in the end and she actually  got put on a United . Airlines flight in a bizarre turn of events - after the change fee was dropped, she said. ‘I was relieved because I hadn’t had a . shower in eight days,' she told MailOnline. 'I didn’t we have any money. I kept thinking I was . going to leave the next day. ‘It was exhausting. I didn’t have much . money and I was buying packets of trail mix. It was like going on a . camping trip without any camping equipment.’ Film reference: She has compared her ordeal to The Terminal, a 2004 film starring Tom Hanks, where an eastern immigrant finds himself stranded at JFK airport . 'We have apologised to Ms Weissinger . for her experience, but unfortunately are unable to offer a refund,’ a . US Airways spokesman said. 'When you purchase a non-refundable . ticket, you accept the terms and conditions' US Airways spokesman . 'When you purchase a non-refundable . ticket, you accept the terms and conditions. If a passenger cannot . travel with their bags, they need to make other arrangements.' She has even compared her ordeal to . The Terminal, a 2004 film starring Tom Hanks, where an immigrant finds . himself stranded at JFK airport. An Orbitz spokesman told ABC 7: 'For . several years, Orbitz has provided details on baggage fees on our site . as a resource to our customers.' Ms Weissinger told MailOnline she was 'really pleased and delighted' with the exposure her story has been given by news outlets around the world. See video here .
fees of $60, only had $30 to her name and could trapped in San Francisco International Airport eventually given the $210 by a church after . cash together to fly . US Airways refused her fees clear. She had booked her flight ticket on plane and was . then told she had to pay a $150 Teri Weissinger . Finally she decided to call the could not pay the $150 change fee she would have