Dear travel problem solver: At the top of 2018, I booked three Air France flights through American Express for a visit in 2019. I needed to cancel the flights and received a one-year ticket credit. I rebooked a flight to Europe for 2020 through KLM, an Air France partner. But in June 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, KLM canceled the flight.
Air France's website clearly states that if tickets were purchased through a travel agent, passengers should contact their travel agent. Amex submitted refund claims to Air France on our behalf. At the time, I assumed that because of the unprecedented COVID restrictions, our vouchers could be prolonged beyond the unique 12 month validity date.
They weren't. Air France denied our claim since the tickets were purchased through Amex and said we’d need to contact Amex for a refund.
Now Air France says our ticket credit has expired and Amex says it could possibly't do anything since it has to abide by Air France's rules. Can you help me get my a refund?
ANSWER: That's it! Our final COVID refund case! Oh, who am I kidding? I keep saying this, and my lovely readers keep proving me flawed. It turns on the market are still unfinished business because of the pandemic. So, let's start:
This case looks complicated, nevertheless it just isn’t. Amex is your travel agent and may have held your hand throughout this whole ordeal. Air France and KLM must have worked directly along with your travel advisor to search out a solution to either use your ticket credit or issue you a refund.
You have canceled your tickets and accepted a ticket credit. I don't have the terms and conditions of your ticket, but if you happen to pay $23,577, your fare might be refundable. I might have just accepted the refund. If an airline offers you a refund or credit, all the time make the most of it.
Technically, you could possibly have requested a refund the second time your travel plans modified because KLM canceled your flight. Most airlines offered ticket credits lasting greater than a 12 months. You due to this fact rightly assumed that the airline would have given you more time to make use of your voucher. But you need to have made sure.
I actually have checked the paperwork between you, your travel advisor and the airlines. Apparently you contacted them, waited, after which moved on to something else before getting back on the case. I've found that the most effective approach is to follow it. Be persistent and don't let an airline take your money. Additionally, if you happen to wait too long you could experience a timeout as many airlines delete their older flight data. A booking for 2019 really pushes it forward.
A fast, polite email to a manager at American Express Travel or Air France may need solved the issue. I publish each on my consumer protection page, Elliott.org. I like to recommend chatting with your travel agent about ticket refunds and getting the name of a manager.
You did, and Amex checked its records. According to its own information, the agency had tried several times in vain to barter a loan extension with Air France. The manager really useful filing a criticism with the U.S. Department of Transportation. You did, and Air France apologized to you and issued latest flight vouchers for the total value of the tickets, valid for one 12 months.
“We are very happy with the result and immediately booked flights to Portugal with the new vouchers,” you told me. Have trip!
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