Is The Coronavirus Impacting Your Travel Decisions?

[RX_EVOLV]

Somehow I thought if they cancel your flight, they have to refund you in your method of payment, but if you choose to cancel then it will/can only be credit?

Have ~$550 sitting in my travel bank right now from a recently cancelled flight. It took a few days for it to appear after cancellation I hope they don't go under!

[ercchry]

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Somehow I thought if they cancel your flight, they have to refund you in your method of payment, but if you choose to cancel then it will/can only be credit?

Have ~$550 sitting in my travel bank right now from a recently cancelled flight. It took a few days for it to appear after cancellation I hope they don't go under!

Yeah they should be doing that but of course changed their policy and are completely ignoring the fact that that’s not how the law works.

They won’t go under. Bailouts get handed out like candy... probably state something like “too big to fail” or “essential travel” or some other nonsense... frankly though I hope they fucking hurt. They’ve completely stopped caring about their customers in recent years. It’s a completely different company from what they use to be

I would implore everyone to do charge backs too vs insurance claims. Actually remove this revenue from these assholes vs letting them have their interest free loans or straight up keeping funds (as insurance would allow)

[mr2mike]

Call back doesn't work and can't get through. I need to refuse my credit with westjet so I can claim my insurance.

[Clever]

Has anyone been successful with refusing credit? I heard there is a lawsuit with the big airlines regarding this but it’s in the early stages. I’d rather get my money back from Air Transat as well.

[tonytiger55]

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Has anyone been successful with refusing credit? I heard there is a lawsuit with the big airlines regarding this but it’s in the early stages. I’d rather get my money back from Air Transat as well.

I tried yesterday with WestJet. They cancelled my flight in May.
I called in the morning and did callback option as wait time was 3hrs. I got called at 9.15pm. I was refused credit refund as they can't do that now.
I explained I have a right to that. I asked for it to be escalated, I was told I need to call back during the day as that office is only open during normal working hours. I explained I did but Im being placed in impossible scenario. Where I can't speak to anyone.
I insisted again and the girl stated she completed some form so I can be contacted. I also explained I sent a email. I have not heard back. She stated wait time on emails is 33 days.

Edit: Update.
So I got a call back. The person on the line insisted I cannot get a refund as I had booked a basic ticket. Refunds only given to business class tickets. I stated where on the federal legislation it says that. I had it on my laptop screen He refused and started to cite the Goverment transportation site. I cited my ticket was booked before this and covid.

He stated terms and conditions of the ticket that I cannot cancel as its a basic flight. I stated I did not cancel, the airline did. So that rule does not apply and federal law applies. 2That made him frustrated and he started to state because of covid blah blah blah. I stated Westjet can't just make up polices that circumnavigate federal law.
I had asked for a email in writing that he was refusing me a refund. He said he will send it.
I got a email stating they are not offering refunds. Credits only.

[pheoxs]

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I was refused credit as they can't do that now.

Wait what?

[arcticcat522]

I got a call back from WestJet today also. Same story. I said policy doesn't over ride the passenger bill of rights. The West jet guy said it's not WestJet policy and that the law has changed so they don't have to give a refund.

[A790]

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I got a call back from WestJet today also. Same story. I said policy doesn't over ride the passenger bill of rights. The West jet guy said it's not WestJet policy and that the law has changed so they don't have to give a refund.

They aren't wrong.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6806568/c...rline-refunds/

[arcticcat522]

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They aren't wrong.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6806568/c...rline-refunds/

Ya, but if the law changed after I purchased my ticket?
https://globalnews.ca/news/6763454/c...s-action-suit/






Will be interesting what happens with all this either way.

[ercchry]

charge backs people! Chaaaarrrrrge backs

So damn simple. Falls right into “I did not receive the good or service I paid for” let visa/MasterCard deal with WestJet and be done with it

[ercchry]

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They aren't wrong.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6806568/c...rline-refunds/

Yes they are. Nothing stated in that article is above actual common law... it’s a frustrated contract plain and simple

[arcticcat522]

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charge backs people! Chaaaarrrrrge backs

So damn simple. Falls right into “I did not receive the good or service I paid for” let visa/MasterCard deal with WestJet and be done with it

Do I need to wait until after the date of a cancelled flight to do a chargeback? I sent an email to my credit card company to see what they say

[ercchry]

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Do I need to wait until after the date of a cancelled flight to do a chargeback? I sent an email to my credit card company to see what they say

Nope, just the confirmation email saying they will not be giving a refund is all I sent RBC

[arcticcat522]

We will soon find out how the Rogers MasterCard will deal with this

[tonytiger55]

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Wait what?

Sorry, I corrected the post. I was swamped at work when I wrote that.

Do I have to accept a voucher if I think I'm owed a refund?

The Statement on Vouchers suggests what could be an appropriate approach in extraordinary circumstances, but doesn't affect airlines' obligations or passengers' rights.

Some airline tariffs might not provide for a refund and others might include force majeure exceptions to refund provisions.

If you think that you're entitled to a refund for a flight that was cancelled for reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic and you don't want to accept a voucher, you can ask the airline for a refund.

