United Airlines cancelled my flight less than 24 hours after I booked it via Expedia - what are my options?
At 5:28 pm on Friday, Jan 28 I paid US$298.60 for a flight (business class) from San Diego to Los Angeles via Expedia. At 8:53 pm that same day I got an email - United had cancelled the flight. That's less than 24 hours after my purchase. I now have US$253.60 in credit on Expedia that expires on Jan 9, 2023. That's US$45 less than what I paid.
As I understand it, if I had cancelled the flight within 24 hours I would be getting a full refund to my credit card. As I understand it this isn't an Expedia policy, but a US Department of Transportation policy.
Maybe that policy doesn't apply when they cancel the flight, but either way I intend to fight this. I do not want expiring credit in lieu of a full refund. If they want to give me credit and a full refund, that's fine, but I won't accept just credit.
The charge is still pending on my credit card, so there is a possibility it won't go through but I have no way of knowing that. If it does go through I figure I'll talk to a United representative over the phone or via their online chat. Or maybe an Expedia representative would be better?
I'm prepared to dispute the charge on my credit card. If the credit card issuer refuses to rule in my favor I'm prepared to cancel the credit card.
I guess ultimately what I'm wondering is... what's the most effective way to deal with this?
Best Answer
What should happen here is that, once you ask the airline for a refund, they will refund Expedia, and then Expedia should refund you. That may happen automatically once you call the airline.
One thing you do not want to do is dispute the charge, unless you've tried everything else first. Expedia will probably refuse to do business with you after that, and it will actually make it harder to resolve the issue - particularly since Expedia may win the dispute (not saying they should, but I've seen that happen many times - they show you initiated the card transaction, the bank says "okay, we agree with you" and you're out of luck.)
See this article (if it bothers you about your ad blocker, reader mode works on this site) for example. Someone had the same thing happen as you, and what messed things up for them was the dispute: once they disputed it, Expedia could not refund them to the card because it was marked as a disputed charge.
This one is a little complicated. An Expedia representative initially told you that it didn’t have your money but that the airline had approved a refund. But when I asked Expedia about your case, it appears the airline only approved a flight credit, which was issued to you. Then, a few months later, the airline approved the refund request and processed the refund.
Expedia suggested that you check with your credit card. But the money wasn’t there.
So what happened? Well, it turns out that when you asked your credit card about the refund, it initiated a dispute of the charges. So when the airline tried to return the money, it found that the original purchase had been disputed. That gummed up the works on your refund.
Pictures about "United Airlines cancelled my flight less than 24 hours after I booked it via Expedia - what are my options?"
What happens when flight booked through Expedia is Cancelled?
If you booked through an online travel agency, such as Expedia or Orbitz, you will need to call it directly to resolve your issue. \u201cThe airline generally won't want to deal with you,\u201d Mr.Does Expedia still have 24 hour cancellation policy?
Expedia offers FREE cancellation on flight tickets within 24 hours of booking. If your plans change or if you find a better deal, you can simply cancel your flight tickets within 24 hours of booking and get a full refund.Does United compensate for Cancelled flights?
Yes, United Airlines does offer flight delay compensation, but only in certain situations. Unfortunately, if you travelled from the United States, you likely won't get any money for your delay or cancellation, even for long delays.What am I entitled to if my flight is Cancelled?
Refund entitlements for your flight The US Department of Transportation says you are entitled to a refund of your ticket cost because of a cancellation or "significant delay" and you choose not to travel. This is the policy regardless of the reason the airlines cancels or delays the flight.Airline Refunds - Flight Cancelled? Know Your Rights!
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