I know you have probably done this - but did you actually fill out the refund request form online?

The reason I ask is that I had been wondering about a refund recently (I was travelling with a fellow FT'er on a CMB-DXB-MLE "deal of the century" mileage run).

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I couldnt take the trip but my buddy could.

I told him to cancel my portion. Which he did. That was the end of it (or so I thought).

I waited. And waited. And waited some more. I think I celebrated a wedding anniversary during the process.

So, I must have been bored one day - and in my boredom decided to call EK. The PNR had already been spat out and chewed up by the wheezing old EK IT system.

Thankfully, I stumbled across the ticket number. The helpful phone agent told me that I physically needed to complete a refund request online.

"Where would I find that then?" I politely enquired
"On the website" says the woman incredulously
"Yes, I realise that, but where?"
"Under "Contact Us""
"Because that makes so much sense", I mumbled under my breath
She persisted.
"Look, click under Help", says the frustrated woman
"Because that also makes a lot of sense".
I could feel a real bout of arm waving about to hit me. But I bit my tongue. And kicked the cat instead.
Yet there it was. Right in front of me.

There's a drop down menu here. See. Look.

You click on that.



Another more detailed online form appears (see below), you fill in all your details and hit submit and voila, your refund request shoots its way into the bowels of the cantankerous EK IT system in the middle of the desert.

Or something like that.



Amazingly, about 2-hours later, I actually receive an email from the EK office in CMB stating that they have acknowledged the request and I should expect to receive the money sometime before my 50th birthday. In approx 6-years time

Or something like this.