DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I purchased two business class tickets through Chatdeal to fly from Dallas to Auckland with American Airlines. The airline downgraded us to Economy Plus and told us on the gate that we’d routinely receive a refund of the difference in fare from the airline inside seven days. We also received a $600 voucher from American for the inconvenience.
When we returned to the US, I called American several times to inquire about our refund. First, an agent told us we’d need to wait seven days after completing all the flight. Then an agent said they couldn't find our flight information since it was a codeshare flight with Qantas.
Eventually, an American representative informed us that the airline was not accountable for the refund because our tickets were purchased with Qantas and American was only the operating airline on the Dallas to Auckland route.
I even have contacted Qantas several times. I even have also contacted Chatdeal because I purchased the tickets through them, but they’ve not been in a position to resolve the difficulty. So far, nobody is willing to take responsibility for our refund. It is clear that they’re shifting responsibility. It has been almost three months since our flight. Can you help?
ANSWER: American Airlines must have immediately refunded the difference between Economy Plus and Business Class.
The 16-hour flight from Dallas to Auckland is torture in business class, but in economy plus? I couldn't be paid enough for that. And don't get me unsuitable, I like Auckland, but getting there from the US is the worst. So let me be clear: your downgrade to economy plus was a giant deal.
The problem is that you simply booked a ticket through Qantas, and the American Airlines part was technically a codeshare flight, so the American agent who promised you a refund was really speaking out of turn. You weren’t an American passenger; you were Qantas.
Your case was confusing. Here's what must have happened: You must have contacted your online travel agent (Chatdeal) and asked them to escalate the matter to Qantas. Instead, you believed an American representative who promised to refund your ticket.
And to make things much more interesting, American issued a $600 voucher as an apology, making it appear like you had accepted a credit in your ticket as an alternative of a refund for the downgrade.
By the best way, I list the contact details of the airlines American and Qantas on my consumer protection website. Elliott.orgI feel a fast, polite appeal to one in every of them may need moved things forward.
I contacted Chatdeal in your behalf. A representative agreed to contact Qantas. A number of weeks later, you contacted my advocacy team with an update.
“I just wanted to let you know that we received the refund,” you said. “Thank you for your help!”
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