Flight Refunds

AlexT81

Hi, I'm hoping everyone here can help me figure out how to get my money back for flights that I couldn't take in April 2020 due to government issued covid restrictions banning international travel.

I booked the tickets with Trip.com flying from Edinburgh via Paris to Mexico City, with Aeromexico. Initially Aeromexico stated that we could just let them know when we did want to fly and we could rearrange the flights and gave us a "code" we could use - that was up til November that year. Then I saw on their website they had extended that as the pandemic wore on. In October last year, we tried to book new flights but Trip.com wouldn't let us because they said Aeromexico said we couldn't rearrange or get a refund. I have emailed Aeromexico to ask for a refund but since I got an automatic reply from them with a case number, I have heard nothing. I have emailed many many times but they don't ever reply. When I call them, the people answering the phone say that the only people who can help are at the end of that email address and there is nothing they can do. My tickets are apparently "inactive" because over a year has passed since April 2020, but no one from Aeromexico ever told us that this would happen.

I've been in touch with CAB and followed their advice to try insurance, credit card company and the Civil Aviation Authority, all of whom have said that they cannot help. I just can't believe that Aeromexico can simply keep our money and all they have to do to get away with it is ignore my emails.

Really hope you someone can help, thanks.
Alex

[Deleted User]

Unfortunately, not being able or choosing not to travel gives you automatic right to a refund and leaves you at the mercy of the terms you agreed to. 

Start by reading the terms of the booking t see if there is any clause that will help you, but I suspect it's a lost cause.

sheramber

I saw on their website they had extended that as the pandemic wore on. 

When did they extend it to?

cx6

trip.com are the aeromexico customer, not you, and so I doubt you will get very far emailing aeromexivco. Your contract is with trip.com so they are who you should be chasing.

Going forward  I would always recommend you book direct with thecairline.

AlexT81

I thought the same about trip.com but they insist that they are not the ones who would give a refund - they would only give a refund if aeromexico gives them a refund which they havent. The credit card company said trip.com is just a intermediary and not responsible to give a refund or be forced to give a refund.

AlexT81

sheramber said:

I saw on their website they had extended that as the pandemic wore on. 

When did they extend it to?

Initially November 2020 then I saw on their website it was to June 2021. Their website still says that you have the right to a refund if government restrictions meant you couldn't fly, but they are just not responding to my request at all

AlexT81

Deleted_User said:

Unfortunately, not being able or choosing not to travel gives you automatic right to a refund and leaves you at the mercy of the terms you agreed to. 

Start by reading the terms of the booking t see if there is any clause that will help you, but I suspect it's a lost cause.

Nothing in any of the emails I received from them gives any information about refunds, so its confusing to know what I agreed to. Do you mean I don't have an automatic right to a refund?

AlexT81

cx6 said:

trip.com are the aeromexico customer, not you, and so I doubt you will get very far emailing aeromexivco. Your contract is with trip.com so they are who you should be chasing.

Going forward  I would always recommend you book direct with thecairline.

I thought the same about trip.com but they insist that they are not the ones who would give a refund - they would only give a refund if aeromexico gives them a refund which they havent. The credit card company said trip.com is just a intermediary and not responsible to give a refund or be forced to give a refund. I tried endless conversations with trip.com but they were adamant that they would not be giving me any money back.

Caz3121

you mention you could not take the flights, if that means that the flights operated then I don't see any refund likely from the airline unless you had purchased refundable tickets.
It would possibly have been a claim from your travel insurance depending on what cover you had....did the insurance say why you were not covered?
You are correct that Trip are a middleman and they collected your money and gave it to the airline. If the airline was to issue a refund it would be to Trip and not to you (they would refund to the account that paid them which was not yours) If the airline are not refunding (and unlikely they would unless the flights did not operate) then Trip have nothing to pass on to you.
Many airlines had different rebooking policies depending on when the original flight was booked
eg this policy applies only to tickets purchased between 1st July 2020 and 10th January 2021 https://aeromexico.com/en-us/july-flexibility-waiver
https://vuela.aeromexico.com/covid-19/en/
I suspect the information you saw on their website was not applicable for your date of ticket purchase

sheramber

AlexT81 said:

sheramber said:

I saw on their website they had extended that as the pandemic wore on. 

When did they extend it to?

Initially November 2020 then I saw on their website it was to June 2021. Their website still says that you have the right to a refund if government restrictions meant you couldn't fly, but they are just not responding to my request at all

So the extension was until June 21 but you tried to rebook in October 21. That was months after the extension ended.

CKhalvashi

AlexT81 said:

cx6 said:

trip.com are the aeromexico customer, not you, and so I doubt you will get very far emailing aeromexivco. Your contract is with trip.com so they are who you should be chasing.

Going forward  I would always recommend you book direct with thecairline.

I thought the same about trip.com but they insist that they are not the ones who would give a refund - they would only give a refund if aeromexico gives them a refund which they havent. The credit card company said trip.com is just a intermediary and not responsible to give a refund or be forced to give a refund. I tried endless conversations with trip.com but they were adamant that they would not be giving me any money back.

That's fair enough if you bought flight only. Of course they won't refund from their own pocket when there is no legal or contractual right to do so as any business won't stay in business for long doing this.

If you bought a package your rights may be different, but nothing you've posted has indicated that you did.