Coronavirus Flight Cancel Thread

[seawolf21]

Our non-stop got changed to a layover with arrival time increases of +82 mins there & +130 mins back. It doesn't looks like they're following what the DOT said a week ago because this disclaimer on My Trip states nothing about cash refunds.

Will be calling them to request

Point them to their FAQ here:

https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/ ... l/overview

3. Can I request a refund if my flight has been canceled or significantly delayed?

In keeping with our longstanding policy, if Delta cancels or significantly delays a flight, you will first be rebooked on an alternate flight. If you choose to cancel your reservation, or if Delta cannot find an alternate flight and cancels the reservation for you, you will be issued an eCredit for the value of the ticket, which can be used toward future travel through May 31, 2022.

You may also request a refund back to your original form of payment if Delta cancels or significantly delays your flight (delays or schedule changes greater than 90 minutes).

I hear you, but Vayama turns out to be incredibly shady. They removed any phone support weeks ago and the only way to communicate is by e-mail. And they stopped answering (and 100s of people reported the same stonewalling over the past few weeks on various forums, so the issue is already more than public).

Scrutinizing the BBB long list of complaints about Vayama, I don't see a lot of cases where the customer did report full refund. In most cases, Vayama essentially said "working on it". Also, I wouldn't be surprised if they declare bankruptcy in a few weeks. Finally, the typical credit card dispute process has a 60-days limit (which I have far exceeded).

Icelandair has been perfectly fair and responsive. And their voucher guide seems to indicate remarkable flexibility (3 years limit, use for myself or others, across multiple trips if desired, etc). And I can't see IcelandAir going bankrupt without Iceland bailing them out.

I am starting to falter. I'd rather get the cash back, but it doesn't overly bother me to keep a credit with IcelandAir. And I can sense a lot of aggravation if I keep fighting with Vayama. I am starting to think that travel credit + DoT complain could be the right balance. I need to make a decision this week-end. Thoughts?

For MasterCard/Visa, a dispute due to "Services not received" can be initiated up to 120 days from the date services is expected to be received provided the original charge is not older than 540 days. AMEX should have something similar if not even more lenient. You have have to call the card issuer to file a dispute if the website does not allow for it due to charge being more than two statement periods old.

Also file a US DoT complaint against Vayama if original credit card charge listed Vayama instead of Iceland Air as merchant.

THANK YOU for this info. I bought my tickets in Oct and thought a dispute (if needed) was out of question due to the 90 day period and it not being an option on the website.

Agreed with TravelGeek. a change in excess of 90 minutes qualify for a refund under Delta rules. If the agent was just focused on the outbound (which would be expected) change of 82 minutes, no refund. IMO you just need to give DL a call again and point out the return changed by more than 1h30m.

I would try a direct message on Delta Twitter if you don't want to wait to speak with an agent. Having DL refund would be a lot faster than a chargeback.

[Corsair]

Got the refund of $2700 back to the credit card! I called in (60 minute wait) but the rep helping was very nice and didn't push the e-credit once. Thanks for the very helpful information!

1. Who successfully cancelled their flight? Yes.
2. What airline? Delta.
3. Full or partial refund? Full.
4. Online or via phone? Phone (60 minute wait time)
5. What was the most successful approach to getting this done? Said up front I want a cash refund as Delta cancelled my flights.
6. Is there a 3rd party that has helped you (travel ins co, credit card agency, travel agent)? No.

[jw2s]

I cancelled my March trip at the end of April. American Airlines gave me a credit that was initially good until 12/31/2020. I wasn't happy with this as the rest of the travel year is up in the air.

The credit has now been extended until 12/31/2021, which is great in my opinion.

Not eligible for a refund as I cancelled the flight.

AA has been great, to be honest. If you call them, you can either wait for an agent or they'll give you an ETA for a callback. They called back around the specified ETA.

[Chip]

I also had a September trip to Europe scheduled on AA. Though I had already decided not to take that trip I didn't cancel the reservations as I didn't want a credit for a future flight. Waiting has paid off; AA cancelled the flight and I've applied for a refund (via a travel agent).

To follow up on this, I received the AA refund on 4/11.

[Raymond]

A question for all of you:

I purchased non-refundable tickets in September 2019 on American Airlines (AA) for a trip to London, UK in late May 2020 through mid-June 2020.

Original itinerary was an overnight non-stop flight from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to London Heathrow (LHR).

I've just received an email from AA changing the flight itinerary:

DFW to Miami (MIA) in the morning (eight hours earlier than the original departure time);
Five-hour layover in MIA;
Then MIA to LHR (overnight). Same travel days as before.

From what I've read here, this change should be sufficient to opt for the "refund my credit card" vs. "here's a travel voucher" from AA, correct?

If it is, should I make the refund request by phone, because the AA website only mentions a travel voucher (of course...)

Or should I just wait until late May and see if they cancel the flight altogether?

[amp]

I had an international flight in May which was canceled by United over the weekend. I received an email on Saturday stating that I would get airline credit for the tickets. The flight was booked with a combination of points and cash through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. On top of that I had also bought seat assignments directly with United. Since I would need to contact both Chase/Expedia and United, I thought that it would be a real bear to get my cash/points back rather than just the credit, but it didn't turn out that bad. I spent just over an hour in total on the phone.

Chase/Expedia: I was on hold for about 10 minutes while waiting for an agent. After getting my details, they returned my points immediately (I could see them in my account before the call ended) and said that the cash is usually refunded within 7-10 days, but might take longer. I did get an email receipt with the amounts I am due back, so I'm pretty confident there shouldn't be any further issues.

