STA travel/Oman air flight

bryt

Posting here because I'm well and truly stuck!

I booked a 1 way flight earlier this year (before the start of the pandemic) via STA travel, the flight was with Oman air. The flight then got cancelled due to coronavirus, and STA travel only offered me a credit note, so I took it.
Now STA travel has gone into administration, and they sent me one last email stating if I had a flight only or credit note for a flight, I should contact the airline. So I've contacted Oman Air via phone multiple times and email, and on every occasion they just keep telling me it's the agency I booked withs problem, and I need to contact them, I keep telling them I can't as they're no longer trading and are out of business but they just keep repeating that i need to contact who I booked with.

I don't know where to go from here to get a refund for the flight I didn't receive? Do I keep pursuing the airline? Thanks, any help/information or advice will be very much appreciated, I feel like I'm chasing my own tail currently and getting nowhere!

Kind regards, Bry.

eskbanker

Despite that email, I think the airline is right here, you're not their direct customer contractually, so you'll need to follow the STA guidance at https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/08/sta-travel-ceases-trading---what-you-need-to-know/

Spoiler alert: your only options are to claim via your card provider or insurer....

Westin

“Now STA travel has gone into administration, and they sent me one last email stating if I had a flight only or credit note for a flight, I should contact the airline.”

Perhaps they could have worded better but I think the suggestion was if you had an airline issued voucher then contact the airline to use and redeem as STA no longer trading and able to assist with using it and rebooking.

If it was a STA credit voucher then sadly I think you are snookered. You are a creditor of the failed business.

Alan_Bowen

There may be a claim against ABTA assuming you didn't have an ATOL Certificate which is issued if an airline ticket is not issued immediately after you pay

Alan_Bowen

Of course, Oman Air may have never refunded the agent at all, some of the mid-east airlines were very slow to do so, and maybe thinking they don't have to now on the basis they can tell everyone they refunded STA before failure. Ask Oman to put in writing the date the refund was sent back to STA before going any further

Waywardmike

I can guarantee Oman Air haven't refunded anyone.  Even customers who have directly bought tickets from Oman Air which were subsequently cancelled due the fleet being grounded have been told they will have to wait 12 months from when the tickets were issued before being issued a refund.

Like you I booked Oman air flights via an OTA, the only option open to me was to get my money back via chargeback which I've learned today, nearly 6 months later, was successful.  i think your only option is either your card issuer or insurance.