Looking for a refund for travel services that were cancelled by your airline, cruise line or other travel provider? Here are some of the most common questions we get on this topic along with our answers.
What you need to know
After over a year of cancelled travel plans, many consumers have had issues getting refunds from travel suppliers. As a BC regulator, one of the laws we oversee gives you cancellation and refund rights when you donât receive the services you paid for online or over the phone. If youâre eligible, you may be owed a refund under BC law.
Thereâs a lot to know and a number of steps to follow to get your refund, so we recommend you start by reading this page: COVID-19 and refunds for cancelled travel.
Read it carefully, as it has detailed information about eligibility, what forms to use, and the steps needed to request a refund properly. Please be aware that the laws we oversee when it comes to these transactions are very specific and not everyone will be eligible to go through the process for a refund.
Still have questions? Here are some answers.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What if I cancelled my travel plans myself?
A: If you cancelled the travel plans yourself, you are not eligible to go through our refund process. If your travel service was available to you, but you decided not to go, the cancellation and refund laws we oversee do not apply. In these cases, we would suggest you try and reach a solution with the business based on what their cancellation policy allows.
Q: What if I cancelled my travel plans because of the Government travel restrictions?
A: You are not eligible to go through our process for a refund if the travel service was available to you and you decided not to travel â even if it was because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. In these cases, you are bound to the cancellation policy you signed when you booked the travel. Review the cancellation policy to find out what the terms and conditions of your contract allow.
Q: The travel provider I booked with is not based in BC. Do they have to follow these rules?
A: If businesses are doing business with people who live in BC, they must follow the laws in our province. If you live in BC, you can follow our process for a refund, assuming you meet the other eligibility requirements.
Q: What if I donât live in BC?
A: If you donât live in BC but booked your travel with a BC-based travel provider, they are required to follow the laws of this province. You can follow our process for a refund, assuming you meet the other eligibility requirements.
Q: The travel supplier (airline, hotel, cruise, etc.) has given me a voucher. Does that count as a refund?
A: It depends. Here are some examples where a voucher is permissible, meaning you would not be eligible to go through our refund process: The travel supplier had a promotion or incentive of some kind to take a voucher and you agreed to it. Or you and the travel supplier agreed over email that a voucher was an acceptable resolution.
Generally speaking, if you have had a voucher forced on you as a substitute to the travel services you bought and you did not indicate that you accept the voucher, you may still be able to go through our process to claim a refund. For example, a situation where the supplier cancelled your travel plans and simply put a voucher into your travel account (despite you wanting a refund). Depending on each circumstance, we may not deem that to be consent.
If you are eligible for a refund under our laws, have been actively pursuing a refund from the business, and have followed the necessary steps, you must be refunded in the same way you paid.
Q: If I am owed a refund by the business, do I get all the fees back too?
A: Yes, if you are eligible, you should get a full refund. This includes all fees, charges, taxes and interest that may have been charged.
Q: The travel provider says that their policy does not allow for refunds/full refunds. Can they refuse me a full refund?
A: If you are eligible for a refund under the distance sales law, it does not matter what the businessâs refund/cancellation policy is â you should still receive a full refund.
Q: My travel agent is keeping their commission/charging me a fee for cancellation. Is this allowed?
A: No. If you are eligible for a refund and followed the proper steps, your travel agent is required to provide a full refund to you. They cannot withhold their commissions or charge you fees. If they are not following the rules around this, you can submit a complaint to our office.
Q: The travel provider offered me different dates in place of the original travel plans (such as a different flight), but that wonât work for me. Can I get a refund?
A: If the business offered alternate dates within 30 days of the original travel or before you cancelled your contract (through our refund process), they are considered to have provided the service according to the law (even if that timeline does not work for you). The contract is still fulfilled, and you would have no ability to exercise cancellation and refunds rights under our laws.
Going through our refund process
The process includes three parts, officially cancelling your contract with the suppliers, if that doesnât work then you try to get a reversal of charges from your credit card provider, and if you are still unsuccessful, you can submit a complaint to us.
Q: Iâve already tried to get my money back from the business â do I have to go through the whole process again by using your forms?