United: I actually got through to an agent fairly quickly. However, after explaining I wanted the seat assignments refunded I was put on hold for almost a half hour while the agent waited for a supervisor to approve. Once approved, I was told that the money would be refunded in 7-10 days, but I haven't received any kind of email confirmation of that.

[ResearchMed]

A question for all of you:

I purchased non-refundable tickets in September 2019 on American Airlines (AA) for a trip to London, UK in late May 2020 through mid-June 2020.

Original itinerary was an overnight non-stop flight from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to London Heathrow (LHR).

I've just received an email from AA changing the flight itinerary:

DFW to Miami (MIA) in the morning (eight hours earlier than the original departure time);
Five-hour layover in MIA;
Then MIA to LHR (overnight). Same travel days as before.

From what I've read here, this change should be sufficient to opt for the "refund my credit card" vs. "here's a travel voucher" from AA, correct?

If it is, should I make the refund request by phone, because the AA website only mentions a travel voucher (of course...)

Or should I just wait until late May and see if they cancel the flight altogether?

If you do not want to go and prefer a refund, then I'd call sooner rather than later.
The last thing you'd want in that case is for there to be another schedule change, one that ended with timing that would not qualify for a refund.

RM

[technovelist]

A question for all of you:

I purchased non-refundable tickets in September 2019 on American Airlines (AA) for a trip to London, UK in late May 2020 through mid-June 2020.

Original itinerary was an overnight non-stop flight from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to London Heathrow (LHR).

I've just received an email from AA changing the flight itinerary:

DFW to Miami (MIA) in the morning (eight hours earlier than the original departure time);
Five-hour layover in MIA;
Then MIA to LHR (overnight). Same travel days as before.

From what I've read here, this change should be sufficient to opt for the "refund my credit card" vs. "here's a travel voucher" from AA, correct?

If it is, should I make the refund request by phone, because the AA website only mentions a travel voucher (of course...)

Or should I just wait until late May and see if they cancel the flight altogether?

I believe you can call them to cancel and get a credit on your credit card because they changed the scheduled time of leaving by more than 2 hours.

That's what I would do, anyway.

[amp]

A question for all of you:

I purchased non-refundable tickets in September 2019 on American Airlines (AA) for a trip to London, UK in late May 2020 through mid-June 2020.

Original itinerary was an overnight non-stop flight from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to London Heathrow (LHR).

I've just received an email from AA changing the flight itinerary:

DFW to Miami (MIA) in the morning (eight hours earlier than the original departure time);
Five-hour layover in MIA;
Then MIA to LHR (overnight). Same travel days as before.

From what I've read here, this change should be sufficient to opt for the "refund my credit card" vs. "here's a travel voucher" from AA, correct?

If it is, should I make the refund request by phone, because the AA website only mentions a travel voucher (of course...)

Or should I just wait until late May and see if they cancel the flight altogether?

If you do not want to go and prefer a refund, then I'd call sooner rather than later.
The last thing you'd want in that case is for there to be another schedule change, one that ended with timing that would not qualify for a refund.

RM

Miami to London seems to be one of the few international routes that AA is still regularly flying:

American Airlines has provided Business Traveller with the drastically reduced network of routes it intends to fly throughout April.
The list includes just two long-haul services – operating daily from Dallas Fort Worth and Miami International to London Heathrow, as well as selected routes to Mexico, Canada, Cuba and The Bahamas.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/busin ... for-april/

So I wouldn't bank on them to cancel the new itinerary. I agree with the others and would just request a refund based on the change from a non-stop and the extended travel time.

[LeftCoast]

In January I booked a non-refundable flight from Madrid, Spain to Bologna, Italy for mid-May on Iberia Airlines. Last week I received an email saying that the flight had been cancelled.

I called Iberia today, and the rep said that I could either (1) reschedule the flight, or (2) get a credit that is good for a year. I said no to both options, and asked for a full refund to my credit card. The rep put me on hold while he spoke with a supervisor. I was ready to point out that under European Union rules the passenger is entitled to a full refund when the airline cancels the flight. Fortunately, when the rep came back on the line, he said that my refund was approved, but might not show up in my credit card account for one month. Kudos to Iberia for having a customer service number that picks up, and for approving the refund. Hopefully the airline won't go into bankruptcy before the refund comes through.

[Capsu78]

I also received an email from AA advising me that my Gold and my wifes Platinum status will be extended through 2022 due to the difficulty in qualifying for 2021. Props to AA.

[new2bogle]

Is it time yet to call Orbitz about cancelling my July European flight? Or do I need to wait it out longer.

I'm not sure borders will still be closed in July, but I'm sure as heck not flying to UK/Europe this summer.

[JediMisty]

Received an email from United last night that my flights: EWR to IAH to CZM and back in May was cancelled. On line it still showed the IAH to EWR was still booked. A few minutes on hold and the United agent said my full refund was credited to my CC. Forgot to ask when it would be credited to my account. But did ask if Cozumel (CZM) was closed to tourism. He said they aren't flying there at all.

[amp]

Is it time yet to call Orbitz about cancelling my July European flight? Or do I need to wait it out longer.

I'm not sure borders will still be closed in July, but I'm sure as heck not flying to UK/Europe this summer.

If the flight has not yet been canceled by the airline then you won't be able to get a cash refund (assuming you have non-refundable tickets). You'll need to check the policy of the airline you're flying to see how they accommodate customer cancellations.

