Charter plane company makes good after mom of shot Parkland teacher rails about $36K bill

It took more than two months, but Linda Schulman said she finally got "the compassion" she was looking for from a charter company she hired to fly her back to South Florida after learning her son had been shot at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Schulman, her husband and brother scrambled to get a flight to Florida from New York, where they were visiting, after hearing that a geography teacher and cross country coach had been shot, she explained in a lengthy Facebook post Monday.

With no commercial flights available, Schulman said they ended up chartering a plane through Talon Air, Inc. so she could check on her son, Scott Beigel.

She soon received a bill for $36,000.

"Even though I had never chartered a plane before, I knew it was going to be super expensive," she wrote. "It didn’t matter what the cost — I had to get to my son! Talon Air, Inc. not only charged us $18,229.57 one way — they charged us another $18229.56 to bring the plane back to Farmingdale because they did not have anyone wanting to charter the plane back from Ft. Lauderdale."

Biegel, who loved summer camp and had a great sense of humor, was one of 17 students and faculty members shot and killed when confessed shooter Nikolas Cruz opened fire with an assault rifle in the freshman building of the Parkland school on Feb. 14.

In between grieving and advocating for safer schools, Schulman said she tried to negotiate with the company, but only received a $2,000 discount. She said she was willing to pay the $18,000, but begged for compassion.

"I ask anyone reading this post to not even consider chartering a plane from Talon Air, Inc.," she wrote. "There are many more charter companies available and I would bet way more compassionate and understanding."

On Tuesday, Schulman said after posting on Facebook she received a letter from Adam Katz, owner of Talon Air, Inc., with a fair resolution. He offered to return $18,000 and make an $18,000 donation to the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund, which was created to send kids who couldn't otherwise afford it to summer camp.

"I want to thank Adam Katz, owner of Talon Air, Inc. for his offer, which I have accepted on behalf of our family and the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund," she wrote. "I am very happy that Adam and Talon Air, Inc. have seen their way to accepting responsibility and resolving this matter."

In the letter, which she posted on Facebook, Katz apologized and said he was "shocked and heartsick" after learning about the issue on Facebook.

"No parent should have to go through what you and so many other parents have endured," he wrote. "My heart goes out to each and every one who has suffered so much pain, anguish and loss by virtue of this senseless act of violence."

This story was originally published May 1, 2018 at 11:36 PM with the headline "Charter plane company makes good after mom of shot Parkland teacher rails about $36K bill."