Air Transat cancellation - no refund?

Russ46

My apologies to Jem 16, I realise I hadn't replied to his post of June 16. I got a £2200+ refund from Canadian Affairs because I had booked Club Class seats (spinal complaint requires good seats for such a long trip), but £500 retained by Air Transat. I have implemented chargeback and also put in complaint to CAA - now wait to see what happens. Will advise when I know more.

Russ46

Sorry, didn't answer Jem16's full question. I booked flights through Canadian Affairs, all the money I paid was for flights. Hope that completes the answer.

jem16

Russ46 said:

My apologies to Jem 16, I realise I hadn't replied to his post of June 16. I got a £2200+ refund from Canadian Affairs because I had booked Club Class seats (spinal complaint requires good seats for such a long trip), but £500 retained by Air Transat. I have implemented chargeback and also put in complaint to CAA - now wait to see what happens. Will advise when I know more.

Can I just ask who actually cancelled the flights - you or Air Transat? 

Your £500 retained by Air Transat suggests the £250 per person cancellation fee if you choose to cancel your booking. If you cancelled the booking then Air Transat are entitled to keep that £500 - I'm assuming there were two of you on the booking.

If Air Transat cancelled your booking, you have done very well to get a part refund from Air Transat. My flights were Club Class too and all Air Transat offered me was a voucher for the total.

jem16

MSE Survey for you all to complete please. Air Transat not mentioned but can be added to "Other". Let's make MSE aware.

https://www.surveygizmo.eu/s3/90251758/MSE-Travel-refund-experiences-survey

bignred05

jem16 said:

MSE Survey for you all to complete please. Air Transat not mentioned but can be added to "Other". Let's make MSE aware.

https://www.surveygizmo.eu/s3/90251758/MSE-Travel-refund-experiences-survey

Done, 
a slight update, whilst my main airfare has been refunded via Chargeback (2 weeks ago)
My other chargeback (Luggage & Pre Booked Seats) made on another card, its 6 weeks next week since they (Creation) acknowledged my claim (despite sending it 10 days earlier) I was told earlier this week its taking 4-6 weeks to process, So hopefully I should hear more next week.
then the dreaded 45 days wait

Oddj0b

Today I should have been flying to Toronto from Manchester with my wife and another couple but obviously the flights have been cancelled by Airtransat. Taking advice from this forum I contacted Airtransat by email, which got no acknowledgement, and then by Twitter DM which got a pretty curt response saying that I wasn't going to get a refund and would get vouchers. I did try to explain my rights but received no further messages from them . From that point yesterday I went to American Express live chat, who were extremely helpful. I went through what had happened and told them I wanted to dispute the charge. After up loading about four documents to them that was it . Today my account has been credited with the full amount and although I know there is time for Airtransat to dispute this chargeback it is a start and all I have to do now is wait a few weeks to see what happens. So it's a feather in Amex's cap from me and a pie in the face for Airtransat. CAA complaint to follow today. Thanks also to the contributors on this forum and the sound advice in it. I look forward to reporting back that it has been fully successful some time in August. 

Russ46

For Jem16.
Air Transat cancelled the booking (for two of us, as you thought). Maybe I got a refund because I booked through Canadian Affairs, and paid them, not Air Transat. I wonder if Air Transat know how much damage has been done to their reputation in the UK (and maybe in Canada). Any guesses as to how many of those people they have p*****d off with their attitude; or maybe they just don't care!

jem16

Russ46 said:

For Jem16.
Air Transat cancelled the booking (for two of us, as you thought). Maybe I got a refund because I booked through Canadian Affairs, and paid them, not Air Transat. I wonder if Air Transat know how much damage has been done to their reputation in the UK (and maybe in Canada). Any guesses as to how many of those people they have p*****d off with their attitude; or maybe they just don't care!

Their reputation is fast going downhill and there are many in the UK seriously annoyed. There is a FB group now specifically for Air Transat and its UK passengers and over 100 have joined so far to get together to fight this. The CAA will certainly be hearing about them no.

Canadian Affair, being a UK travel agent (although obviously connected with Air Transat) may have felt it was better to at least pay you the refundable part but of course it should have been all of it.

jem16

Perhaps some good news trickling through? This was posted on a Facebook group for those complaining about Air Transat in the UK. 

Altavista

Jem16....thanks for sharing that Facebook update from Sylvia Gagnon of Air Transat.  I've been looking on there FB page but can't find any reference to it or their loosening position on the matter of refunds. Does anyone else have any recent updates from the last couple days?