Flight Centre refunds for cancelled flights

[jarman_ah]

21 weeks and still no refund from Aunt Betty on my (self cancelled due to illness, fully refundable) business class flights.

I'm out over $5k and no sign of the refund.

21 weeks is disgraceful, but, of course, that doesn't mean that you are being denied an eventual refund; it's just that your money is probably being used, temporarily, by Flight Centre to cover some of the losses it has suffered since March. Eventually, they will be required by law, to process all the refunds they have been wantonly delaying; but they won't get punished for their tardiness, because in these difficult times, keeping a major company from "going under" is going to be seen as more important than keeping a private citizen awake nights because a great slab of his money has been borrowed, at no interest, without his permission and with absolutely no regard for his needs. It's not a pretty time to be a customer, this COVID-19 world!

 

[freebo]

21 weeks is disgraceful, but, of course, that doesn't mean that you are being denied an eventual refund; it's just that your money is probably being used, temporarily, by Flight Centre to cover some of the losses it has suffered since March.

My concern is they don't survive, awful for their employees but its not reasonable to withhold my refund this long.

 

[jarman_ah]

My concern is they don't survive, awful for their employees but its not reasonable to withhold my refund this long.

No, it's not! You're absolutely right! Unfortunately, however, Flight Centre has your money and you haven't, so their cunning little self-serving game is going to be played their way. And their excuse, of course, will be reduced staff so a longer time needed for "processing refunds". But, take heart: there are fifteen pages of complaints about their business practices on this thread alone, and countless others, I am sure, who have now decided that, as Flight Centre is concerned, "never again". Like you, I feel sorry for their employees; I know one, as she was a school friend of my daughter, and all she wanted to do was to help people have a great holiday. But I know that, even five years ago, she was quietly apologising for the company's attitude towards keeping people's money via the fine print re "extra charges". In my own case, the ticket bought through Aunt Betty was well-publicised as a fully-refundable and changeable fare (minus $200, if I recall, for Qatar's fees in the event of a cancellation); but when it arrived, Aunt Betty had added to the ticket a clause about 100% forfeiture for cancellation and no changes permitted. When I queried this, they told me I should have read the fine print more carefully! My one and only experience with Aunt Betty.

 

[IrishPete]

Anyone gone to court (small Claims Court/Tribunal) yet? BYOJet have my money...

 

[jarman_ah]

Anyone gone to court (small Claims Court/Tribunal) yet? BYOJet have my money...

They're Flight Centre too, aren't they? I recall the (very nice) guy from Aunt Betty (who finally gave me some help) mentioning that they were also affiliated with BYOjet.

 

[IrishPete]

They're Flight Centre too, aren't they? I recall the (very nice) guy from Aunt Betty (who finally gave me some help) mentioning that they were also affiliated with BYOjet.

They are certainly closely related.

 

[jarman_ah]

They are certainly closely related.

If all this unrefunded money is in the same pot, they must have enough to buy their own airline fleet!

 

[AIRwin]

Just checked Etihad’s Covid-19 policy page and they are now offering refunds for ‘US UK and EU originated tickets’! What happened to our consumer rights???

Etihad to give full refunds for cancelled flights bought in Australia

The ACCC put out a press release this morning saying that Etihad had agreed to give full refunds to all passengers that bought tickets in Australia whose flights were cancelled due to COVID-19. This includes passengers that have already accepted travel credits...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[Stratocruiser]

Hi All,
I am looking for advice about how to get refunds from Flight Centre. My situation is back in October and December 2019, I booked and paid (via AMEX) for 2 SQ Flights for June and August this year totaling just over $38K. ( 2 x F Fare Mel-SIN in June, and 2 x MEL-SIN-FRA in August). Both flights were cancelled by SQ and Flight Centre promised full refund. $12K was promised back in April, and another $26K for FRA was promised at the end of June.

Flight Centre is still not refunding the money, and FC Agent still claiming SQ had not refunded the money. I found it odd, because back in April, I cancelled a SQ Flight (paid directly to SQ) and I obtained refund within a month from SQ back to my AMEX.

Anyone got any good advice on how proceed with Flight Centre? Should I lodge a Credit Card charge back request with AMEX?

