GerbaPL

Good Evening everyone.
Welcome everyone on this forum aswell.
I would like to ask about my issue here. Today i was booking flights with Air Canada (i was trying at least). First online, i got some errors so I left their webpage. I tried next to do my booking on Air Canada app on Android, and here problems started. I chose my flight, put in all information, entered my Debit Card number in the app, and clicked to Book. After that i received some very weird error, so i thought that i will try again tomorrow. But later i checked my bank account and i was charged the full amount by Air Canada, so I quickly made a call and the airline said that booking was made (i didn't even know anything about that) but no payment has been done, and they don't know where my money is. I contacted also my bank who said that my transaction was successful, and money has gone to Air Canada. To make a long story short: My card has been charged, but no booking has been made. Has anyone had such issues in the past? What Can I do?

Best Regards.

Stranger

No confirmation e-mail?

GerbaPL

Unfortunetly, nothing. My Air Canada account shows nothing also. No bookings on my account done, but money has been taken by AC...

mahasamatman

Welcome to FT, GerbaPL!

When you called AC, did you give them the ticket number associated with the transaction? That's more reliable and traceable than your name or Aeroplan number.

Stranger

Not sure all credit cards provide the ticket number. Sure, Amex does.

GerbaPL

I did not get any ticket number. Tickets which i didnt get costed me almost 5000$. Thats is very big amount of money, and i feel very stressed out about this.

Kind Regards.

RangerNS

Worst case is you have 30 days after your CC statement to file a with them. I'd not recommend waiting until then, but if you keep on it it'll only cost you time to deal direct with AC.

Nothing to stress about.

Adam Smith

OP, welcome to FT

Everyone keeps assuming this is a credit card, even though you said debit. Can we just confirm this was indeed a debit card, i.e. they've taken the money of your account? If so, I can see why that would be stressful.

I know you don't have a booking reference or ticket number, but did you have the AC agent look for you on the specific flights that you were trying to book, by chance. It's very odd that payment would go through without any trace. Here's a similar story to yours though, where it turns out it was only a pre-authorization.

So for now, maybe just wait and see if it drops off like it did for that person. If not, it will probably be a slog, but at least you're on record with both AC and the bank that this transaction is improper. The bank will likely be easier to deal with in resolving this than AC, although they will push you to resolve it with AC first.

If it doesn't go away on its own, you may need some sort of payment reference from the bank, then go to AC's refunds department with that information - the call centre may not have access to it, but if AC took $5000 of your money, someone in finance must be able to track it down.

GerbaPL

Thank you very much for your reply. I have a Debit Card from MC and the money is gone frome account. AC agent found me by the flight number, and gave me my reservation number (which i never got anywhere), but he said that he cannot see any of my payment details in system and reservation isn't paid, and AC hasn't got my money. Bank says though that transaction has gone through to AC, and my almost 5000$ is gone. I will Wait till tomorrow, if no result comes out should i first contact AC Refund or claim a Chargeback? I will need that money back quickly.

Kind Regards.

Adam Smith

So is the situation that there's a reservation but no ticket because the reservation is supposedly unpaid?

RangerNS

If the front line reservation agent can't see the money, any but the most motivated front line refund agent won't either. You will have to get it escalated to someone in the back-office.

​​​​​​I don't doubt AC will cough it up when you talk to the right agent with the right access, the trick will be getting lucky enough to find one who believes their system might be flawed.

Stranger

If OP has the booking reference, he can look at it on aircanada.com, and also using the cowtool.

Would there be a scenario whereby payment confirmation is not instantaneous?

RangerNS

Obscure technical failures producing UI errors, and the inability of front line workers to see the problem.

Should there be? No. But this is not the first report of this.

GerbaPL

AC still doesn't want to say that they took my money.

Yesterday i filled in a Claim for Refund on AC webpage, explaining the whole situation and attaching confirmation from the bank that AC took my money. I will wait till thursday for them to return my money back, if it doesn't help then I will fill in a Claim at my Bank. I am really annoyed with this what AC is doing, not going to book anything more with them.

Adam Smith

We've asked you questions/suggested ways you might look in to this; responding might allow us to help you. Not much anyone here can do without more information.