olouie

So I booked a flight with mixed wallet funds and CC (since wallet funds alone werent enough to cover the fare). Had to cancel the reservation and took option to refund into original forms of payment. Assumed this would mean the wallet funds return to my wallet and the CC potion would be refunded eventually (since it was within 24 hours of booking - actually just minutes after booking). Usually wallet funds get redeposited almost instantly but this time there was nothing for a few hours so I contacted AS via twitter who said it takes up to 24 hours. However, 24 hours passed and nothing. AS is now saying they don't see the refunds but there is nothing they can do because the system is automated. Their solution is to wait 7-20 days, but that seems really long.

How worried should I be? Anyone come across this before?

Finkface

Came across exactly the same thing today. I even called refunds to see if they could speed it up and they could see the refund to my wallet pending but they can’t do anything to push it through and it will not even begin the process until the following day. She said they can’t do anything until the system resets overnight. In the past, all wallet refunds have been instant, including two tickets I canceled just yesterday. It is annoying as I want to rebook but don’t want to tie up any more money when I have over $1k in wallet funds to use up. I am hopeful it will show up after midnight tonight but she did warn it might take 7-10 days.

olouie

Yeah I was on the phone and supervisor finally found out that if you mix wallet funds with CC it takes at least 7 days if you cancel within 24 hours of booking and have mixed funds as it tries to refund to original form of payment, but gets delayed and has to go to manual accounting.

halamadrid

Even if you only used wallet funds, if you cancel within 24 hours after booking you will encounter the same accounting delay before your funds go back to your wallet. Therefore, it is better to just wait more than the 24 hours if you need the funds back in your wallet in a hurry. OP's situation is slightly different b/c of the cc funds involved, but if you don't need the actual refund back to your cc and can live with all of it going back to your wallet, you are also better off just waiting for the 24-hour period to pass so that you can get quicker access to your wallet funds.

Ford Fairlane

I've known of credit card refunds in cases like this taking well over two weeks, closer to three. Usually about a week, though.

anteater

I believe when you cancel and opt for a refund it doesn’t claim to be immediate and they clearly state a timeframe, up to 7 business days or so if I recall.

olouie

Interesting data. I’ve had it go back pretty quickly even when doing it before 24 hours but maybe that was pure luck. Will make sure to wait the 24 hours next time.

beckoa

Even then it is a YMMV situation. Sometimes delays can happen. Depends on what Tim wants to do.

Shelia Palmer Barnes

This delay has happened to me as well and sometimes the credit card $$ actually end up back in my Wallet instead of refunding to credit card (even though I cancelled w/in 24 hr window). One trick I have been somewhat successful with is to request my refund in the form of an emailed gift certificate; 99% of the time I get those instantly, and then immediately deposit the gift cert funds into My Wallet.

dayone

@Shelia Palmer Barnes. Welcome to FlyerTalk.

camdawg

One thing to keep in mind is that if you use a discount code you have to wait for funds to be cleared by accounting. Happened to me today where I booked Friday AM with a discount code. Noticed a lower fare that evening but waited 24 hours to cancel and rebook. Found out the hard way that you still have to wait for accounting to clear the transaction so I had to rebook the flights with my credit card.

I called the MVP line and was told that it is better to call and cancel and they may be able to avoid it being sent to accounting.

stephem

FacePalm....
Just did this and am getting the "it can take up to 7 days" line from an agent. Of course I have cancelled hundreds of tickets this year that have been back in my wallet in minutes, including a batch right before and after the ones that are now held up. Argh...

azepine00

Canceled one itinerary 2 days ago (within 24 hr window after realizing i booked wrong dates) - cancelation emails started showing up just now, funds are not back in the wallet and who knows how long it will take for cert to be reissued. Grrrr.

anteater

99% of the time my cancelled tickets have shown in my wallet, but those few 1% have taken up to 7 days. It is the policy we all agree to when we confirm cancellation of the ticket.

stephem

yeah, I guess you didnt read the part of the thread that I was commenting on carefully. If you book, wait 24 hours and cancel, then you get your funds back into wallet immediately. If you book, wait less than 24 hours, you don't get your money back into wallet immediately. It's not random, and the point here for anyone paying attention is to NOT cancel prior to 24 hours if you want your funds back into wallet immediately.