So this is on the Canada Transport Agency website that the West Jet rep was referring to. If the flight is cancelled due to Corona. The refund credits are given.

What I don't understand is, if my flight is cancelled due to Corona. Then why are there still other flights on the same day but at different times? Are the other flights immune to Corona..? Am I missing something?

[mr2mike]

Have been trying through my visa trip insurance. They want proof that I cancelled the credit. Westjet isn't cancelling the credit for me and said they are not doing so. Frustrating.
Will try charge back route and see.

[Gainsbarre]

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We will soon find out how the Rogers MasterCard will deal with this

Rogers Mastercard is processing a chargeback for me on this matter. Booked a roundtrip domestic flight to the maritimes late last year for travel in May for $600. After hours of phone calls Air Canada refuses to rebook me on another later flight (Air Canada touts their "no change fees" but if you're savvy and only book fares when they are on sale you will get stuck with the higher price that Air Canada is demanding you pay the difference for). Air Canada cancels domestic flights (likely for economic reasons) and won't rebook me on another flight because changes aren't allowed with my fare type, despite this being an airline initiated cancellation. I travel quite frequently, and over the years airline initiated flight schedule changes/cancellations with Delta and United have resulted in the airline rescheduling me on other flights with no additional charge. To add insult to injury, the fare voucher Air Canada offered me isn't even for the full $600 that I paid - it's for just over $500, because they refuse to offer credit for anything paid over/on top of the base fare (i.e. no credit for any taxes paid for the fare). Fuck that!

Fed up, I put in a chargeback with Rogers a few weeks ago. Rogers called me back this week and I passed along the flight cancellation emails. The Rogers representative let me know that they are processing the chargeback and Air Canada has 45 days to provide their version of events.

I had other flights booked with United Airlines as well that were cancelled this month - in one instance United rebooked me on the same flight for next year (waived the change AND difference fee) and gave me a full cash refund on another flight. The rebooking with no additional change OR difference fees is the least Air Canada could have done here.

[taemo]

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we have a family trip to Detroit scheduled for August long weekend. Going to wait in June to see if we should cancel it or not.

So I called AirCanada just to see what our options are and looks like if we do end up cancelling our trip to Detroit, then we will just get AC credit that we can use within 24 months of cancelling.
At least we know for sure that we haven't lost any money and if we end up cancelling it then we'll go somewhere nicer instead haha.

[arcticcat522]

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Rogers Mastercard is processing a chargeback for me on this matter. Booked a roundtrip domestic flight to the maritimes late last year for travel in May for $600. After hours of phone calls Air Canada refuses to rebook me on another later flight (Air Canada touts their "no change fees" but if you're savvy and only book fares when they are on sale you will get stuck with the higher price that Air Canada is demanding you pay the difference for). Air Canada cancels domestic flights (likely for economic reasons) and won't rebook me on another flight because changes aren't allowed with my fare type, despite this being an airline initiated cancellation. I travel quite frequently, and over the years airline initiated flight schedule changes/cancellations with Delta and United have resulted in the airline rescheduling me on other flights with no additional charge. To add insult to injury, the fare voucher Air Canada offered me isn't even for the full $600 that I paid - it's for just over $500, because they refuse to offer credit for anything paid over/on top of the base fare (i.e. no credit for any taxes paid for the fare). Fuck that!

Fed up, I put in a chargeback with Rogers a few weeks ago. Rogers called me back this week and I passed along the flight cancellation emails. The Rogers representative let me know that they are processing the chargeback and Air Canada has 45 days to provide their version of events.

I had other flights booked with United Airlines as well that were cancelled this month - in one instance United rebooked me on the same flight for next year (waived the change AND difference fee) and gave me a full cash refund on another flight. The rebooking with no additional change OR difference fees is the least Air Canada could have done here.

Keep us posted on the final outcome.

I called Rogers and it was like pulling teeth to get them to let me submit the info for a chargeback. They finally gave me an email address to send everything to, but haven't gotten confirmation if they have received the info or started the process. Suck a pain in the butt

[revelations]

https://airpassengerrights.ca/en/cov...vL8#frustrated

Yes, there is precedent for (as mentioned above) Frustrated Contracts. You are owed a redund.

The CTA is not correct in its interpretation of the law.

Whom to Contact

Your contract of carriage is always with the airline, not the travel agent. If the airline refuses to talk to you, it may already be a form of breach of contract, entitling you to rescind the contract and get a full refund. For travel packages, you should attempt to contact both the airlines involved and the travel agencies or tour organizers involved.
A common excuse to bounce passengers back and forth is to talk about who has “control” of the reservation. It is a myth. Legally, the company with whom you have the contract and the company that charged your credit card both have to talk to you.

What to Say

Be polite, firm, and professional:

• Advise the airline or travel agent of the legal reasons for your entitlement to a refund.
• Remind them that “policies” cannot override the law.
• Inform them that should their company not issue a refund, you will be taking further actions, including credit card charge back or legal proceedings.

Next Steps

If refused or ignored, make good on the promise to take action:

• Contact your credit card company and initiate a charge back (dispute) of your payment.
• Commence a legal action in provincial small claims court against the companies involved.