Norwegian Air/CashPoints or refund?

bristolien

Like everyone else, still haven't heard anything since submitting refund claim. What I want to know is at what point I can instigate a claim via either travel insurance or Section 75 credit card. Surely we cannot wait forever for the airlines to refund. I am also waiting on Latam and Aerolineas Argentinas for internal flight cancellations in South America, nearly £2k in total.

insert_random_name_here

bristolien said:

Like everyone else, still haven't heard anything since submitting refund claim. What I want to know is at what point I can instigate a claim via either travel insurance or Section 75 credit card.

I agreed with NatWest I’d give Norwegian 28 days before doing CC section 75. That’s tomorrow. 

Btraveller

Same here - Flights booked in Jan 2020 for Easter trip to New York (£2k), they didn't cancel the flights until I popped the passport info in for all 4 passengers defining we're UK citizens (and therefore subject to travel restrictions), came up immediately saying the flights were cancelled.

Requested refund in March as opposed to cashpoints, it has to be said with some trepidation due to the wording on the website asking me what flights 'I' wanted to cancel, er you cancelled not me. Anyway, I called them up at around 2300 UK time one evening and got through very quickly (tip). Pleasant chap told me they had now received some funding from the Norwegian government and the cash was there to refund customers but it would take longer than usual and is strictly processed in chronological order, he reassured me I qualified for a refund. They're clearly trying to give people the same info around the chronological messaging but I have to say I'm not convinced it's a priority for the business right now - I'd be amazed if they've processed a single CV19 related refund.   

They are in trouble like lots of airlines, the Board of Directors are proposing an extraordinary general meeting of the Company to be held 08:30 (CET) on May 4, 2020 at the Company's headquarters. They are planning to convert debt to equity and qualify for further government funding, quite a bit on their investor website (this site won't let me post the link ....apparently I need to be around a bit longer before I can do that..)

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Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (NAS) – Norwegian aims to strengthen its balance sheet by converting debt to equity to meet the requirements of the Norwegian state guarantee program and create a sustainable platform taking into account current shareholders and creditors alike.

The Board of Directors of Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA ("Norwegian" or the "Company") is proposing actions and implementations that aim to fulfill the requirements of the second and third tranches of the Norwegian government state guarantee program that will release NOK 3 billion in total funding. Please see the addendum that explains the State Aid Package in detail.

---------------------------------------Extract end --------------------------------------------

I have also contacted the credit card company to keep them up to speed, they're not likely to do anything until Norwegian respond negatively or cease trading but as others have commented how long does one wait!...this is an unprecedented event.
If they do survive, I doubt they'll be operating most of their previous routes, cashpoints is therefore NOT the answer for me and my family for JFK (NYC). If it's any consolation, the credit card company said if you do take the points and they weren't forthcoming for whatever reason that would be a valid claim. 

We have also been on twitter with Norwegian and they stated the chronological message re refunds, advised to wait. 
Anyway, thought I'd share my hours of trying to get clarity - I'll keep posting on here and I urge others to do the same - GLA

Btraveller

insert_random_name_here said:

bristolien said:

Like everyone else, still haven't heard anything since submitting refund claim. What I want to know is at what point I can instigate a claim via either travel insurance or Section 75 credit card.

I agreed with NatWest I’d give Norwegian 28 days before doing CC section 75. That’s tomorrow. 

let us know how you get on with the Section 75 - MBNA were not so accommodating 

Scrat1962

I have today spoken to both travel insurance company and credit card company. Credit Card covers purchases up to 6 years chap said. So plenty of time on that front. Updated them as to the situation and he said if need be, call and I will be put through to dispute resolution team. Travel insurance has no such time luxury. 28 days from date of travel to make a claim. Hence we now have claim number and I am in process of collating all relevant info. Again, no word from airline saying flight cancelled. So will wait for Norwegian to refund. If not, we have valid claim in system now so can go to that and last resort credit card. 

Btraveller

movilogo said:

Norwegian cancelled my USA flights in early April. I applied for refund and they can't give me any date when they are going to refund me!!

I can't claim on my travel insurance as insurer is saying claim for airline. Airline can't say when they will refund me. So I am in limbo.

Can I get refund from credit card company which I used to book the ticket?

By law airline is supposed to refund within 14 days. But I read in news that they are lobbying for that to be extended to 4 months!!

How they are going to have more money after 4 months? They are not operating so they are not receiving new money from customers. Are they hoping they can get away with without refunding customers?

maybe have a look at my post later in the thread - they have the initial Norwegian government funding and are applying for more. 

Alan_Bowen

I believe they have had 10% of the amount claimed from the Government but the remaining 90% is dependent on the outcome of the shareholders meeting on the 4th May. I have always been a supporter of the airline but in the current circumstances, I regret I am no longer convinced they will survive. They liquidated 4 companies in Denmark and Sweden yesterday and advised UK employees there is no money to pay April wages so I am sorry to say refunds will be a long way down their list of priorities. I wish I could be confident of a positive outcome on the 4th.

bristolien

Thanks all for the useful updates. I will contact travel insurance tomorrow to put in a claim as we are a week away from the 28 days. Will also call CC company to check their stance. Really don't want to go via travel insurance because of the £180 excess i would have to pay, but I guess it's a lot cheaper than the £2k on flights!

gbsc

I've just spoken to my credit card company (hsbc).  The guy asked me if the flights were atol protected and to go through them if they were. Couldn't see anything on the tickets to indicate they were, assumed not as flights only. Said hsbc could raise a dispute but then if Norwegian said they would refund me hsbc would cancel the dispute which is fair enough. Was concerned then I'd be left waiting for money as I'm not convinced Norwegian are going to pay out but hsbc then said I could raise a dispute again. There doesn't seem to be any clear guidelines over acceptable time frames to be waiting for money to be repaid. I've left it that I will contact Norwegian again. I've never received anything from Norwegian to say my flight had been cancelled, it was only me checking my booking online that I found out. Only communication I've had is after I submitted my request for a refund I got a reference number and that's it. I called my travel insurance just before I was due to fly and they weren't really that helpful as it wasn't really in their remit at the time, so will try them again.

Westin

gbsc said:

I've just spoken to my credit card company (hsbc).  The guy asked me if the flights were atol protected and to go through them if they were. Couldn't see anything on the tickets to indicate they were, assumed not as flights only. Said hsbc could raise a dispute but then if Norwegian said they would refund me hsbc would cancel the dispute which is fair enough. Was concerned then I'd be left waiting for money as I'm not convinced Norwegian are going to pay out but hsbc then said I could raise a dispute again. There doesn't seem to be any clear guidelines over acceptable time frames to be waiting for money to be repaid. I've left it that I will contact Norwegian again. I've never received anything from Norwegian to say my flight had been cancelled, it was only me checking my booking online that I found out. Only communication I've had is after I submitted my request for a refund I got a reference number and that's it. I called my travel insurance just before I was due to fly and they weren't really that helpful as it wasn't really in their remit at the time, so will try them again.

If flight only, purchased direct from the airline, you will not have ATOL protection.

Personally I would not be tempted to take the Norwegian CashPoints option.   Even if they survive it is very likely (IMO) that they will have anything like the same network of flights as they did pre-CV19.  You may find to use your CashPoints you are stuck with a few domestic options out of Stavanger, Norway.