Originally Posted by
Andriyko
Can it be that a credit/debit card was used to buy the ticket, where a refund to the original form of payment is easier? The issue here may be that compensation can only be paid as a wire transfer to a checking (current) account, which is a different process than refunding to a credit/debit card.
Refunding something that had already been purchased looks more 'innocent' than sending out a payment if the aim is to stay on the good books of the US authorities.