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 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.
I have attached a copy of [state any copy of documents you attached to the letter] to this letter. I am now asking that [name of airline] provide a refund of my flight for [total refund requested] as per [name of airline]'s refund policy. Please refund this balance to [state where you want the refund sent to].
To identify a travel agent scam, look for red flags such as prices that are too good to be true, pressure to book immediately, limited contact information, negative online reviews, or vague contract terms.
Be Upfront About BudgetProductive relationships are built on honesty and your relationship with your agent is no different. Before your consultation, you should have a general idea of the maximum outlay you're expecting to pay for your trip, or at the very least, a range. Otherwise, your agent is stabbing in the dark.
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.
When you first contact your airline, aim to set out your case clearly and concisely. Explain what happened and when, and why you feel you are entitled to receive a payment. Send your claim to the airline's customer relations department. You can escalate your complaint if you don't get the result you hoped for.
Every major U.S. airline (except Southwest Airlines) typically charges penalty fees to change or cancel an economy fare flight. The fees, however, can vary from as low as $75 on a domestic flight to more than $400 on an international flight.
However, airlines may offer their customers a voucher instead of a refund in such cases. In some situations, a travel voucher may seem more attractive to air travellers than a refund (repayment), as they can use the voucher on future trips with the same airline or other partner airlines to save on ticket costs.
If every passenger was able to cancel for a full refund at any time, airlines would have to raise their prices across the board to account for this increased risk. This is also why nonrefundable fares are often the cheapest tickets offered by an airline.