Who gets the money refund for flight cancellations?
Jul 28, 2015, 11:54 pm
#1
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Who gets the money refund for flight cancellations?
Just read this thread on eliott: http://elliott.org/forum/threads/ala...ket-fail.2397/
I've never had to cancel flight tickets ever, but ... I always thought the airline would pay the refund for the entire reservation to the credit card used to pay for it in the first place. Have I been wrong this entire time? If I buy 6 flight tickets for my family and need to process a cancellation, does that mean the airline can only refund to all 6 people separately?
It has been about two and a half months now and Alaska Airlines will still not work with me. I purchased a ticket for who I thought was a friend; her relationship had failed and she wanted to get away to Cabo San Lucas. I said I would purchase the tickets so we could not have to worry about the seating arrangements and she could pay me back when she got paid.
About two weeks after purchasing the tickets I was then told that she got a new job and would not be able to make the trip. I had no worries as I still was making my way down to Mexico. I had cancelled the trip for her (since it was my reservation) and got half of the ticket cancelled and set up for her.
About two weeks after purchasing the tickets I was then told that she got a new job and would not be able to make the trip. I had no worries as I still was making my way down to Mexico. I had cancelled the trip for her (since it was my reservation) and got half of the ticket cancelled and set up for her.
Aug 2, 2015, 4:00 pm
#4
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There is something wrong with the story. As it's a third-hand report from an unreliable blog, I suspect that we have 1/3 of the story.
By contract, the vendor (carrier) should refund to the original form of payment (CC).
By contract, the vendor (carrier) should refund to the original form of payment (CC).
Aug 2, 2015, 4:34 pm
#5
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
The vast majority of plane tickets sold are nonrefundable. They cannot be cancelled and a refund made back to the original form of payment. Where the tickets are refundable they can be processed individually (one can be split out of the multi-passenger PNR) and that refund goes back to the original form of payment.
Depending on the fare some non-refundable tickets can be altered for a fee. This is the "change fee" often discussed and which is often $200 or more on legacy carriers. When that comes in to play the original fare value essentially becomes a credit for future travel, but that credit is tied to the named passenger for whom the initial ticket was booked. This is a standard process across the industry, with maybe a few exceptions but even Southwest has tightened the rules on that front.
So if you have a refundable fare on the trip for the family of 6 and one is cancelled the refund for the one ticket will go back to the original form of payment. But if it is a non-refundable ticket and you're paying a change fee then the ticket can only be used by that one family member, even after you pay the fee.