Dear Travel Troubleshooter: After 8 months, Expedia have asked me to refund my unused flight credits. I canceled my flight in 2020.
Expedia offered a partial refund after rebooking a new flight for December 2021 using 2/3 of the original flight credits. But as American continued to cut flights, it had to cancel that flight as well.
Expedia gave me a full refund of 2/3 of the credit I used for my new flight. The supervisor said the only way to get the remaining amount refunded is to book another flight for the same traveler through Expedia and American Airlines. I then had to pay it and call them back to initiate the refund process.
Earlier this year, I followed Expedia’s instructions. The same traveler booked and paid for a new American Airlines flight and made a phone call. The rep said a refund request would be submitted. He called twice more about the status of the refund and after waiting 12 weeks I still have not received the money. I would like to have his remaining third of the original flight credit ($569) refunded to my credit card. can you help?
— Evelyn Fink, Anchorage, Alaska
answer: Most flight credits are non-refundable. But during the pandemic, airlines and online travel agencies have bent or changed some of the rules. I booked through Expedia and received a credit through American Airlines. The terms of these credits changed during the pandemic, confusing customers and travel agents. My Expedia supervisor told me that I can get a full refund of my flight credits.
Seeking help from an online travel agent was the right thing to do. It’s Expedia’s job to figure out what you can and can’t do with your flight credits. Had American Airlines canceled his second flight, he would have received a refund or flight credit. But things seem very confusing between cancellations and credit requests.
By taking this to the next level, it might have worked. I have posted the name, phone number, and email address of an Expedia executive on his advocacy site for the following customers: www.elliott.org/company-contacts/expedia-customer-service-contacts/A quick email to one, along with the paper trail you had on file, may have cleared up this refund confusion.
If the airline or travel agent offers you a choice of either a refund or a credit, you will always receive the money. Cash has no expiration date and can be used to book travel anywhere. Or you can save your money and stay. Most airline credits expire before they can be used. That means your hard-earned money can be kept by the company. don’t let that happen to you.
I have contacted Expedia on your behalf. “Our agent will process the outstanding refund and let the customer know it is complete,” the rep told me. This is an unfortunate situation and we sincerely apologize for the frustration. We apologize for the inconvenience and have added the voucher to your account.”
Christopher Elliott is Chief Advocacy Officer for Elliott Advocacy, a non-profit organization that helps solve consumer problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How to Become the World’s Smartest Traveler” (National His Geographic).please contact him elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.
(c) 2022 Christopher ElliottDistributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
https://www.siliconvalley.com/2022/09/19/travel-troubleshooter-can-i-get-a-refund-for-these-airline-credits-on-expedia/ Are Expedia airline credits refundable?