Originally Posted by
SK AAR
The airline can't make the refund to you; it was paid by CheapOair. You paid to CheapOair and you need to get your money back from CheapOair.
If CheapOair operates a fee for refunds - also in Covid-19 times - I don't see how you can avoid that. You accepted the t&c of CheapOair when you purchased the ticket. There is no law against a OTA applying a fee for making refunds, i.e. there is no right to get a full refund from a TA/OTA.
Next time book directly with the airline.
It depends.
If OTA merely sold the air ticket as a “pass thru,” the credit card merchant of record is the airline and the passenger’s funds is directly with the airline. In this case the airline can make the refund. Question is whether they want to. As an example, AA, IB, AC have been issuing refunds on OTA tickets directly back to form of payment upon passenger request while BA insist refund request need to be initiated by OTA.
If OTA is merchant of record and they purchased a ticket out of it’s own funds then the passenger’s funds is with OTA.
If ticket involves a US point, it may be illegal for OTA to impose a refund handling fee if airline cancelled as per 14 CFR § 399.80 (l).