I am only waiting for Flight Centre to refund the money. My flights with Lufthansa for Intra-Europe flights for August were already fully refunded within weeks. All hotels - The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Le Meridien Vienna, Park Hyatt Hamburg, Shangri-la Bangkok - the refund came thru within weeks of cancellation. Flight Centre seemed to take months without any words on when the refund will be.

Thanks for reading and looking forward for AFF members' collective response.

Cheers,

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi and welcome to AFF!

According to SQ's website they are refunding flights in date order, with those flights that were scheduled to depart first being refunded first.

For my flight at the end of July, the July schedule was published in the first week of June, I was formally notified of the cancellation 13 June, and received the refund in my account on 20 July. So I'd have been expecting your June refund to be well and truly processed by now, and the August flight, depending when in August, to be processed shortly.

 

[Stratocruiser]

According to SQ's website they are refunding flights in date order, with those flights that were scheduled to depart first being refunded first.

Thank you very much for that. I wasn't aware of SQ's refunding policy was based on the date order. I will wait until end of the months before approaching Flight Centre for my June flights' refund. Then October for my August flights. I just wish Flight Centre able to provide the information on this rather than leaving the customer felt wronged.

Thanks again for the helpful reply.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thank you very much for that. I wasn't aware of SQ's refunding policy was based on the date order. I will wait until end of the months before approaching Flight Centre for my June flights' refund. Then October for my August flights. I just wish Flight Centre able to provide the information on this rather than leaving the customer felt wronged.

Thanks again for the helpful reply.

If FC is taking another few weeks on top of SQ's timelines to refund the passenger, your time frames seem about right, perhaps a little generous to FC. Good luck and let us know how you go!

 

[jarman_ah]

Stratocruiser:" I just wish Flight Centre able to provide the information on this rather than leaving the customer felt wronged. " I would certainly think that, with such large sums involved, and payment made so long ago, that Flight Centre ought to be keeping in touch with you to tell of the progress of the refund. I know they're having their own problems, but surely that would make it all the more urgent for them to allay the customer's fears that the company will go bankrupt and take the already-paid fares with them. I wouldn't just sit back and wait... I think you should ring your FC agent and tell them of your concerns and ask what they are doing about them. Good luck (says he, but not very hopefully!).

 

[Stratocruiser]

I think you should ring your FC agent and tell them of your concerns and ask what they are doing about them. Good luck (says he, but not very hopefully!).

Thanks Jarman. I am now waiting for FC agent to call me back on this. Actually if FC goes bankrupt, it would probably be easier for me, because I can just initiate a credit card charge back via AMEX.

 

[jarman_ah]

The australianfrequentflyer.com editors have this week chimed in to the dilemma expressed on this thread with their own article, in which Flight Centre, alone among travel "agents" (they don't seem to be able to let go of this word!), gets a mention by name: "Most businesses have faced significant issues due to COVID-19, particularly in the travel industry…..many airlines have had to cancel flights and many tour operators have had to temporarily shut down. Millions of cruises, car rentals and hotel bookings have also been cancelled as would-be travellers have been stuck at home. But the way in which businesses have responded to this crisis has varied enormously.

Many airlines and travel businesses have done the right thing. They have communicated with their customers and, when required, refunded promptly. But some businesses have sadly treated their customers very poorly over these past months.

Refusing to refund money that customers are legally entitled to, or charging unfair fees to do so, may help a business to survive in the short term. But customers are not stupid. They have long memories and will remember how businesses treated them during the COVID-19 period….who could forget when Flight Centre tried to charge its customers $300 each to access refunds from suppliers such as airlines – even when the cancellation was not the customer’s fault and the airline was refunding in full. The travel agency finally had a change of heart after the ACCC threatened legal action.

The outcome? Flight Centre had to refund all of those cancellation fees, but now also has thousands of angry customers that will never book with them again."

Amen to that!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Long memories? Dunno. Who would have been booking with FC in the first place given their excessive ‘fare lock guarantee’ of $50 that was, IMO, meaningless? Bring on a cheaper fare and new comers will probably be happy to book

 

[IrishPete]

Etihad offers refunds for all cancelled flights purchased in Australia

The ACCC has welcomed Etihad’s recent decision to offer refunds to all consumers who purchased Etihad tickets in Australia which were then cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

www.accc.gov.au

BYOJet, a FC subsidiary, issued me a credit voucher, without my consent. Time for the ACCC to prosecute them...

