Travel Troubleshooter: Our $23,577 Air France credit expired during the pandemic

You could have asked for a refund the second time your travel plans changed because KLM canceled your flight. Most airlines were offering ticket credits that lasted more than a year, so you were correct to assume the airline would have given you more time to use your voucher. But you should have made sure.

It looks like you contacted the airlines, waited, and then moved on to something else before coming back to the case. I’ve found the best approach is to keep at it — be persistent and don’t let an airline just pocket your money. Also, if you wait too long, you might end up timing out, and a 2019 booking is really pushing it.

I recommended that you talk to your travel adviser and get the name of a manager. You did, and American Express reviewed its records. According to the agency, it had repeatedly tried to negotiate a credit extension with Air France, to no avail.

The manager recommended filing a complaint with the Department of Transportation. You did, and Air France apologized and issued new flight vouchers for the full value of the tickets, valid for one year.

“We are very pleased with the outcome and immediately booked flights to Portugal,” you told me. Bon voyage!