151 a new york man was able to persuade american airlines to waive a 200 fee this month after writing the company a letter that was too amusing to ignore it was a complete surprise alex hamberger 30 of buffalo told abc news i didnt think i would hear from them at all i was really taken aback and really overwhelmed by the fact that someone on the other end read it and enjoyed it so it was so much more of a personal experience than i anticipated hamberger was booked on a flight to kansas city missouri on march 7 to visit his sister brotherinlaw and niece but fell ill days before after his doctor advised him not to travel hamberger called to cancel his flight american airlines informed him he would be charged a 200 fee later on april 4 hamberger called the airline to change his flight to a different date when i spoke with the representative i said i had to cancel that trip because i was sick is there anyway i can get that fee waived he explained but as it turned out he would have to send in an explanation by mail i was just going to write a letter and send in the doctors note thats when i had the idea to take it a little further and get a little creative with it girl 10 pens handwritten petition asking magazines to diversify their images deaf man receives touching note from starbucks barista 6yearold girl gets heartwarming lunch box notes after dads sudden death on april 24 hamberger sent his doctors note to american airlines along with a witty letter it read in part dear most kind and benevolent american airlines customer service staff member i write to you with the hopes that you may take mercy on me and afford a little sympathy for this flyer who was taken quite ill and had to postpone his trip to see his beloved niece hamberger described how he began to feel sick before his tripit was a monday night and i was getting so excited for my upcoming trip to visit my sister brotherinlaw and niece who was about to turn 6 months old that thursday i started to feel a little sinus pressure that night nothing major but enough to give me pause he went on to explain in the letter that when he subsequently visited the doctor he was surprised by the news that what he thought were mild symptoms were actually much more serious it was just two days later on march 4th that i learned this infectious disease was not a household cold or flu it was a haemophilus influenzae bacterial infection yes the same infection that can cause conditions such as epiglottitis a fatal respiratory disease pneumonia and notably meningitis in children under 5 remember when i mentioned i was going to visit my 6 month old niece thank heavens i didnt he was glad for the diagnosis