 

[jarman_ah]

Etihad offers refunds for all cancelled flights purchased in Australia

The ACCC has welcomed Etihad’s recent decision to offer refunds to all consumers who purchased Etihad tickets in Australia which were then cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

www.accc.gov.au

BYOJet, a FC subsidiary, issued me a credit voucher, without my consent. Time for the ACCC to prosecute them...

Hopefully, you've put the matter in the ACCC's hands; possibly, when BYOJet knows it's also in the firing line, they will do the right thing. Flight Centre, BYOJet, and Aunt Betty: all part of the same company, and everyone of them looking after the company first and, it seems, the customer last.

 

[pomona]

Flight Centre refunds, when ?? AMEX travel insurance, caveat emptor !!

Has anyone received a refund for QF/AY itinerary to Helsinki, one way, Sept 24, or from QF, AY in general ?
I finally received an email from BYO 22 June, agreeing to refund the full amount to my Amex, but, it could take up to 12 weeks to process. Last month I received two "round robins" claiming as BYO had not yet received the funds from the airline/s, (which one/s?), they could not refund me my A$7536.

Amex paid the funds to BYO, not QF/AY, so , why is my refund dependant upon the airlines, &, who knows if they have/have not already refunded to BYO. Are the "round robins" just stalling tactics I wonder & more importantly will BYO still be around much longer ??

By the way, NB., I initially tried to claim the BYO "charges", which eventually disappeared thanks to ACCC/AFF, & received a response from Chubb that only return tickets back to Australia are covered. That is clearly ridiculous considering how many people fly out & cruise back, all the time thinking their flight is covered. I believe that would be a worthy cause for the AFC to take action in due course. They are really effective.

After a long chat with Amex we agreed I would wait until Oct 1st & if no refund ask them to process a charge back for the amount, maybe that will spur them into action, as Chubb is a waste of space.

Any comments, suggestions would be welcome

 

[jarman_ah]

Flight Centre refunds, when ?? AMEX travel insurance, caveat emptor !!

Has anyone received a refund for QF/AY itinerary to Helsinki, one way, Sept 24, or from QF, AY in general ?
I finally received an email from BYO 22 June, agreeing to refund the full amount to my Amex, but, it could take up to 12 weeks to process. Last month I received two "round robins" claiming as BYO had not yet received the funds from the airline/s, (which one/s?), they could not refund me my A$7536.

Amex paid the funds to BYO, not QF/AY, so , why is my refund dependant upon the airlines, &, who knows if they have/have not already refunded to BYO. Are the "round robins" just stalling tactics I wonder & more importantly will BYO still be around much longer ??

By the way, NB., I initially tried to claim the BYO "charges", which eventually disappeared thanks to ACCC/AFF, & received a response from Chubb that only return tickets back to Australia are covered. That is clearly ridiculous considering how many people fly out & cruise back, all the time thinking their flight is covered. I believe that would be a worthy cause for the AFC to take action in due course. They are really effective.

After a long chat with Amex we agreed I would wait until Oct 1st & if no refund ask them to process a charge back for the amount, maybe that will spur them into action, as Chubb is a waste of space.

Any comments, suggestions would be welcome

Travel Insurance companies and travel agents.... they're your bosom buddies until something goes wrong, and then they don't want to know you.... and they always have a "clause" they can pull up to justify their failure to help. Honestly, I don't know what you can do about CHUBB; if the policy you signed up for does say that the cover is limited to return tickets only, then you may, indeed, be "screwed". Everyone warns insurance buyers to read the policy carefully before purchasing, but, of course, who has time to do that, when a simple policy can run to twelve pages of tiny print? However, if you signed up with Chubb and your itinerary included a one-way ticket half-way round the world (possibly the major single item), and which their policy specifically excluded from cover, it would have been a decent and honourable thing for them to have drawn that to your attention! But we are talking Travel Industry here, so I guess words like "decent" and honourable" are pretty meaningless concepts.