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Dear Travel Troubleshooter: Three months ago I canceled an Air Canada flight. The airline has agreed to issue a travel voucher but has yet to send one.
I have contacted Air Canada at least twice through their website. Following the advice on your website, I sent three email requests for assistance to Air Canada executives. Neither executive responded at all.
I haven’t written the executive vice president or the CEO yet, but when I make the list, they are next. However, I would be remiss to take it to that level without checking with you first.
I will never deny that Air Canada travel vouchers should be issued. The airline said via phone and email that the voucher process was “in progress”.
Can you please help me get the $528 voucher?
– Herb Sharp, Victoria, Canada
Answer: Air Canada should not take more than three months to issue your voucher.
How do I know that? Well, your voucher was one of several flight cancellations, and you received all but one within a few days. Something got lost along the way.
So what do you do when an airline sees something? Followed the process to the letter. You emailed the airline, called, then appealed to a manager. Air Canada promises to refund you with a $528 voucher. But it didn’t happen.
They documented everything in writing, which should have made it easier for Air Canada to find the missing voucher request. It is unclear why the airline took so long. They noticed that the original voucher was incorrectly recorded as $548, and the difference could confuse the refund system. That is possible.
The only thing you can do is continue up the chain to Air Canada’s executive vice president and CEO. I list their names and numbers on my consumer advocacy site at www.elliott.org/company-contacts/air-canada/.
If you had stayed that way, I’m sure someone would have noticed the missing voucher and fixed this eventually. Air Canada may be slow, but I’m sure it won’t steal from its customers.
Your case raises another important question: How patient is too patient? I think you should always give the airline one to two weeks to issue a voucher or refund.
After that, it’s okay to start sending polite emails asking about your finances. Three months is too long.
I contacted Air Canada on your behalf. A representative responded quickly and told me that the airline would track down the missing voucher. That took another month. Finally, you have received your voucher and apology from Air Canada.
Christopher Elliott is the Chief Advocacy Officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Elliott’s latest book is “How to Be a Smart World Traveler” (National Geographic). Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.
(c) 2022 Christopher Elliott
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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