Originally Posted by
quarryking
I'm going to use your same approach and check with BA and see where they stand regarding the refund. I have a feeling it might be a similar case of the OTA sitting with the refunds and just buying time with the customer.
In most cases yes of course it's the OTA who is sitting on the money. They have had no business of 6 months now... they're not going to survive at all if they don't do this.
But in general - OTAs should be avoided like the plague - pandemic or not. I don't ever use a OTA unless I'm getting a massive benefit over booking direct.
So sometimes when I have available Smartbuy balance I use them - knowing their horrendous cancellation charges but the 33% returns is always a pretty sweet deal. And about a couple of years ago I got a deal through Expedia on an CA flight that was less than 50% of what was quoted on the AC site. I bought that immediately but worried every day till I checked in that they would cancel my ticket. Other than that I'd never go through an OTA to save a buck or grand. Being a frequent traveler whose plans change enough - the additional charges + hassles even during normal times has never been worth it.