A: Yes – to go through our process for a refund, you must follow all the steps on our website. We recommend you use our official forms, even if youâve already tried to get your money back from the business. This is because what you send to the business/credit card provider needs to include very specific information to be legal and our forms make sure that all that is covered. This gives you the best chance of getting a refund.
Q: I booked my travel plans through a booking platform/travel agency. Who should I cancel my contract withâ the booking platform/travel agency OR the airline/hotel/business providing the travel services?
A: To cover your bases, we suggest sending our contract cancellation form to both suppliers. If you get to the stage where you need to submit a complaint to our office, when we ask for the name of the supplier, use the airline/cruise line/hotel (the business that was ultimately providing the services).
Q: How long will this process take?
A: The refund process has several steps and each one has required waiting times. This means that getting your refund this way can take months. If your travel supplier has a new refund process in place, like Air Canada, we suggest you try that first before coming to us.
Starting the process for a refund
Do you think youâre eligible for a refund for cancelled travel plans? Learn more and start the refund process.
About Consumer Protection BC
We are responsible for regulating specific industries and certain consumer transactions in British Columbia. If your concern is captured under the laws we enforce, we will use the tools at our disposal to assist you. If weâŻcanâtâŻhelp you directly, we will be happy to provideâŻyou with as much informationâŻasâŻpossible. Depending on your concern, another organization may be the ones to speak to; other times, court or legal assistance may be the best option. Explore our website atâŻwww.consumerprotectionbc.ca.
We are retired. We had planned two trips in 2020. First trip was in January 2020 BEFORE any news of Covid my husband & I traveled to New Zealand for 3 weeks. The second trip was to have been to attend our nieceâs wedding in Athens Greece in September 2020 however the wedding was cancelled due to Covid. The week prior to our departure for New Zealand we purchased travel insurance from BCAA. We chose to pay the premiums for 1 year of coverage because we had planned to attend the wedding in September. Due to Covid, we could not travel anywhere following our trip to New Zealand. The insurance for the 1 year cost us nearly $3,000 and BCAA told us upon our return from New Zealand that we could not get any amount of refund on the insurance which of course we wouldnât be needing because Covid restrictions prevented us from any travel over the following 11 months! Just doesnât seem right!
Hi Susan, thank you for leaving us a comment. Travel services refunds we are referring to in this blog post are flights, cruise trips, tours and unfortunately do not include travel insurance. Despite the pandemic, the travel insurance coverage was still available to you and it wasn’t cancelled by BCAA so you would not be eligible for a refund. Having said that, read through the terms and conditions and see if there is anything that entitles you to a partial refund.
I am am excited too with this question. You will not prompt to me, where I can find more information on this question?
Hi – we have more information on this page.
I think, that you are not right. I am assured. Let’s discuss. Write to me in PM, we will talk.
Hello and thank you for writing to us. If you have concerns or would like to share your personal experience, please submit a formal complaint to us. You can do so through this link.
I had bought airline tickets in advance ( )n $1600.00 worth)which was encouraged by Island Air Express operating out of Abbotsford BC. rior to March 2020
I live in Qualicum Beach. and immediately contacted them.However, they ceased service in BC and are now flying in Alaska. They informed me that my tickets are still valid but I have no reason to fly in Alaska. .
Please advise.
Hi Dee, thank you for getting in contact with us. We have a lot of information about this topic on this page of our website. Please read through the entire page and see if you are able to demand a refund from Island Air Express first. If you are still not successful and have taken other steps outlined on the page, then please file a complaint with us. The link to the online form is on the same page.
I booked a WestJet Vacations package on January 12, 2020, that was set to depart to Mexico on March 20, 2020, and return March 29, 2020.
The weeks leading up to our departure date were quite nerve-rackingâwe had no idea if we should travel or not, but there wasn’t really anything being said by WestJet or our own government.
On March 16, 2020, the Prime Minister announced that Canada would be closing its borders, so we waited to hear how WestJet would respond. By the end of the day, WestJet had said nothing regarding border closures, and whether or not flights were still going out. We felt we had no choice but to cancel our flights. We did not want to wind up stuck in a foreign country, or contribute to the spread of COVID-19.
A couple hours after we cancelled our flights, WestJet announced that they would be suspending international flights after March 23. Looking at the flight history, our outbound flight (WS2054) did leave at the intended date and time on March 20, 2020, but our return flight (WS2059) on March 29 never flew. The last flight for WS2059 was March 22, 2020.
