My ticket change request is lost in translation. Can I get my $4,352 back from Austrian Airlines?

Randal Marchessault watches in disbelief as Austrian Airlines refunds him just $108 after a botched ticket change request. But the airline rebooks his wife’s identical ticket without any problem. Now he’s fighting to get a $4,352 refund.

Question

My wife and I booked business-class tickets to Cairo through Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa for a tour of Egypt. The tour operator canceled the trip because of the conflict in the Middle East. When I called Austrian to rebook, the agent misunderstood “tour canceled” as “cancel booking.” 

The airline refunded only $108 instead of rebooking my $4,352 ticket. But the airline handled my wife’s identical ticket perfectly. Austrian insists the refund is “irreversible.” Can you help?  

— Randal Marchessault, Maple Grove, Minn.  

Answer

That sounds like a real “lost in translation” moment — and it’s one reason you should always handle ticket changes online, where there’s less chance that someone will misunderstand you. But still, there’s no such thing as “irreversible” — even in the airline industry.

Here’s what should have happened: When you called Austrian Airlines to explain that your tour was canceled because of a regional conflict, the agent should have confirmed your intent. Did you want to cancel for a refund or rebook for future travel? Then the agent should have rebooked you, as requested. Airlines are supposed to have consistent policies, especially for flexible, changeable tickets like the one you had.

I’m shocked that the agent rebooked one of your tickets properly, but not the other. Based on that alone, your request should have prompted a review of your call to see what went wrong. The email correspondence you provided — and my subsequent communication with Austrian Airlines — suggests there was no high-level review of your case.

If Austrian Airlines canceled your flight against your wishes, it owes you a full refund under Department of Transportation rules. 

You might have been able to prevent this by asking for an immediate written confirmation of your ticket change. A quick review and escalation to one of Austrian Airlines’ executives might have turned this around for you.  

I contacted Austrian Airlines on your behalf, and I have to confess, I quickly concluded that this was more than just a “lost in translation” issue. The airline continued to ask for documentation you had already sent them. No, this appeared to be an airline that had made a mistake and then doubled down on it. The representatives understood what you were saying.

After you made several attempts to send Austrian the information about the improperly canceled flight, it finally credited you the full $4,352.

There’s a lesson for all of us here. The next time you have to make a ticket change, stay off the phone if you can. Because if a mistake happens, chances are, you will pay for it.