Q: I had a flight booked that was cancelled due to the pandemic. A few weeks after the cancellation, the airline contacted  me to say that I can either opt for immediate vouchers or wait for money refund. I chose to wait for the refund.

Now the airline has contacted me again to inform me that the refund cannot be issued directly to me as my claim for refund has to be made through the booking agent. I had, in fact, bought the flight online through a booking site.

Should I insist on receiving the refund from the airline rather than from the booking agent?

A: When flights are booked through an agent or a third party booking site, airlines issue refunds to the entity that purchased the ticket. This means that while your right for a refund for the cancelled flight still applies, your claim needs to be made with the company from which you purchased the flight ticket.

In view of this, you are advised to make a written request for a refund with the booking site.

If you encounter any difficulties in recovering your money, and if the booking site is locally based, you may then file a complaint with the MCCAA’s Office for Consumer Affairs.

If the booking site operates from another EU member state, you may seek the assistance of the European Consumer Centre Malta.