Anyone with a shred of critical thinking knew this was going to be the case. The irresponsible actions of the airlines and our own government made the COVID-19 situation so much worse, and I feel like consumers who chose to do the right thing are being punished for it.
I contacted WestJet multiple times, and they told me: “We’re not issuing refunds at this time”
So I waited. Then they started issuing refunds, so I contacted them again: “We’re contacting those eligible for refund. Please be patient as we’ll contact you if you’re eligible for a refund”.
So I waited, and waited. Almost a year passed, so I contacted them again: “We’re contacting those eligible for a refund. Please be patient as we’ll contact you if you’re eligible for a refund”.
After a year passed, and I heard nothing from WestJet, I tried to initiate a chargeback through my card issuer, American Express: “Due to the length of time that has passed since the charge has occurred, the merchant is not required to provide us with the information. In order to resolve this matter, we suggest that you contact the merchant directly for details. We are unable to offer further assistance at this time.”
I’m at a loss for words. It’s been well over a year now, and all I have to show for it are useless WestJet dollars that I won’t be able to use, nor have the desire to use before they expire (March 30, 2022) â the expiration I’m pretty sure being illegal according to Consumer Protections BC. $4,000 CAD is a lot of money to me. According to your own website, because I was the one who decided not to travel, I am not entitled to that money? I was expected to travel during the rise of the pandemic? AFTER the government urged Canadians abroad to come home? AFTER the government declared it would be closing its borders to non-citizens? I was expected to get on a flight where I’d either have to immediately return home, or risk getting stuck in that country? I was expected to contribute to the spread of COVID-19?
Hi Levi – thanks for sharing your experience here. We recognize the situation involving cancelled travel due to COVID-19 has presented many issues for consumers over the last year. You are correct, travel vouchers/credit with a dollar value are not allowed to expire. We have steps you can follow if your voucher has an expiry date but shouldn’t: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumer-help/consumer-information-gift-cards/
And yes, you are also correct in saying that if you were the one who cancelled the travel, you would not be eligible to use our process for a refund. The piece of legislation we’re using to help consumers get their money back for cancelled travel is very specific. It’s called a distance sales contract. So when you purchase something online, over the phone, or not in person, you have certain cancellation and refund rights if the business fails to provide you with your goods/service – you can read the details here. In order for the law to kick in, it has to be the supplier who failed to deliver on the services you paid for. We know it’s frustrating when you don’t meet the eligibility criteria, but this is written into the law.
I imagine this wasn’t the answer you were looking for, but I hope it’s somehow helpful to you.
Iâm getting sort of. So my trip was set to fly out to Cancun March 24th, 2020. So obviously this trip was not available to me anymore. But⊠because we were told all flights/trips were cancelled, I called and cancelled. So am I out of luck because all flights were cancelled, but I called to make sure my reservation was cancelled. This is the confusing part to me.
Hi Melinda, if you called and cancelled, you would not be eligible to use our process for a refund. The piece of legislation weâre using to help consumers get their money back for cancelled travel is very specific. Itâs called a distance sales contract. So when you purchase something online, over the phone, or not in person, you have certain cancellation and refund rights if the business fails to provide you with your goods/service â you can read the details here. In order for the law to kick in, it has to be the supplier who failed to deliver on the services you paid for. We know itâs frustrating when you donât meet the eligibility criteria, but this is written into the law.
I booked through AirMiles, using 8400 miles and almost $800 in fees. for a trip in Oct-2020, that was cancelled. AirMiles told me in March as AirCanada was not doing refunds, they could only extend the trip and I would need to leave and return before Sep-2021 unless that changed. I have confirmations with AirCanada of flights, and have submitted my request for refund. Do you know if the refunds will apply to AirMiles too?
Hi Maggie, thank you for reaching out to us here. As far as we understand, consumers are entitled to a refund in the same way they paid for the original travel plan. So in your case, AirMiles and fees as long as you meet all the eligibility requirements outlined on this page of our website. If you are not able to receive a refund from Air Canada, please revisit our website and submit a formal complaint with us.
I booked a trip with a BC company by phone and email (I’m in Toronto) and made part of the payment by credit card and part by check/money order, which I mailed. Is the payment by check/money order covered by the “distance sales contract” rules? All the instructions seem to assume that a payment was made by a credit card.
