British Airways canceled the flight and refunded the money

Dear Travel Troubleshooter: British Airways has canceled its latest flight from Boston to London. The airline said it had canceled the flight due to “operational constraints”. British Airways sent me an email saying “(they) will do everything they can to get you to where you want to go”.

I asked the airline for a refund, but instead, I received another email accusing me of being a “no-show” for my flight and refusing to issue a refund. I have made several calls a month for the past four months trying to get this fixed.

Finally, I received an email from British Airways stating that according to their fare rules, they cannot issue a refund. But British Airways canceled my flight, so no refund?

– Carrie Christensen, Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Answer: Of course it does. If an airline cancels a flight, it must provide a full and prompt refund in accordance with its fare rules and federal regulations. British Airways cannot keep your money under any circumstances.

I am surprised that your refund request has dragged on this long. I have reviewed the correspondence between you and British Airways. The facts were clear: you received an email from British Airways saying, “We’re sorry your flight has been canceled due to restrictions in place.” And you sent that email to the airline when you requested your refund. And of course, their internal system should reflect the fact that you canceled your flight. How much more do they need?

You did a great job keeping all your records with the airline. If British Airways had only paid attention to its records, you would have had no complaints.