Q: My daughters and I were set to fly to Cambodia from Eugene, Ore., via Seattle. The first leg was on Alaska Airlines, with a connection to EVA Air in Seattle. The Alaska flight was the first leg of our trip to Cambodia.
Hours before departure, Alaska canceled our flight because of a crew shortage. No rebooking options existed, so we drove five hours to Seattle, missing a day of our vacation.
I booked through Expedia, so I contacted the online travel agency first. What followed was months of maddening runarounds: Expedia’s chatbots bounced me to agents who claimed Alaska marked us as “no-shows” (absurd, since Alaska’s own email confirmed the cancellation!).
Agents insisted Expedia couldn’t refund us and told me to pester Alaska or EVA Air. EVA replied, “Contact Expedia,” while Alaska said, “Expedia holds your funds.”
I escalated my case to Expedia’s “Premium Traveler Care” department, only to hear, “We no longer have access to your tickets.”
I’ve saved every email and chat log, which proves Expedia’s indifference. Why did Expedia, the middleman I paid, refuse to process a refund even after Alaska admitted fault? How many hoops must a customer jump through? Can you help me get my money back?
— Laura Hughart, Cottage Grove, Ore.
A: Expedia should have refunded you immediately. You paid Expedia — not Alaska or EVA. Expedia’s terms of service are noncommittal when it comes to airline refunds. It says any refunds will be transferred back to you by the party that took your original payment — in other words, your airline. It adds, “We do not have visibility of a Travel Provider’s refund process.”
But the Department of Transportation (DOT) is clear about who’s responsible. Its regulations mandate automatic refunds for cancellations, regardless of cause — no loopholes for “staffing issues.” I think the DOT might hold Expedia responsible, especially if it charged your credit card.
Expedia played a shell game with your money, wasted your time with useless chatbots and ignored paper trails. Come on.
You wisely documented every interaction, saved Alaska’s cancellation confirmation and persistently escalated your request.
Still, I have three tips for next time: First, demand refunds in writing within 30 days — companies stonewall, hoping you’ll quit. Second, when frontline reps shrug, skip the chat roulette and email Expedia’s executives. I publish their contacts on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org, for this exact purpose. Finally, you can contact the DOT when an airline or online agency won’t refund you. Typically, that will get a quick response.
By the way, I wanted to commend you on your choice of a vacation destination. Cambodia is rich in culture and history and one of my favorite places. I hope it was worth the five-hour drive to Seattle to make your flight.
I contacted Expedia on your behalf and separately, you also reached out to EVA’s executives, which controlled your ticket. Finally, almost a year after your flight cancellation, you received your $500 refund from EVA. While I’m glad EVA finally did the right thing, it should have not taken a year or an advocacy team to fix this mess.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.
The Mercury News
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