Hi Martin! Thanks for reaching out to us here. Why don’t you give our inquiry team a call so we can learn more about your situation? Our phone number here is 1.888.564.9963. Thanks!
My family (10 of us) and I booked a trip to Mexico for Aug 2020 and Covid cancelled all that. Westjet Vacations still has my deposit and refuses to respond to my letters requesting a refund on the . My travel agent has been checking the rules and Westjet has not changed thier tune. I did have a Non Refundable Deposit but I did not cancel the world cancelled on me. my Non refundable deposit of $1,000 (I paid for 4 fof us) was transferred to a Westjet Rewards Account which I could use for future travel within 24 months. But I don’t feel comfortable traveling in the near future and want my money back.
Hi Louisa, thank you for reaching out to us here. The distance sales contract cancellation rights in BC only apply when you book your travel online, over the phone, by email or fax. If you went through a travel agent and paid the deposit in person, you may not be eligible for a refund. Having said that, please read through this page on our website as it gives you the detailed information. After reading the page, if you believe you are eligible for a refund, our online complaint form is there. I hope this information is helpful and if you have any further questions please let us know.
My husband has always wanted to visit Calvert Island in BC so I booked a trip in the winter of 2018 with Outer Shores Expeditions for a 6 person trip that included Calvert. Because we had spent 14 winters in the Bella Coola Valley where the trip was to start and end in May 2019 I did not buy traveler’s insurance. We had just a distance of about 10 miles to reach the boat. We secured our trip with a $2,000 deposit through our credit card company. At the time of booking the policy of Outer Shores was that if they canceled the trip mainly because of lack of 6 people one would get a prompt refund. The final several thousand dollars we paid with a check (huge mistake). Then COVID hit and the other 4 people could not enter BC. We were already in BC. I spent lots of time arguing with Outer Shores that I was being charged for goods and services not received plus tax. Out credit card company refunded the now more than one year old deposit but Outer Shores would refund just half of the balance. Since their boat never left Victoria and they let their staff go and they did not need to buy food I felt entitled to a full refund. After Covid their website was changed and no longer offered a full refund.So. I had to settle for a partial which was around $3500 Canadian. We could have booked for 2021 or 2022 but the border is still closed. Lesson learned the hard way. The border will eventually reopen and despite the convenience of departing and returning just 10 miles from our cabin I will never book a future trip with Outer Shores.
Hello, I booked a ticket with Aeromexico due to COVID I cancelled. I reach out the airline and they keep telling me they issue the refund but I never got the money back. After I asked they mention a company. I tried to contact that company but I never got an answer about where my money is. Is been more than one year and I asked what about the interest? I paid with my credit card and I was reading I can use the form you provide but I don’t know-how. Can you help me?
Hi Nairobi, thank you for reaching out to us about your cancelled travel plan. We do have a page (link here) with all the important information about COVID-19 travel refunds. Eligibility and required steps are detailed so please make sure to read everything before filling out the form. The form is on the page as well. I’m not familiar with Aeromexico’s refund process but many airlines have recently changed their process so please make a contact with them directly one more time before filling out our form. Dealing with the airline would be a faster, more efficient process. If you have any questions, please feel free to let us know!
HI, I booked with Cahilly (thru Expedia) in Sun Peaks, their form clearly said no cancellations because of COVID restrictions I accept that. But because of the heavy rains and flooding all roads to the resort are either washed out or closed to non essential travel. BC is in a state of emergency. I contacted the resort and they said “either you make it or you don’t” I have then been on contact with Expedia for the past weeks and they still refuse to refund me. Cleary force majure. Do I have a chance to get my money back?
Hi Glenn, thanks for your question. The only way for consumers to be eligible to go through our process for a refund for cancelled travel plans is if the travel services were not made available to them by the travel provider. Meaning, the flight never took off, the cruise never left port, or the ski resort or hotel closed. The very small piece of legislation that we can use to help people get money back for cancelled travel only applies when it was the business who failed to provide the goods/services you paid for and they didn’t hold up their end of the deal. In cases where the consumer is unable to travel (such as COVID 19 travel restrictions or issues stemming from the floods), you would be bound to the cancellation policy you agreed to when you paid for the services. I imagine this wasn’t the answer you were looking for, but I hope it’s helpful to you.
