Double payment – double booking – refund?

[captein]

I was on a family holiday this weekend and with flight cancellations had to book a last minute flight for a family member.

We booked this using their phone and my payment card (BA AMEX Accelerating Business). First time the payment failed (it said so!), then told us to enter the cardholder name, email and On Business number, and we did all but the last. We might also have re-entered the card details.

Payment went through, but now there were two. I didn’t delve further and we went on with our holiday.

Both posted today and I checked, it seems the family member and I both got booking confirmation for the same flight, same person (family member), but different booking reference, so the double payment is “correct”.

I’ve disputed it with Amex and BA. Am I likely to have trouble getting the money back? It seems crazy to me if so, since we only once selected a flight/went through checkout once, and it told us the first payment failed. Anything useful I can do in the mean time?

[BA Flyer IHG Stayer]

What is the total of the two payments?

Together do they match the total you expected to pay?

BA systems sometimes puts a single hold on the card for the total but processes them as two separate transactions I.e. one per passenger for the actual payment.

[Lobeer]

This happened to me once (double booked on the BA website thinking payment had failed and paid twice, ended up with two booking references same flight, same person). I called the BA call centre and explained and they cancelled one booking and I got repaid for the duplicate (took 10 days or so to come through).

[NorthernLass]

If you get 2 PNRs it usually causes issues when trying to check in – it sounds as though the relative has taken the flight though?

[captein]

BA Flyer IHG Stayer wrote:

What is the total of the two payments?

Together do they match the total you expected to pay?

BA systems sometimes puts a single hold on the card for the total but processes them as two separate transactions I.e. one per passenger for the actual payment.

No, they are both for the same amount, and both the full amount.

Lobeer wrote:

This happened to me once (double booked on the BA website thinking payment had failed and paid twice, ended up with two booking references same flight, same person). I called the BA call centre and explained and they cancelled one booking and I got repaid for the duplicate (took 10 days or so to come through).

Had this flight already happened though? The flight itself was last Monday (2 days ago), so I think they might be a bit upset that they didn’t get to sell the seat…

[Lobeer]

No in my case it was in advance of the flight.

[SamG]

BA will refund in this scenario even after 24hrs cooling off has passed (probably because they know their website is so rubbish!)

[captein]

I called BA but they couldn’t help without the other person authorising me.

I dispute the transaction with Amex and without further documentation BA agreed with the claim.