BA op- QR codeshare cancellation refund decline

[kookee613]

Hi all

Want some advices to see if there’s any other way I can get this refund
Return flights booked via expedia, London to Seychelles via Doha for Qatar airways
First leg London to Doha is operated by BA which got cancelled the night before
BA and Qatar can’t rebook us due to travel agency. Expedia said no availability so accepted refund.
However Qatar system was not updated to show flight as cancelled even we have confirmed on the phone- now they said we are a no show and can’t refund us. Have tried to claim amex platinum dispute and insurance but haven’t heard back. Constant ongoing battle with Expedia , is there any other way I can get this refund back easier?

[Lady London]

1. Really, try not to book via OTA next time. This is classic stuff for what a mess you can get landed with if you do.

2. Your best chance if you paid by Amex or UK credit card is s75 or chargeback via the card against travel agent. You’ll need to provide the full chain of evidence that you agreed clearly to refund of all that you had purchased from the OTA.

OTA’s often split tickets or can use unorthodox ticket constructions that you may not be aware of which is one of the many reasons booking via an OTA can lead to costly troublesome messes.

3. If cardco won’t chargeback or s75 then listen carefully as to why. If you still think you’re due a refund you’d then best MCOL it if you’ve been trying with OTA for at least 8 weeks or got a final No or refusal to deal with it further from OTA.

Or, before last resort of MCOLing them you could ask Expedia if they are part of an arbitration scheme and go via their arbitration organisation if they are signed up to one.

[SamG]

If it was cancelled within 24hrs to departure you could/should have spoken to BA, it’s the operating carrier that can fix at that point

Are they saying you no show the BA codeshare or had they actually rebooked you and you no show that ?

On your statement was the charge by Qatar or Expedia? If the former then should be a relatively easy S75 assuming you’ve got evidence the BA flight was cancelled

If the charge was from Expedia then not so simple as you broke the debtor-creditor-supplier relationship as Expedia weren’t the supplier of the “goods” – Qatar were. So S75 doesn’t apply. Worth a go anyway (or a chargeback)

[kookee613]

Thank you, yes will never book via OTA again. Lesson learned…

It was cancelled within 24 hours but we called BA and Qatar, both said they can’t rebook us, need the travel agent to and ota said no availability to rebook so I asked for refund.

In Statement it was charged by Expedia.
Will keep trying with Expedia and Amex! Thanks a lot

[Matt]

If you’re running into problems trying to claim S75 on a travel agent booking like this because your card company say it wasn’t a direct relationship, you could try pointing out that you’d paid Expedia for their services and they failed to carry them out competently, ie they should have re-booked you, or if there really was no availability they should have refunded you.

[Jon]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that 24 hours pre-departure the ticket comes under the control of the operating airline, regardless of how it was booked? So BA and Qatar were presumably wrong to tell you they couldn’t rebook you because the travel agent had to do it. So I guess another lesson is don’t believe what airlines tell you 😉

I take it a refund is what you did want, under the circumstances? Strictly speaking, BA should have offered you a re-route (on another carrier if necessary and either, at your choice, as soon as possible or at a later date). BA certainly should have fully informed you of your options/rights. Probably too late now, but perhaps something to mention if you do need/decide to pursue it via arbitration or MCOL.

[kookee613]

Yes I am asking for refund but failed so far. I thought the airline would too but hours on the call with them they said no and asked me to go to OTA…

However BA responded to OTA today that they did offer me a reroute which I wasn’t aware of – apparently they sent me an email 6 hours after the original flight time with a no reply email for a booked reroute and I did not see that as OTA was sending multiple of those original flight details to me. Now they said I am a no show. Long battle ahead 🙁

[Lady London]

Still b*llox from BA if that’s the case.

When BA cancels, their computer’s suggestion of a reroute may show up in MMB. There may be a link to this in any email sent by them (btw they don’t always send emails either).

The flight showing or emailed is **not confirmed until you accept it or check in for it **. It will just sit there, you don’t have to accept it, you aren’t deemed to have accepted it until you do.

So either BA has told the agent b*llox or – sadly more likely – the OTA agent has misunderstood or potentially even misstating.

I’d focus efforts on your credit card if I were you.

[SamG]

Yes agree. If you didn’t accept then you can have a refund. However I suspect this was a QR issued ticket and this information is getting lost in the interfaces somewhere (especially if your reroute was then onto QR metal )

If it was a QR ticket then BA can’t help at this point – it’s between you, QR and Expedia (maybe your CC). Try writing physical letter to QR at their UK address (google what people are using for EU261) simply stating that your flight XZY op by BAXYZ was cancelled and you want a refund per your Uk261 right. CC it to Expedia too

[meta]

Depending on the reason for the cancellation, you are also entitled to EU261 compensation of 600 euros per person for the London-Doha leg from BA directly.

[JDB]

If I were in your shoes, I would escalate at Expedia to the CEO pekern@expediagroup.com and copy travelerresolutions@expediagroup.com The reason for this is that a) Amex are big mates with Expedia b) the story is a bit messy to explain to a third party and c) they have a clear interest in playing on the DCS relationship being broken, which it technically is. There is a question as to whether Expedia provided your details to BA so they could contact you re the cancellation and you suggest you may have missed an email, but for short notice cancellations greater efforts need to be made by the agent. With Expedia, you need to focus on the failure of complying with their fiduciary duties in acting as your agent and their negligence that they can’t exclude whatever their terms of business might say. Either they failed properly to handle the cancellation and communication with you, their client and/or have failed to collect and/or pay over the refund owed to you by BA. This will all get resolved much more quickly if you press Expedia from the top.

[kookee613]

Appreciate all the responses! Will try all ways and hopefully get the refund! Also did apply for flight delay compensation for EU261, BA email saying expecting long delay in response, assuming because they cancelled and delayed too many flights recently