British Airways cancels flight, refuses refund

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: British Airways canceled my recent flight from Boston to London. The airline said it canceled the flight because of “operational constraints.” British Airways sent me an email promising to “do everything (they) can to get you where you need to be.”

I asked the airline for a refund, but instead, I received another email that accused me of being a “no-show” for my flight and refused a refund. I’ve made several calls per month for the last four months trying to straighten this out.

Finally, I received an email from British Airways that said per its fare rules, it could not offer a refund. But, British Airways canceled my flight, so doesn’t it owe me a refund?

— Carrie Christensen, Pittsfield, Massachusetts

ANSWER: It most certainly does. If an airline cancels a flight, it owes you a full and prompt refund under its fare rules and federal regulations. British Airways can’t keep your money under any circumstances.

I’m kind of shocked that your refund request dragged on this long. I reviewed the correspondence between you and British Airways. The facts were clear: You received an email from British Airways that said, “We’re sorry your flight has been canceled due to operational constraints.” And you sent that email to the airline when you requested your refund. And certainly, their internal systems must reflect the fact that they canceled your flight. How much more do they need?

You did a terrific job of keeping all of your records with the airline. If only British Airways had paid attention to its records, then you wouldn’t have a complaint at all.