If you contact the airline or ticket agent to obtain a required refund and you are refused that refund, you should file a complaint against the airline or ticket agent with the Department at https://secure.dot.gov/air-travel-complaint.
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If an airline is not honoring its refund policies or the airline's refund policies seem unfair or deceptive consider suing the airline in small claims court. In small claims court, the judge will be the ultimate decider of whether an airline's refund terms are fair or enforceable.
If the airline resists, tell them you know you are legally entitled to a full refund. The law says you can't be forced to accept a credit or voucher instead of all of your money back, including baggage fees, seat selection fees, taxes, etc.
Flight insurance protects only the cost of your flight. It doesn't cover all of your prepaid and nonrefundable trip expenses. Generally, if a problem covered by your flight insurance policy derails your travel plans, you can get reimbursement for only nonrefundable flight costs.
Canceled or changed flightsIf your flight has been canceled by the airline, you're eligible for a full refund. This is true even if you've been rescheduled on another flight. You don't need to accept that flight, and can instead ask for your money to be returned.
Your passenger rightsThen the airline is responsible for refunding you, regardless of whether you booked via a travel agent or directly through the airline. The money is always paid into the same bank account from which you paid for the ticket.
After discussing the matter with DOT officials, ASTA discovered that instead of all travel advisors being responsible for all airline refunds, the rules would only pertain to agents who are listed as the official “merchant of record” for the transaction.
When a flight delay occurs, you are entitled to assistance and a choice between rerouting, reimbursement, or rebooking. If you arrive at your destination more than 3 hours after your scheduled arrival time, you are entitled to the same reimbursement, rerouting, and rebooking structure as a denied boarding.
U.S. law and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations exempt airlines from lawsuits by passengers in most circumstances. You may be able to sue in small claims court, but in most cases you can resolve the problem by working directly with the airline or filing a complaint with the DOT.
If an airline is not honoring its refund policies or the airline's refund policies seem unfair or deceptive consider suing the airline in small claims court. In small claims court, the judge will be the ultimate decider of whether an airline's refund terms are fair or enforceable.
As long as your ticket has been purchased at least seven days before departure, airlines must offer one of two things: you can either hold the ticket without paying for 24 hours or purchase and cancel the ticket within 24 hours and receive a full refund.
According to the DOT, airlines are not required to provide money or other compensation when flights get delayed, regardless of how late they are. However, when a “significant delay” takes place, passengers may receive refunds for seat selection fees or checked baggage fees.