Often1

No reason to wait. DOT rules require that a refund be initiated within 7 days of your request. Presuming that you do not have that commitment or cannot see a refund processing on the 8th day, start the chargeback immediately. File a DOT complaint at the same time.

You should have your funds fairly quickly and DOT will require the carrier to respond to you (with a copy to DOT). Not much it can say other than "we've made the refund."

waterfalls123

I didn't read all the pages on here but found this thread as my 2 TAP cash refunds (US to EU flights both) have not been received after 5 weeks and 6 weeks when I was told it would be 30 days. I did get through to a human today by dialing the 1-800-903-7914 phone number and selecting the options to make a flight reservation. She gave me the [email protected] email address that someone else reported above (but note the "." between the "rarefunds" and "tps" on the left side of the "@" sign, for some reason the forum software won't let me put the period there) and said to contact them. She said she couldn't tell me how long it would take to get a refund, but they are taking longer to process since there are so many refunds being processed. Hopefully TAP will remain financially solvent so that we can all get our refunds back! I'm going to e-mail them and also comment on their Facebook page as described above.

[email protected]

FLYDCA

That email address seems to be a black hole. If you are owed a cash refund file an online complaint with US DOT and in addition open a dispute with your credit card. Otherwise you will be waiting for weeks or months and only get a voucher valid for future travel.

waterfalls123

Thanks FLYDCA. Will do.

CoweyB

Patience is the Queen of the virtues...

I listed in post 351 some of the options that the EU advice centre advised me to take to get a refund and I made a formal complaint to ANAC (the Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority) that TAP had refused to refund me in cash for a flight LIS-LGW despite the terms of EC/261.

ANAC replied, somewhat disappointingly - or so I thought - saying that they had passed the complaint on to TAP and had asked them to respond to me direct.

But it seems to have done the trick.

After a fortnight I chased up TAP on Twitter on when I might expect a reply and they have come back to me saying that “we have requested the refund of the tickets and the seat reservations”.

The only thing that changed was the formal complaint to ANAC and so those based in the EU may want to try a similar approach.

Doubtless it will be many months before I see my money refunded but I am glad I persevered.

IAN-UK

Well done!

ANAC can be slow, but it has powers of persuasion...

Kluulz

Thanks for that info. What was your initial response from TAP Air? Were you given the vouchers first, despite asking for cash refund? Tap Air is telling me that they cannot do anything since they have given me the vouchers already.

In terms of ANAC, I contacted them and they sent me a form to complete, to send to them and to TAP. Was this the same procedure you did?

Thanks

CoweyB

Originally I contacted TAP and they were adamant that it was "voucher only" even after I pointed out EC 261 to them but I had always said that I didn't want a voucher. I then emailed ANAC and heard back from them within 24 hours. They asked me to complete a formal EU complaint form which I sent to ANAC. ANAC then replied to say that they had passed it to TAP on my behalf and that TAP would get back to me.

I did have to chase TAP for a response after a few weeks, but they did then confirm that a refund had been requested as I reported above.

EDIT: Here is the EU Complaint form in English https://www.anac.pt/SiteCollectionDo...clamingles.pdf

I did not complete all of it the form only pages 1,2,3 and 5. I added in manually that I had not been offered an EC261 refund amending page five to read "No cash refund was offered"

Kluulz

Thanks a bunch for this. This is the same form they sent me. they told me to send them:- EU Complaint form, duly completed and signed by the passenger (one individual form per passenger/reservation);

- Copy of the complaint sent to air carrier;

- Copy of the reply;

- Copy of the reservation;

So I will do this ASAP, however, just to clarify - were you given Vouchers but was able to get cash instead, or did you never receive anything at all?

From my understanding once the form is filled, this has to be sent to TAP Air and then wait reply. Once reply has been given, then contact ANAC again about it? Or did you fill the form and send it to both TAP and ANAC at the same time? What about the reply from TAP Air ANAC says they need?

thanks

chokeman

It's now possible to request a cash refund for canceled flights. I just did it.

See more info here https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32494021-post99.html

Kluulz

Hey you are Danish? Interesting! I am also Danish, but will keep it in English for others.

Did they give you an e-voucher first and then you were still able to call and request for a cash voucher?

Can you share the specific TAP Air number you called in Denmark? thanks.

chokeman

Kluulz my flight was in early April and it was canceled. I had purchased the tickets through Tap's Danish website. Back then the only option they gave me was the voucher, which I chose not to accept. So I waited and eventually initiated a chargeback with my cc company (mastercard dk). The cc wanted proof that tap had refused to give me back my money.
That's when I searched tap website again and found out at the bottom of the page that they were now offering a cash refund. So I called tap dk 4570717176 and in 10 minutes everything was sorted. They claim it may take 30-40 days to get the money back in my credit card though.
https://www.flytap.com/en-dk/support/contacts

Kluulz

So I just called their Danish office number at +4533464533
Here they said that after making the complaint via the same link you posted (requesting a cash refund,) it will take up to six months before they respond. However, she said that I should expect to eventually get my money back as it is accordance to law even though TAP Air tries to give you vouchers at first. Earlier in June I had already requested this, and asked her if she could do anything and she said no.

I tried the number you posted and got through to someone who saw my booking and said she would issue a cash refund despite TAP already sending me vouchers. But then my phone cut and as I called back I received another operator who said no, he could not give me a cash refund as I received vouchers already.

So looks like if you have already been given a voucher, then you cannot get cash refund from Tap Air. I will continue with a ANAC route and wait to hear back from my bank regarding the cash-reclaim.

SK AAR

Well, if you already received vouchers, there seem little grounds that you can request a cash refund now.

abcflyer

Took 10 weeks but finally got refund for cancelled flights in May. The original request was made April 15th and just got the refund 2nd of July so there is hope for those waiting patiently. This was a US- Portugal flight and had filed with the DOT complaint system. Took about a week for them to respond via the talk to us website.