[Raymond]

If you do not want to go and prefer a refund, then I'd call sooner rather than later.
The last thing you'd want in that case is for there to be another schedule change, one that ended with timing that would not qualify for a refund.

RM

I believe you can call them to cancel and get a credit on your credit card because they changed the scheduled time of leaving by more than 2 hours.

That's what I would do, anyway.

Miami to London seems to be one of the few international routes that AA is still regularly flying:

American Airlines has provided Business Traveller with the drastically reduced network of routes it intends to fly throughout April.
The list includes just two long-haul services – operating daily from Dallas Fort Worth and Miami International to London Heathrow, as well as selected routes to Mexico, Canada, Cuba and The Bahamas.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/busin ... for-april/

So I wouldn't bank on them to cancel the new itinerary. I agree with the others and would just request a refund based on the change from a non-stop and the extended travel time.

Thanks to you all, I called and cancelled the tickets today, and they stated it would be for a refund to my credit card.

However, there was an additional step:

After the representative cancelled the tickets, she stated I had to go online to the AA website and enter the ticket numbers and last name of each traveler on the refund request page: https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds/.

The amount that the system stated for the ticket cost was nowhere near the amount I'd paid for each ticket, around $356 instead of $1190.

I called AA again, and spoke to a supervisor, who stated that the system assigned the $356 amount after the ticket/itinerary change, but that the full amount of $1190 each would be refunded to my credit card after manual review of the refund request, which could take up to seven working days.

We'll see what what shows up on my credit card (crosses fingers.)

[siamond]

Very painfully got a refund from Expedia today for a flight with Alaska Airlines tomorrow at 5pm. Expedia was still displaying the flight as originally scheduled this morning, but I figured out at the last minute that Alaska actually rescheduled it to 10:45am (well, merged with another flight)... Couldn't check the flight status on Alaska until this morning (the day before the flight!)...

First call to Expedia: some gobbledygook about the "system" (not the airline) having canceled the flight, hence no refund possible. When pressed, the support guy was speaking of the Global Distribution System (e.g. Amadeus and the likes). Non-sense. I opened a chat session with Alaska where they quickly confirmed that they rescheduled the flight and allegedly did notify Expedia (which did NOT take that in account). They quickly confirmed that I was indeed eligible for a refund and marked my reservation as such.

Second call to Expedia: I had to explain the point multiple times, they called Alaska no less than 3 times, and I finally got a supervisor to process the refund. I stayed more than an hour on the call... Finally got my refund processed. Might take 8 to 12 weeks to show on my bank account though... Sheesh. There HAS to be a better way...

Overall, the Alaska folks were pretty efficient (except for the narrow flight status display), but Expedia... URG.

[InvisibleAerobar]

I had an international flight in May which was canceled by United over the weekend. I received an email on Saturday stating that I would get airline credit for the tickets. The flight was booked with a combination of points and cash through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. On top of that I had also bought seat assignments directly with United. Since I would need to contact both Chase/Expedia and United, I thought that it would be a real bear to get my cash/points back rather than just the credit, but it didn't turn out that bad. I spent just over an hour in total on the phone.

Chase/Expedia: I was on hold for about 10 minutes while waiting for an agent. After getting my details, they returned my points immediately (I could see them in my account before the call ended) and said that the cash is usually refunded within 7-10 days, but might take longer. I did get an email receipt with the amounts I am due back, so I'm pretty confident there shouldn't be any further issues.

United: I actually got through to an agent fairly quickly. However, after explaining I wanted the seat assignments refunded I was put on hold for almost a half hour while the agent waited for a supervisor to approve. Once approved, I was told that the money would be refunded in 7-10 days, but I haven't received any kind of email confirmation of that.

United is doing its best not to offer full refund.

We received an email saying our flights have been cancelled by United. The email also says we can seek the refund online. Original fare is ~$1600, plus ~$350 for seat selection and ~$150 for fees; yet, had I sought to obtain the refund online, United would have refunded only fare + fees, less a cancellation fee of $600 (2 x $300, nevermind that United cancelled the flights). There also wouldn't be a refund for seat selection.

Alas, I had to call to seek a full refund, and the only bothersome part was the automated system. At least it was all done and over with in fifteen minutes, and I didn't have to spend any time contending that seat selection should also be refunded.

Similar to your experience, no email confirmations either.

[siamond]

Whoah. Black & white experience (cf. my previous post about Expedia/AlaskaAirlines).

I had another flight on JetBlue mid-May. Expedia displayed that everything was fine. I used my TruBlue login on JetBlue and found out that the itinerary had been canceled. Again, no notification from Expedia which seems totally oblivious to such changes. I opened a chat with JetBlue, got somebody within minutes, provided my conf #, they suggested a credit with 20% extra, I said "refund, please" and they processed my request right away. Supposedly I'll be credited with 7-10 days. I was quite baffled to not have to go through Expedia after getting their approval, but the JetBlue rep swore that it was all taken care of. I copied and printed the chat, just to be sure.

Kudos, JetBlue. Well, if I do get my money back in time...

[Ddwhiteiris]

1. Who successfully cancelled their flight? I cancelled six rounds trip tickets for two trips
2. What airline? American
3. Full or partial refund? Full
4. Online or via phone? Online
5. What was the most successful approach to getting this done? Wait until any leg of trip is cancelled or delayed, then pounce on website. American has a prefund site
6. Is there a 3rd party that has helped you (travel ins co, credit card agency, travel agent)? Nope

Dot makes them refund if any part is cancelled or substantially delayed. For first round trip I put in for refund when outbound flight was cancelled. For second trip the outbound flight ran... so we no showed our group of five and I waited for the flight back to be cancelled and then requested refund.

