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- iHaveNet.com: Travel
By Christopher Elliott
Nallan Chari's flight is canceled, but his online agency is dragging its feet on a refund. The reason? The airlines involved, including
Q: I recently booked a flight through
I have been trying to get a refund for that canceled flight since then. I've spent hours on the phone with
We paid the money directly to
A:
Why didn't it? Because Continental had your money, and wresting it from the airline is easier said than done. Even though Continental issued your tickets, part of your itinerary -- a flight from Mumbai to Hyderabad -- was through
It could also have something to do with the fact that you no longer have the credit card you used to pay for the ticket. As a matter of policy, online travel agencies only refund purchases back to your credit card. Anything else confuses them.
It shouldn't be that way. If a company can take your money immediately, it should return it just as quickly. Any way you want it.
From your point of view, what's happening behind the scenes is irrelevant. As your online travel agent,
There's another wrinkle: A Transportation Department rule that tickets must be refunded within seven business days. (I wrote about that last week, but also discovered that the rule only applies to refundable tickets. Alas, few tickets used by leisure travelers are refundable.)
Should
You could have exerted a little pressure on
I contacted
Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for
© Christopher Elliott
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Travel - Canceled Flight ... So Where's My Refund