PSA: DON’T BOOK A FLIGHT WITHOUT READING THIS!
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It is a bit embarrassing but even though I travel quite a bit I had not realized before that booking a flight via a booking platform will significantly weaken your legal position compared to booking directly with the airline. Yes, I know – apparently many (or even most) travelers know this but I honestly had no clue.
And in the past it has never been an issue. I generally check availability and pricing for flights via kayak and then just book the cheapest option that works for me. Everything has always gone off without a hitch. Until now!
My personal Experience trying to get a refund for my Qatar Airways Flight
What I booked
When I booked my long-distance flight for my 6-month-Asia trip I was actually very happy. Not only was my ticket affordable, but I was going to fly back with Qatar Airways via Doha. Like most airlines in the Middle East, Qatar is very highly rated and usually out of my price range. So the split ticket – to Thailand via China and back from Kuala Lumpur via Doha – was perfect!
I did not mind at all that I was purchasing the flight via a third party/booking platform. After all, I had done so plenty of times before. And it is much easier and more convenient to have all bookings in just one (or two) apps.
What happened
Then of course the Iran conflict happened and suddenly transiting through the region seemed no longer such a great idea. When I was at the airport in Bangkok to fly to Vietnam, I met quite a number of passengers that were stuck there, desperately trying to get a flight back to Europe or the US. Any flight, no matter the cost.
At that point I didn’t worry too much – after all my flight was four months off. But now we are just about six weeks out and the situation is still far from resolved.
My Dilemma
Now, I would still be happy to fly with Qatar and even via Doha but I was getting concerned that my flight would get cancelled close to departure date, stranding me in Kuala Lumpur. Trying to pivot at that time would be a nightmare so I kept a close watch on flight developments.
A couple of days ago I saw that the flight I was booked on had been cancelled so I went ahead and booked an alternate flight via China. That way I was sure to get back to Germany without having to buy a last minute flight at a horrendous price.
Unsuccessful Refund Attempt
Yesterday I received an email that I was now slated to fly on a different flight, 40 minutes earlier than the original one. Normally, I would not care about a small change but these are not normal times.
If I had booked directly with Qatar Airways I am 100% sure I would be entitled to a full refund. According to their published travel waiver for the current conflict Qatar Airways has waived all cancellation fees for impacted flights until September 15. However, when I contacted the booking portal via the Chat function to request an involuntary cancellation, they refused as apparently they are not aware of or do not care about Qatar’s Crisis Waiver.
They kept insisting that 40 minutes was a minor change – which I would have agreed with under normal conditions – and any cancellation would incur fees. So it seems I am out of luck so far.
What I will do next
For now I have kept my flight and will just wait. Highly likely, the flight will eventually get completely cancelled and I will get my money back after all. But it does add an additional level of stress I could have done without!
Lessons Learned
This has shown me that booking a flight via a third party is actually not the same as booking direct with the airline and carries a significant risk if something goes wrong.
Does that mean I will always book direct from now on? No, sometimes the flights on booking portals are significantly cheaper than booking direct with an airline. I assume this was the case for my current flight as it was really a mix and match of different carriers. And saving hundreds of dollars on a flight may be worth the increased risk.
However, in future I will consider this as part of my decision and will always check the prices for booking flights directly with the airline. In the past I often just clicked on my favorite booking portals as it makes it so much easier. I don’t have to input my data, figure out how to pay, or keep track of yet another dashboard/account.
That’s no longer the case: If the direct price is the same or similar to what is offered by a third party intermediary I will now book direct. I will keep on booking via portals if the savings are significant and/or if the flight is in the very near future so there is less uncertainty.
Conclusion
So in a nutshell: Your position for getting a refund on a flight ticket if things go wrong is significantly worse if you use an intermediary when booking. My recommendation is to always compare the portal price to what it would cost if you book direct with the airline. Only book via a third-party if the savings are worth the additional risk to you!