Cheers and health to everyone-
mc2
[/quote]

[gailwinters]

1. Who successfully cancelled their flight? Flight was cancelled by airline
2. What airline? Delta
3. Full or partial refund? Full
4. Online or via phone? Phone
5. What was the most successful approach to getting this done? Told them my flight had been cancelled and I wanted to get a refund.
6. Is there a 3rd party that has helped you (travel ins co, credit card agency, travel agent)? No

I got an email from Delta that our flight to Ireland for the end of April had been cancelled and offering an ecredit. We have no idea when we might be able to reschedule, so decided to request a refund. I called and they said I could hold or get a call back in about an hour, so I opted for the callback and they called me in a little less than an hour. She said my refund request was entered and it could take up to 21 days to show up. That was yesterday, and this morning my refund credits were pending on my credit card.

[seawolf21]

Whoah. Black & white experience (cf. my previous post about Expedia/AlaskaAirlines).

I had another flight on JetBlue mid-May. Expedia displayed that everything was fine. I used my TruBlue login on JetBlue and found out that the itinerary had been canceled. Again, no notification from Expedia which seems totally oblivious to such changes. I opened a chat with JetBlue, got somebody within minutes, provided my conf #, they suggested a credit with 20% extra, I said "refund, please" and they processed my request right away. Supposedly I'll be credited with 7-10 days. I was quite baffled to not have to go through Expedia after getting their approval, but the JetBlue rep swore that it was all taken care of. I copied and printed the chat, just to be sure.

Kudos, JetBlue. Well, if I do get my money back in time...

If the airline is listed on the initial credit card charge, Expedia is just an agent and the airline has the money. Industry practice is Expedia should handle itinerary changes prior to departure. In the event of a refund, all Expedia is really doing is submitting a refund request to the airline. The airline is well capable of waiving their own rules and initiating a refund on a ticket ***they*** issued if they wanted to. That is what JetBlue did.

[JaneyLH]

I purchased a one-way tickets from New Zealand to US on Air New Zealand for April 22. When the Corona Virus hit, my husband and I were in Sydney waiting for our cruise to leave that would eventually take us to New Zealand. That went out the window, and New Zealand was offering one opportunity to make changes for no fee. Unfortunately, they wouldn't make a change on the phone with me since we booked with Chase Travel using points from our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.

I was not able to reach anyone at Chase Travel, even after holding for 6 hours at one point. So no way to use Air New Zealand policy to switch flight from NZ to Sydney.

We wound up buying new tickets from Quantas to get home from Sydney.

The flight we were going to be on is cancelled. Air New Zealand has told me they will not refund, and Chase Travel has told me Air New Zealand will not refund so they cannot return my points.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says they must refund, but they are giving international airlines a grace period to change their policy before beginning any enforcement actions. Air New Zealand has not changed their policy.

I have filed a complaint with the U.S. DOT and with the Better Business Bureau against Air New Zealand.

My question:

What should I do now? Accept the future travel credit (which I do not want) through Chase Travel? Simply be a "no show" (to a non-existent flight) because I understand I am entitled to a refund and not a future credit? Or if I do nothing will I lose everything?

[seawolf21]

I purchased a one-way tickets from New Zealand to US on Air New Zealand for April 22. When the Corona Virus hit, my husband and I were in Sydney waiting for our cruise to leave that would eventually take us to New Zealand. That went out the window, and New Zealand was offering one opportunity to make changes for no fee. Unfortunately, they wouldn't make a change on the phone with me since we booked with Chase Travel using points from our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.

I was not able to reach anyone at Chase Travel, even after holding for 6 hours at one point. So no way to use Air New Zealand policy to switch flight from NZ to Sydney.

We wound up buying new tickets from Quantas to get home from Sydney.

The flight we were going to be on is cancelled. Air New Zealand has told me they will not refund, and Chase Travel has told me Air New Zealand will not refund so they cannot return my points.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says they must refund, but they are giving international airlines a grace period to change their policy before beginning any enforcement actions. Air New Zealand has not changed their policy.

I have filed a complaint with the U.S. DOT and with the Better Business Bureau against Air New Zealand.

My question:

What should I do now? Accept the future travel credit (which I do not want) through Chase Travel? Simply be a "no show" (to a non-existent flight) because I understand I am entitled to a refund and not a future credit? Or if I do nothing will I lose everything?

Were the NZ flights cancelled by NZ or did you cancel your reservations for those flights? If the former, then do not agree to accept any voucher/credit from Chase Travel or NZ if you want your money back. File US DoT compliant against NZ.

[JaneyLH]

I purchased a one-way tickets from New Zealand to US on Air New Zealand for April 22. When the Corona Virus hit, my husband and I were in Sydney waiting for our cruise to leave that would eventually take us to New Zealand. That went out the window, and New Zealand was offering one opportunity to make changes for no fee. Unfortunately, they wouldn't make a change on the phone with me since we booked with Chase Travel using points from our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.

I was not able to reach anyone at Chase Travel, even after holding for 6 hours at one point. So no way to use Air New Zealand policy to switch flight from NZ to Sydney.

We wound up buying new tickets from Quantas to get home from Sydney.

The flight we were going to be on is cancelled. Air New Zealand has told me they will not refund, and Chase Travel has told me Air New Zealand will not refund so they cannot return my points.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says they must refund, but they are giving international airlines a grace period to change their policy before beginning any enforcement actions. Air New Zealand has not changed their policy.

