Your Czech Airlines refund is taking forever.
Are there any actions that you can take to get the refund faster?
Your flight was cancelled. And you’ve made a refund request with Czech Airlines. The wait for your refund seems to be dragging on and on. Perhaps you’ve received an email update on the situation from the airline, or maybe you’re still in the dark. Regardless of the exact circumstances, one important piece of information to remember is that according to European laws your Czech Airlines refund should be processed within 7 days.
So, what should you do if the refund is taking longer than that?
Czech Airlines Refund Is Delayed: Your Action Plan
Are you entitled to Czech Airlines refund?
When an airline cancels a flight, they’re obligated to provide you with a refund.
In the European Union, if Czech Airlines cancels a flight, they have to give you either a full refund or a different flight. It’s important to know that sometimes you can only get your money back, but other times you can get both your money back and extra money for the cancellation. The latter is known as flight cancellation compensation.
Step 1: Reach Out to Czech Airlines
Get in touch with Czech Airlines customer support.
Start by going to their official website.
Unless there’s a significant unexpected event, like a countrywide strike or pandemic, they should respond within a week or so. If a week goes by with no response at all, send a few more messages to them and repeat this process every few days until you get a response.
Step 2: Use Social Media to Contact Czech Airlines
If your attempts to contact Czech Airlines are ignored, try social media.
After several weeks of unanswered emails and messages, try using Facebook and Twitter to get through to Czech Airlines. Remind them about the 7-day refund deadline in Europe and refer to Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 5 and 8. They know this law. And they know about the deadline.
You can also do this at the same time while waiting for email reply.
Step 3: Refuse Vouchers
Your Czech Airlines refund should be paid to your bank account.
There’s no need to accept Czech Airlines vouchers.
You can, of course, opt for a voucher if you want, but you also have a legal right to request a refund to bank account. With Czech Airlines, this applies to all their flights to and from Europe.
Step 4: Approach the National Enforcement Body (NEB)
Every member state of the EU has this institution.
Reach out to the NEB in the country where your flight originated. If your flight was from Germany, contact the Nationale Beschwerde- und Durchsetzungsstelle Fluggastrechte. For flights outside the EU, contact the NEB of the destination country.
All contact details for these organizations can be found on this page.
While this fourth step is the most effective, it can also be the most time-consuming. First, you have to find the right institution. Next, you have to write a message about your flight. They may also ask for some extra paperwork. Then, comes the waiting period – it often takes at least 2 months for the respective NEB to make a decision.
After that, you’ll still have to wait for Czech Airlines to process the payment. They may also still refuse the payment.
For best results, continue to make your presence known on Czech Airlines social media pages and other communication channels. Keep communicating with the airline.
Czech Airlines Refund: When Are You Entitled to One?
According to the law, if Czech Airlines cancels a flight, you are due a full refund.
If Czech Airlines cancels a flight, they, as a European airline, must offer you an option between rerouting (a free new flight to your destination) or a full refund of your ticket price. This rule applies regardless of why the flight was cancelled. You have the same rights even under extraordinary circumstances. It also doesn’t matter if it’s a last-minute flight cancellation or not.
Flight cancellation refunds must be processed within seven days.
Any delay by the airline in refunding the money is a breach of EU regulations. Whenever that happens, you have a legal right to take further action.
What if You’re the One Who Cancels the Flight?
The refund process becomes somewhat more complex if you’re the one cancelling the flight. You don’t have the same rights in these situations.
Here’s what you should know:
- Flexible tickets. If you’ve bought a flexible ticket, a refund is usually possible, but it’s always a good idea to read the airline’s terms and conditions. You may still not be getting back the full amount of what you paid for the ticket.
- Non-refundable tickets. With non-refundable tickets, you mostly can’t get a full refund. However, airlines might agree to refund the taxes included in your ticket price. It will depend on the exact circumstances.
- Travel insurance: If you have travel insurance that covers flight cancellations, you may be eligible to a refund from your insurance provider, depending on the reason for cancellation. Make sure to contact them as soon as possible, or even better – before you cancel a flight, to make sure you do it the right and the best way.
- Cancellation within 24 hours of booking: Certain airlines may provide a full refund if you cancel your flight within 24 hours of making the booking, as long as the booking was made at least 7 days prior to the departure. Check out the airline’s website, to learn more about this option, if that applies in your situation.
- Exceptional circumstances: If you need to cancel due to exceptional circumstances like illness or a family member’s death, the airline may offer a refund or provide airline voucher for future travel. However, this is subject to the specific policy of the airline. Contact the airline to learn more about the options.
Flight Cancellation Resulting from Extraordinary Circumstances: Are You Eligible for a Refund?
Yes, you are.
If the airline has cancelled a flight, you can request a full refund.
With Czech Airlines, this applies to all their flights to and from Europe. Because they are a European airline and have to follow all the guidelines set by the European Union laws and regulations.
Even though, airlines are exempt from paying flight cancellation compensation in cases of extraordinary circumstances like severe weather, strikes by airport personnel (excluding airline staff strikes) or safety concerns. To clarify, if your flight is cancelled because of extraordinary circumstances, you won’t get compensation from the airline.
But you can get a full refund, if you don’t want to take any other flight.
Remember, the refund should be paid to your bank account, and it should be done within seven days. If there are any delays, feel free to follow the step-by-step strategy detailed above.
What is your experience with Czech Airlines refunds? Have you ever received a refund from Czech Airlines? Share your experience in the comments!
Featured photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels