Called AC last night to check on the status of a refund for a duplicate charge and the agent said "There's no point in me looking it up because it will take 6 to 8 weeks to process after the deduct the taxes on it."
Let me check with my supervisor. She abruptly places me on hold and comes back to say "I have been informed that these refunds take between 2 - 3 billing periods." I was stunned. I mentioned to her about the AC Customer Service Plan and she had no idea what that was! She was close to ending the call...you know, the disconnected phenomenon. When I replied "Interesting, but might you be able to look up the ticket number and see if they deducted the taxes then?" She sighed and asked for the ticket number. She then says "It's being reviewed. Call refunds in Winnipeg for more details on the credit card refund. It says actioned on September 9." I was going to scream at her! Why go through all the aggravation of telling the customer to get lost when it is her (and her supervisor) that doesn't have a frickin' clue how things should work.

Has anyone else experienced this type of service concerning refunds?

I have had pretty good luck in getting an AC refund (approx. 1 week) but a really horrible time in getting a refund from Expedia. I once had a reservation (for Xmas vacation)through Expedia for my family (5 pax) from jfk to snn. The flight times were changed thus making connecting flights impossible. Expedia informed me that a refund would be no problem as it was the airlines fault for the schedule change but it would take 90 to 120 days. After questioning this policy of waiting so long for a refund I was bounced around from agent to agent to supervisor etc., promised that I would receive a call back etc.and never did.I was also cut off four times. After sending a bunch of emails and threatening legal action, I received my refund in 9 days. As far as I am concerned, Expedia is the worst travel company to deal with.

So the refund showed up on my online VISA statement dated September 10. It was a FULL refund with no deductions for taxes. I guess the moral to the story is that one shouldn't contact AC about their refund as they will be given totally incorrect information that will just get them upset. BTW, I am pleasantly surprised that refunds aren't done the way they were about a year ago. Even though it was an e-ticket, I was mailed from YWG a had written credit note with someone who had writing like my grandmother. Nice change on AC's part, and about time too.

1. I stoped using Destina because of refund problems.

2. But I have no problem with AC. I simply ask them to send me an e-mail saying the ticket has been refunded. Once I have that e-mail (which has always been sent), I am satisfied. It always has appeared within the next credit card billing cycle.

I had to refund an AC ticket last week and I was very impressed. The email confirmations arrived while I was still on the phone with the agent and the money showed up on the credit card statement within 72 hours.

nomad1 -

Can you please e-mail me privately with the details of your refund request so that I can try to understand your issue. Thank you.

For all -

Just to clarify, when you buy a ticket through Destina on an airline, the airline is actually charging your credit card the full amount. You can see this by looking at your credit card statement and see who the "merchant" is next to the debit. Most air tickets are sold this way.

If a refund is due on a ticket, it is the airline in question that does the refunding. The travel agent is basically sending a refund notice (along with the tickets) to the airline for processing. The airline then determines if the ticket can in fact be refunded and proceeds. This can take up to 60 days depending on the airline.

Then the credit card company may have their own delays as well (~:

Dr Evil

Dr. Evil - I only buy fully refundable tickets because my plans change constantly. (So far this year 172 segments). I have to cancel tickets about twice/month. I expected Destina to know that Y class tickets are refundable and send me an e-mail confirming that they asked for a refund. Destina refused to do that so I now buy by tickets directly from AC. The SE desk ALWAYS e-mails me that myh refund request is being processed.

nomad1 -

I am sorry to hear about your experience with Destina.

We do send e-mails to customers stating that the refund request has been sent to the airline but only if the customer requests it.

Two last questions though; in your reply above you say that you expected Destina to send you an e-mail confirmation and we refused to do so. Did you ask us for an e-mail confirmation? If so do you still have the name of the agent that said that to you? If so please e-mail me privately as I'd like to address the procedures with the agent in particular and all staff in general.

Thanks,
Dr Evil

last year my sis threw her ticket away after her water bottle leaked in her backpack and she didn't tell my parents until the nite before the flight. anyways there wasn't enuf time to get a printout copy of the original ticket from the TA in YVR. we were told to buy a ticket @ the counter @ checkin. after we're bak in YVR to get a copy of the original ticket and i can't remember exactly what but something like get a replacement ticket of the original and refund the walkup ticket. anyways the whole process took 3 momths. it was 3 months before my mom's visa got credited the C$1700 for the one-way walkup Y ticket. 1 week's pretty fast !!