I have filed a complaint with the U.S. DOT and with the Better Business Bureau against Air New Zealand.

My question:

What should I do now? Accept the future travel credit (which I do not want) through Chase Travel? Simply be a "no show" (to a non-existent flight) because I understand I am entitled to a refund and not a future credit? Or if I do nothing will I lose everything?

Were the NZ flights cancelled by NZ or did you cancel your reservations for those flights? If the former, then do not agree to accept any voucher/credit from Chase Travel or NZ if you want your money back. File US DoT compliant against NZ.

The Air NZ flight no longer shows up. Neither does my record locator number. I received no notification from Air New Zealand about this flight. In phone calls to both Air NZ and Chase Travel I said I wanted a refund and not future flight credit. I have filed a complaint with US DOT and with Better Business Bureau. The flight was originally scheduled for tomorrow so I’m wondering if there is anything else I need to do at this time.

[climber2020]

Second call to Expedia: I had to explain the point multiple times, they called Alaska no less than 3 times, and I finally got a supervisor to process the refund. I stayed more than an hour on the call... Finally got my refund processed. Might take 8 to 12 weeks to show on my bank account though...

I was told the same thing (up to 90 days) after going through an incredibly unpleasant process of getting a refund approval through Expedia, but my credit card was refunded 7 days after my phone call.

There HAS to be a better way...

Yes- I'm never using a travel middleman ever again after this nonsense.

[seawolf21]

I purchased a one-way tickets from New Zealand to US on Air New Zealand for April 22. When the Corona Virus hit, my husband and I were in Sydney waiting for our cruise to leave that would eventually take us to New Zealand. That went out the window, and New Zealand was offering one opportunity to make changes for no fee. Unfortunately, they wouldn't make a change on the phone with me since we booked with Chase Travel using points from our Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.

I was not able to reach anyone at Chase Travel, even after holding for 6 hours at one point. So no way to use Air New Zealand policy to switch flight from NZ to Sydney.

We wound up buying new tickets from Quantas to get home from Sydney.

The flight we were going to be on is cancelled. Air New Zealand has told me they will not refund, and Chase Travel has told me Air New Zealand will not refund so they cannot return my points.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says they must refund, but they are giving international airlines a grace period to change their policy before beginning any enforcement actions. Air New Zealand has not changed their policy.

I have filed a complaint with the U.S. DOT and with the Better Business Bureau against Air New Zealand.

My question:

What should I do now? Accept the future travel credit (which I do not want) through Chase Travel? Simply be a "no show" (to a non-existent flight) because I understand I am entitled to a refund and not a future credit? Or if I do nothing will I lose everything?

Were the NZ flights cancelled by NZ or did you cancel your reservations for those flights? If the former, then do not agree to accept any voucher/credit from Chase Travel or NZ if you want your money back. File US DoT compliant against NZ.

The Air NZ flight no longer shows up. Neither does my record locator number. I received no notification from Air New Zealand about this flight. In phone calls to both Air NZ and Chase Travel I said I wanted a refund and not future flight credit. I have filed a complaint with US DOT and with Better Business Bureau. The flight was originally scheduled for tomorrow so I’m wondering if there is anything else I need to do at this time.

You should also file a DoT compliant against Chase Travel. I believe you will have to select OTHER TRAVEL AGENTS in DoT form.

[siamond]

Second call to Expedia: I had to explain the point multiple times, they called Alaska no less than 3 times, and I finally got a supervisor to process the refund. I stayed more than an hour on the call... Finally got my refund processed. Might take 8 to 12 weeks to show on my bank account though...

I was told the same thing (up to 90 days) after going through an incredibly unpleasant process of getting a refund approval through Expedia, but my credit card was refunded 7 days after my phone call.

Your comment made me check my credit card transactions and, oh miracle, I was credited within a few days by both Alaska/Expedia and JetBlue. Call me impressed. Between this and some Airbnb cancelations, my 'miles' went negative! Oh well, not a big deal, I'm glad to have my money back where it belongs.

Maybe I should wait for the cancelation/refund of the last couple of trips I had scheduled in Q2, get my money back on the bank account (hm, how does that work?), and then close the travel credit card to get rid of the negative miles... Seems a little unfair to the credit card company though.

[fasteddie911]

We have a direct flight booked for June with United. This route has been canceled for April and May, but there are still non-direct flights to the same destination. If my direct flight ends up getting canceled for June, will they likely put me on a non-direct flight? If so could I still cancel and get a cash refund? Will I be able to cancel at all? Right now they are offering free cancellations for future travel credit. I'm debating taking this offer and canceling my June flight, or waiting to see if they cancel so that I can get a cash refund.

[VictoriaF]

Today, I have successfully cancelled an one-way American Airlines flight on June 30. The flight was purchased with 12.5k AA miles and $5.60 taxes. It was purchased on the AA site, on AA metal, on my name. The cancellation went smoothly:
- the miles were redeposited in less than 1 hour
- I received a message that I will be getting the $5.60 refund shortly.

Victoria

[seawolf21]

We have a direct flight booked for June with United. This route has been canceled for April and May, but there are still non-direct flights to the same destination. If my direct flight ends up getting canceled for June, will they likely put me on a non-direct flight? If so could I still cancel and get a cash refund? Will I be able to cancel at all? Right now they are offering free cancellations for future travel credit. I'm debating taking this offer and canceling my June flight, or waiting to see if they cancel so that I can get a cash refund.

