Flight check-in denied at the airport. Forced to buy a new a ticket. How can I ask for a refund?

Flight check-in denied at the airport. Forced to buy a new a ticket. How can I ask for a refund? - Side view of positive young woman in warm clothes smiling at camera while carrying luggage with passport walking along airport terminal

I have bought plane tickets for 4 passengers from Expedia to fly from Singapore to Thailand via Thai Lion Air(subsidiary of APG Airlines). 2 Days after purchasing the tickets, I called Thai Lion Air for a change of flight for 2 of the passengers. The tickets are now separated into 2 sets of 2. First pair flies on 01 Dec while the second pair flies on 03 Dec. I did the necessary payment and confirmed that transaction has gone through my credit card. Confirmation and receipt was e-mailed to me for all tickets(2 sets of itinerary).

On 01 Dec, the 2 passengers were denied check-in as the Airline system reflects no-go because payment was not made. The pair was forced to purchase a new set of tickets which cost twice as much as the old tickets. I contacted the airline and was informed that their system shows no-show and they could not proceed with the refund. The airport ticketing staff issued us a log which indicates everything that happened since the purchase to the day of flight but their system back at the HQ shows otherwise.

On 03 Dec, the last 2 passengers were able to board the plane without hiccups.

I have contacted my credit card company and Expedia regarding this and both parties stated that all payments are cleared. I have lodged an e-mail complaint attaching every piece of supporting documents showing that the passengers showed up but the airline is not responding.

I want a refund for the new tickets which cost twice as much. What can I do to get the money back? It felt like the airline is deliberately pulling this stunt to scam money.



Best Answer

The situation described is pretty strange. If you bought original tickets through the Expedia, who is an online travel agent. The Expedia is a ticket issuer, and the airline itself can't split the reservation or charge money for it. To the best of my knowledge, all changes to the reservation can only be made through the agent who issued the ticket.

In the situation when:

  • Expedia issued the ticket
  • The airline made changes and charged you for them, and the Expedia was not part of this process.

Expedia can't do anything because it has nothing to do with the changing of the reservation. The airline is responsible for the issue, and you can only send a complaint to the airline. The Thai Lion Air seems to have mediocre support, so I am sure they will ignore the complaint. The only reasonable way to get the compensation is to ask the chargeback for the money you paid to split the reservation.




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Can I get a refund if I was denied boarding?

Where involuntary denied boarding occurs, your air carrier must offer you the choice between; re-routing as soon as possible; re-routing at a later date at your convenience; and. a refund of the full cost of the unused flight ticket.

What is the compensation for denied boarding?

This is called \u201cdenied boarding compensation\u201d or \u201cDBC\u201d for short. Most bumped passengers who experience short delays on flights will receive compensation equal to double the one-way price of the flight they were bumped from, but airlines may limit this amount to up to $775.

Is involuntary denied boarding compensation?

Yes, you can receive compensation from an airline if you are involuntarily denied boarding. Sometimes referred to as being \u201cbumped,\u201d involuntary denied boarding occurs when an airline makes a passenger give up their seat.

Do airlines have to refund due to Covid?

Airlines and ticket agents have a legal obligation to provide refunds to consumers if the airline cancels or significantly changes a consumer's flight. However, in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines had difficulty processing the significant volume of refund requests that they received.



How to Save Time at the Airport (Boarding Pass \u0026 Gate Tips)




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