GodAtum

They are refusing to refund my ticket for a cancelled flight, only to get a travel voucher. Should I complain and escalate?

dici

I'm thinking to escalate to flysmart for complaint. The last call I made the agent refuse to refund although a call that I made a week before the agent request the refund for me easily....

GGLwannabe

All other airlines I had booked with for my April trip who have cancelled flights (Vietnam, Cathay, Air Asia, Thai) have agreed to a full refund of the cost of flights. It would of course be Malaysian that is the exception.

I've just had the same experience as the OP. After MH had changed my booked flights BKK-KUL-DEL-KUL-BKK about 6 times, they finally cancelled them all. When I finally got through to their call centre I was told that, despite the fact that my entire itinerary had now been cancelled, the only option was a voucher, which has the drawback I mentioned in another thread, that it is only usable through a call centre (at significantly enhanced cost) and furthermore is only valid until the end of the year.

The call centre operator's line of reasoning was that the flights hadn't been cancelled by the airline, but as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore Malaysian had no obligation to refund the flights. Clearly nonsense, but she had her script and wasn't departing from it. I've seen on other threads here that a better result can be had by phoning the main call centre in Malaysia rather than one of the outstation call centres to which international enquiries are routed. Is that still the case?

And if that is no longer the case, presumably I can now request a charge-back from my credit card company?

carrotjuice

Aaah, clearly the Protagoras Paradox in play. Still, it was the airline that CANCELLED THE FLIGHT!!

Danial

Fellow Flyertalkers,
Just to share news from local Malaysian newspaper with link below.

Mavcom gives leeway to airlines in resolving refund requests

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malay...quests/1854801

Malaysian Aviation Commision (MAVCOM) - please refer to the following FAQ below on status of COVID19 refunds
https://www.mavcom.my/en/consumer/fl...-covid-19-faq/

ellielovesem

Hi all, just wondering if there is any further news/success stories? My sister has just had her flights cancelled and she would like a refund rather than vouchers so she's looking at what next steps to take.

Thanks :-)

nivsy

Indeed it's a nonsense and no guarantee that this airline will survive . They should offer refunds full stop for all cancelled flights. Especially as many of their pax come from Europe and fly with them as part of an overall Asian holiday or business route that may not now be repeated via KL hub They are inept and not allowing on line cancellation and refunds is poor. They will lose big time with FF who can and will remember this and can and will choose alternative routes and operators to reach destinations. They are banking on people.not even trying to exchange the voucher. Shame on you MAS.

Often1

I see that you are located in the UK. What is the full routing, including carriers and identification of connections vs. stopovers provide? What does the MH contract of carriage provide?

The details will matter and with them there may be some useful advice to be had.

nivsy

If anyone has any suggestions on how to best contact MAS from UK can they advise please the UK number is it appears to be switched off?!!

DominicB

I have just had the same. I am an expat Brit living in Chicago, and had booked a huge family trip in August, starting in the UK, and taking in Israel and Bali. As part of this, I had one one-way flight DPS-KUL booked in mid August (August, I said, not Spring or even early summer). This was simply to connect me and the family on to a BA flight back to London, and was the most expeditious way I could get back to Britain from Bali, using BA mileage points for the long journey. So I booked a cash booking in Business Class on MH for this one flight.

Today I get an email that the flight is cancelled because of the pandemic - despite being in August. I booked through Amex Travel who told me that they can only issue a credit, or that to cancel would involve $100 per ticket cancellation. So, of course, I have invoked a dispute with the card company, and I am pretty confident that it will resolve in my favor. If I were still living in my native UK, it would most definitely do so.

But I will not fly with Malaysian again. This is shoddy treatment in the extreme, and I will not forget it in a hurry.

DominicB

They must have a UK office where documents could be served. Google and Companies House suggest it is in the Cromwell Road, and they certainly have some kind of office at Heathrow. But if you are chasing a refund for a UK-based transaction, I would simply S75 it with your credit card.

Lorraine Smalldridge

Malaysia Airlines have cancelled my flight for July/August not doing refunds Just vouchers.
This was for my daughter to do voluntary work in a Cambodian school that she cannot go to do at any other time due to her age.

Lorraine Smalldridge

MAS are only offering a voucher for a flights in July/August that they have cancelled to Cambodia
Surely this is a misappropriation of funds as this flight has not taken place. This money had been exchanged for a flight!!

Often1

Not necessarily.

For those who hold tickets which either originate in the EU or either depart from or to the US, a refund is required by law under both EU and US law. Both require that the refund be initiated within 7 days. Thus, if one holds a qualifying ticket, a chargeback is a relatively pro forma matter.

Be certain to make this self-contained so that there is less "investigation" to be done. Include the e-ticket receipt, the cancellation notice, your request for a refund, and the denial of the refund (or a note that no response has been received). Most US card issuers will issue a temporary credit immediately for properly documented chargebacks with the permanent credit following as soon as the merchant vendor (air carrier) deadline passes. In the UK, it may take a bit longer, but the same general process.

Keep copies, including screen shots, of everything,

DrGDT

I have the same issue with MAS cancelling a flight between KUL and Osaka. They have refused refund. I contacted MAVCOM and received email back from MAS saying

We understand your expectation on this matter , we regrettably will not be able to offer any ticket refund owing to factors that is beyond our control. We are prevented from performing our services as a result of government measures taken to contain COVID-19. This government ruling creates a situation of force majeure rendering us unable to fulfill our obligation due to circumstances beyond our control.

Only change of travel date or voucher offered. Seems like MAS are not offering the same kind of protection that European airlines offer. Worth bearing in mind for future bookings and to quote one of their most recent adverts "one’s true colours are revealed during the worst storms in life". Shame on them.