UA is only allowing refunds if schedule change is >= 6 hours. If your non-stop flight becomes a connection, UA is not allowing refund unless change in departure/arrival flight times >= 6 hours from what was originally booked.

[stan1]

1. Who successfully cancelled their flight? We waited until airline cancelled flight. That's key, wait until the airline cancels if you want a refund.
2. What airline? British Airlines
3. Full or partial refund? Full, including refund of cash paid, miles that were used to lower cost of fare, and seat selection fee
4. Online or via phone? Phone
5. What was the most successful approach to getting this done? Told them my flight had been cancelled and I wanted to get a refund.
6. Is there a 3rd party that has helped you (travel ins co, credit card agency, travel agent)? No

It was very easy. I called the number on the BA site for refunds. About 10 minutes on hold and then 15 minutes to process the request with much of that time spent waiting for the the agent's computer to respond. The agent I talked to was based in Dehli and he was very friendly, we spent the time waiting for the computer talking about the impact of CV in US and India. He was very current on the latest information and I enjoyed chatting with him.

I said I would like a refund and a voucher was never even mentioned. It was a complex booking with cash, some miles to buy down the fare, and seat selection fees. All was refunded and I didn't need to remind him about any of it. I think maybe they had enough complaints early on that they decided it was more cost effective to process refund requests efficiently than to fight people.

The miles were restored while we were on the phone. I got an email receipt for the cash refund and it showed up as a credit on my credit card 1 day after I called.

I had it charged on my Chase BA Card. That will be less convenient because Chase won't issue an electronic transfer only a paper check which will take up to two weeks to get to me then I have to deposit it.

[Admiral Fun]

Norwegian Air flight cancelled

We requested refund a month ago and are still waiting.

I’m not holding my breath.

[Raymond]

If you do not want to go and prefer a refund, then I'd call sooner rather than later.
The last thing you'd want in that case is for there to be another schedule change, one that ended with timing that would not qualify for a refund.

RM

I believe you can call them to cancel and get a credit on your credit card because they changed the scheduled time of leaving by more than 2 hours.

That's what I would do, anyway.

Miami to London seems to be one of the few international routes that AA is still regularly flying:

American Airlines has provided Business Traveller with the drastically reduced network of routes it intends to fly throughout April.
The list includes just two long-haul services – operating daily from Dallas Fort Worth and Miami International to London Heathrow, as well as selected routes to Mexico, Canada, Cuba and The Bahamas.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/busin ... for-april/

So I wouldn't bank on them to cancel the new itinerary. I agree with the others and would just request a refund based on the change from a non-stop and the extended travel time.

Thanks to you all, I called and cancelled the tickets today, and they stated it would be for a refund to my credit card.

However, there was an additional step:

After the representative cancelled the tickets, she stated I had to go online to the AA website and enter the ticket numbers and last name of each traveler on the refund request page: https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds/.

The amount that the system stated for the ticket cost was nowhere near the amount I'd paid for each ticket, around $356 instead of $1190.

I called AA again, and spoke to a supervisor, who stated that the system assigned the $356 amount after the ticket/itinerary change, but that the full amount of $1190 each would be refunded to my credit card after manual review of the refund request, which could take up to seven working days.

We'll see what what shows up on my credit card (crosses fingers.)

Update to my previous post:

Thumbs up to American Airlines

A full refund to my credit card for the original amount of $1190 x 3 = $3570 (me, wife and child) showed up this weekend.

[LeftCoast]

In January I booked a non-refundable flight from Madrid, Spain to Bologna, Italy for mid-May on Iberia Airlines. Last week I received an email saying that the flight had been cancelled.

I called Iberia today, and the rep said that I could either (1) reschedule the flight, or (2) get a credit that is good for a year. I said no to both options, and asked for a full refund to my credit card. The rep put me on hold while he spoke with a supervisor. I was ready to point out that under European Union rules the passenger is entitled to a full refund when the airline cancels the flight. Fortunately, when the rep came back on the line, he said that my refund was approved, but might not show up in my credit card account for one month. Kudos to Iberia for having a customer service number that picks up, and for approving the refund. Hopefully the airline won't go into bankruptcy before the refund comes through.

Just a follow-up to report that my full refund from Iberia Airlines has been posted to my credit card.

I had no issues getting refunds from Spanish train operator RENFE, but continue to have issues with Italian train operator Italo (2 of 4 tickets partially refunded) and Trenitalia (no refunds, only vouchers that haven't come).

[Wannaretireearly]

On hold with volaris. Flights to Mexico on May 11th.
Flights have been suspended per their site. Not sure what that means legally. Not sure when they will cancel and send us an email.

All info on their site refers to credit options not cash refund.

I'd like to hold out for a cash refund given the guidance here:
Why you should think twice before accepting an airline voucher — even with a bonus
https://thepointsguy.com/guide/airline- ... ink-twice/

I would not be surprised if Volaris is not in business at the end of this year. Thoughts/hints/tips? Anyone dealt with Volaris over the past few weeks?

[blackburnian]

Swissair (part of the Lufthansa group), for a flight to Rome that was supposed to leave today but was canceled (by the airline).

Reached an agent on the phone with almost no wait. She said they have a backlog of 5000 refund requests and aren't taking any more. I should check back in August. We have until August 31 to rebook a flight up through April 2021. I don't want to rebook--I want a refund.

