Travel Troubleshooter: Expedia said it would refund my tickets four years ago. Help!

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I need help getting a refund from Expedia. I booked two round-trip Air Transat tickets from Toronto to Paris through Expedia back in 2020. I had to cancel the flights, and under the refund rules during the pandemic, Expedia said I could get my money back. Expedia said it would process the refund in a matter of weeks.

I waited a few months, but the refund never showed up on my credit card. I contacted Expedia in early 2022, and they told me to contact Air Transat for my refund. I did, and an Air Transat representative said the airline had already sent my refund to Expedia.

I’ve contacted both Expedia and Air Transat on numerous occasions since then, and I’ve also asked my credit card company for help. It says that there’s no record of a refund from Expedia or Air Transat.
I would love to get my refund. Can you help me?

— Keith Dawe, Toronto

ANSWER: Expedia should have refunded your money four years ago. I believe this is a new record for the longest airline refund case. (Congratulations, Expedia!)

Air Transat is a relatively small charter airline, so that might explain the initial delay. But at some point, Expedia should have taken ownership of this problem and helped you get a refund. Instead, it looks as if you bounced between Expedia, Air Transat and your credit card company for years. Literally, years. You must be exhausted.

What happened? It looks as if Air Transat refunded part of your purchase with a check, which appears to only cover taxes and fees. This left an outstanding balance of about $1,002. Air Transat claims it sent the money to Expedia, but Expedia said it never received the money.

Here’s the thing: When you buy an airline ticket through an online travel agency, it is responsible for the refund. It doesn’t matter if the airline refunds it or not. So, if Expedia says that you’re entitled to a refund, and it promises to process a refund in a few weeks, it’s on Expedia.