We'll see what happens. Today's NYT reports: "Twelve European Union governments urged the EU's executive body on Wednesday to suspend rules forcing cash-drained airlines to offer full refunds for cancelled flights instead of vouchers for future travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Airlines across Europe, including Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, have sought state rescues as coronavirus lockdowns have forced them to ground their fleets for more than a month, with no end in sight. Transport ministers of Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal have asked the European Commission for a temporary amendment to the rules. In a joint statement issued before a meeting of EU transport ministers, they said the bloc's executive body should propose the amendment as a matter of urgency. Consumers should be made to accept vouchers instead of refunds with certain conditions. However, at the meeting, some EU governments opposed changes to the current rules so as not to frustrate the legitimate expectations of passengers. No decision was taken."

[Wannaretireearly]

On hold with volaris. Flights to Mexico on May 11th.
Flights have been suspended per their site. Not sure what that means legally. Not sure when they will cancel and send us an email.

All info on their site refers to credit options not cash refund.

I'd like to hold out for a cash refund given the guidance here:
Why you should think twice before accepting an airline voucher — even with a bonus
https://thepointsguy.com/guide/airline- ... ink-twice/

I would not be surprised if Volaris is not in business at the end of this year. Thoughts/hints/tips? Anyone dealt with Volaris over the past few weeks?

I just spent two hours on the phone. Good news I got a full refund. Had to push to talk to supervisors etc.
Call them when you have a few hours to spare. Aim to be nice but firm. Don't give up. Take names etc in case you need to reference in email later.

Phew, I'll give my agent credit for sticking it out with me. Lots of back and forth with supervisors. Aim to have more patience than the agent and expect to be on the phone for hours. Good luck!

Now, I've got Alaska flights to Seattle to deal with in July. A battle for a different day....

I do feel for the airlines, were gonna be in a very different Airline world when this is all over...

[Didymograptus]

Norwegian Air flight cancelled

We requested refund a month ago and are still waiting.

I’m not holding my breath.

Me too. Flight was cancelled by Norwegian on 7th April and I requested a refund at that time. Flight was Austin to London in early May.

Will post here if anything happens.

[seawolf21]

Swissair (part of the Lufthansa group), for a flight to Rome that was supposed to leave today but was canceled (by the airline).

Reached an agent on the phone with almost no wait. She said they have a backlog of 5000 refund requests and aren't taking any more. I should check back in August. We have until August 31 to rebook a flight up through April 2021. I don't want to rebook--I want a refund.

We'll see what happens. Today's NYT reports: "Twelve European Union governments urged the EU's executive body on Wednesday to suspend rules forcing cash-drained airlines to offer full refunds for cancelled flights instead of vouchers for future travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Airlines across Europe, including Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, have sought state rescues as coronavirus lockdowns have forced them to ground their fleets for more than a month, with no end in sight. Transport ministers of Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal have asked the European Commission for a temporary amendment to the rules. In a joint statement issued before a meeting of EU transport ministers, they said the bloc's executive body should propose the amendment as a matter of urgency. Consumers should be made to accept vouchers instead of refunds with certain conditions. However, at the meeting, some EU governments opposed changes to the current rules so as not to frustrate the legitimate expectations of passengers. No decision was taken."

Call your credit card issuer for a dispute if flight didn’t operate. If itinerary involves US, file a US DoT complaint as well.

[Horsefly]

On Monday I noticed that the flights we had on United had changed substantially: 7 hr later departure outbound, and 6.5 hr earlier departure on return. We were already considering cancelling the trip. On-line I was not given an option to cancel for refund, instead only having the option for future travel credit.

I called United, and finally got to someone who could deal with cancellation (after talking to two other agents). At first she kept telling me that I should do the cancellation on-line. When she finally understood that the on-line system didn't let me request a refund, she said that probably meant I wasn't eligible for a refund. I kept pushing, and she finally agreed to put in the request, but told me I would not hear anything more from them unless I called in. She again reiterated that I probably was not going to get a refund. She was pretty terse and pushy - Not the friendly and helpful United rep that I have come to expect.

Today I checked my credit card balance on-line, and saw that the entire trip had been refunded, and the refund was dated Monday, the same day I called in. Go figure.

I think they wouldn't have been able stand on the no-refund, given that they had moved both flights by over 6 hrs. I was ready to file a complaint with DoT, but didn't have to. There's obviously some disconnect between how they are operating and how their customer service reps are told to handle things. I am a lifetime Premier Gold with United (>1 million miles lifetime), although I don't think that helped.

[Cigarman]

Back in late March Southwest posted this on their website:

If you decide not to travel, as long as you cancel your flight at least 10 minutes before its scheduled departure, the funds used to
pay for a nonrefundable ticket are normally valid for one year from the date of purchase. However, in recognition of the current
travel environment, we are extending the expiration date of some travel funds:
Customers' funds that have expired or will expire between March 1 – May 31, 2020, will now expire June 30, 2021.
Any travel funds created because of a flight cancellation between March 1 – May 31, 2020, will have an expiration date of
June 30, 2021.

They said it would take some time to update travel funds which they apparently have done now. I had funds expiring on May 2, 2020 and Aug 7, 2020 close to $600 in value. Logged on today and not only did they change the expiration date but they also extended it until September of 2022.

For all you canceling or changing travel plans on Southwest, this is all good news.

[quantAndHold]

Vueling airlines (budget airline in Europe). Domestic flight in Spain scheduled for the end of May. Waited until the flight was canceled. One click on their website to get a refund. I wish everything was this easy.

[mighty72]

Merged Cigarman's Kudos to Southwest - Travel Funds thread here

[VictoriaF]

Today, I canceled a UA domestic flight and received an ETC (Electronic Travel Certificate). The ETC is valid for 2 years from today. The way I read it, up to April 30, 2022, I will be able to use it for travel even after April 30, 2022.

- Change dates and/or cities <-- YES
- Book on United and United Express flights <-- YES
- Book on partner airline flight <-- NO
- Use for new travelers <-- YES
- Combine with other travel certificates <-- YES
- No restrictions applied from current ticket fare rules <-- YES

My original ticket was in Basic Economy. For me, this ETC is a good value. Your mileage may vary, excuse the pun.

The ETC offer expires today, April, 30, 2020.

Victoria

[sfnerd]

Canceled two Delta international business class flights, full cash refund, about $7k. It literally took 15 seconds. I'm a Diamond Medallion member so I get their fast line, so someone usually answers immediately. I was ready for an argument because I didn't want credit for such a large amount of money, but it was literally "so I assume you want to cancel Mr. SFnerd?". I said yes and they said "done, refund will be processed immediately". I guess it pays to fly a lot with one airline.

Separately, I have an international ticket for my wife that I bought through Agoda (discount travel website popular here in Asia, but operates globally) that is being canceled, and I'm waiting for a refund (they are waiting for the airline). Should be a full refund as well since they changed the schedule on me.

So far so good. All of my hotels were booked via Agoda and they gave me full refunds. Only credit I have is with Airbnb, who refused to do a cash refund. Last time I will use Airbnb.

[WoodSpinner]

Happy to report a full refund from United for a pair of International tickets when one of the June flights was cancelled. Their online refund request website, https://www.united.com/en/us/refunds, left a bit to be desired in terms of usability.

OTOH, it worked!

My big problem at this point is the Cruise Company, Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), will only give us a credit for a future trip through 2022 and not a full refund. Compounding this, my Trip Insurance Company, Berkshire Hathaway, is doing the same — no refund unless OAT issues a refund.

Oh well, first world problems. We are safe, have a well stocked larder, plenty of hobbies, and a great walking trail nearby. Life could be much, much worse!

Plus, we have flocks of baby ducklings and goslings to enjoy on our walks!

WoodSpinner

[chw]

Looking for suggestions on how to proceed with this situation...

Booked a trip to Iceland thru Gate 1 Travel for 5/6. Gate 1 cancelled the trip in early April, and refunded the cost of the land only part of the trip (check is in the mail...), while issuing a future credit on Iceland Air since the flight hadn't formally cancelled at that time. Fast forward to today- the Iceland Air flight is now cancelled, and they are saying to contact the booking agent for future rebooking, or cancellation options. When I contacted Gate 1, they are saying no refunds are being offered by Iceland Air, and only credits will be available, but they don't know what the credit policy is at this time.

1) Anyone have luck getting a refund from Iceland Air for a cancelled flight?

2) Is this worth filing a complaint with US DOT about Gate 1 since they are the booking agent, and are US based?

3) Any other agencies to file complaints with about getting a refund?

Can't get anyone on the phone at Iceland Air, and past communication with them directed me back to the booking agent. It seems from reading EU DOT is requiring refunds for cancelled flights, but it seems the airlines are dragging their feet issuing them.

Thanks to any thoughts about this matter...

[quantAndHold]

Finally got British Air on the phone. They’re giving refunds, without hassle, for flights they canceled. This morning it was only 20 minutes on hold. The refunds in the flights they could refund automatically came through while I was on the phone. The one that was listed as flown (the flight was for a couple of weeks ago, but I didn’t call until today) has to be “manually” refunded, which is currently running 4-6 weeks, but if may be faster because they’ve just hired a bunch of people to do refunds.

[seawolf21]

Looking for suggestions on how to proceed with this situation...

Booked a trip to Iceland thru Gate 1 Travel for 5/6. Gate 1 cancelled the trip in early April, and refunded the cost of the land only part of the trip (check is in the mail...), while issuing a future credit on Iceland Air since the flight hadn't formally cancelled at that time. Fast forward to today- the Iceland Air flight is now cancelled, and they are saying to contact the booking agent for future rebooking, or cancellation options. When I contacted Gate 1, they are saying no refunds are being offered by Iceland Air, and only credits will be available, but they don't know what the credit policy is at this time.

1) Anyone have luck getting a refund from Iceland Air for a cancelled flight?

2) Is this worth filing a complaint with US DOT about Gate 1 since they are the booking agent, and are US based?

3) Any other agencies to file complaints with about getting a refund?

Can't get anyone on the phone at Iceland Air, and past communication with them directed me back to the booking agent. It seems from reading EU DOT is requiring refunds for cancelled flights, but it seems the airlines are dragging their feet issuing them.

Thanks to any thoughts about this matter...

Yes you can file a US DoT complaint against a travel agent. In addition, call your bank about doing a dispute.

[9liner]

I just wanted to apprise everyone of my situation. DW and I booked non-stop flights from Maryland to California on February 24th for travel on May 16th. The flights were booked through the Chase UR portal on United Airlines and paid for entirely with points. On March 22nd, we received notification from Chase that our flights were changed. Both flights (outbound and return) were changed to connecting flights through Houston. The time for the outbound flight was similar to the original, however, the return flight was moved 9 hours earlier. This would be unacceptable based on our plans.

Initially, I followed the directions in their email and requested to cancel. On April 20th, I received an email from Chase advising that we were issued a credit. Since this wasn't ideal, I called Chase today and attempted to get a refund rather than a credit. Much to my surprise, I was able to have a full refund of points issued due to the fact that the return flight was a significant change in time. No muss, no fuss. The agent was very helpful and, aside from some computer glitches, the process was quite painless.