Through expedia, we booked flights with WestJet to Punta Cana on 03/18-04/03/2020, where we wanted to start a cruise that was cancelled due to COVID, so we cancelled the flights. WestJet allows us to book new flights by 03/17/2022 and complete the travel by 02/10/2023, but we won’t be able to do that and the cruise would be in March/April, not January – if at all possible. If we cannot get our money back, can we insist on an extension at least for a few months or even one more year?
Hi Gabriela, thank you for getting in touch with us! Yes since you have the travel credit with Westjet, it’s best to work with them and see if you are able to have an extension. I hope you will be able to get the extension and plan your travel accordingly!
Ontario residents booked through a B.C. travel agency which acts as an intermediary/agent for a supplier based in Ontario. Who would I turn to for compensation?
Hi Ricki, to cover your bases, we suggest sending our contract cancellation form to both suppliers. You can find our form on our website (take a look under step 1). If you get to the stage where you need to submit a complaint to our office, when we ask for the name of the supplier, use the airline/cruise line/hotel (the business that was ultimately providing the services).
Like several others with complaints about WestJet on this site, I am also having issues with regards to their refunds of travel vouchers and date restraints.
We had a cruise booked leaving from Montreal in September 2020. Booked WestJet flight to Montreal pre-Covid January 2020. Cruise was cancelled in July 2020 and we just automatically cancelled our flights to Montreal as we would not be going to a Covid hotspot any time soon. Also the fact that we were still under travel restrictions and were constantly being told by our Govt. that no travel was going to be allowed for quite sometime. I also worked in the Govt. Health Sector and was often told restrictions would not be lifted for quite some time.
WestJet had put our fare price into a travel voucher and although i have called numerous times I kept being told that I would not be receiving a refund. The other day I was told by a WestJet rep I now have till June 2022 to book a flight to go somewhere or I would lose the full amount of my airfare. They dont offer me any flights to where I need to go to (overseas) and I did state that. They couldnt tell me either when flights would be available to travel outside of Canada apart from Mexico/USA. I have been given a travel voucher should they be attaching an expiry date on this especially as our own country has only started to relax travel restrictions to and from here ?
Hi Eileen, thank you for contacting us. We have written another article about travel vouchers and how to ask the business to remove the expiry date. Please take a look at the article, which includes the forms you can use, and if you have any questions please feel to contact us.
My biggest Westjet complaint is the lack of up-front transparency with their cancellation policy. You can cancel but your money is put in a travel bank which can only be partially used the next time you book a trip. So if i had to spend $600 to cover additional taxes and fees not covered by WJ dollars and then cancelled a flight I don’t understand when the next time I go to book i can’t fully use that $600 towards the next purchase.
I booked a trip for January, 2022 with a travel agent from Kelowna BC to Roatan, Honduras on WestJet. Westjet changed the routing twice and we ended up flying Kelowna to Vancouver to take a connection to Toronto then Roatan.
In Vancouver after a 7 hr delay, the flight was cancelled due to a frozen toilet. We then waited 3 hours in the WestJet lineup to try to reschedule. There was nothing suitable and we flew back to Kelowna. We were advised by WJ to wait at least a month before rebooking (due to staffing).
We rebooked a month later with WJ and flew to Roatan in February.
We have been in touch with our travel agent 6 times and she has tried to get us a refund from WJ. Meanwhile we have not received any written response from WJ although our travel agent has indicated that we will get a partial credit (less the Vancouver portion of the flight amounting to over $1200. for 2 of us).
We feel this is totally unacceptable and would at the very least expect a full refund. We paid in full at a higher cost for the February flight to Roatan.
Your advice?
Hi Lorrie,
Thanks for your question. It sounds like there are many twists and turns with your experience. To help us get a better understanding of the situation, please fill out our complaint form (found here: Complaint Assistant. Once we get that, we can explore whether there may be any options for you that fall under our areas of responsibility. We do ask for your patience as it will take some time for us to assess the information you give us. Thank you!
Hello,
Our vacation was cancelled by the provider in BC because of the fires. Would we be eligible to get a refund of our deposit? We were not offered alternate dates within 30 days and weâre told that they donât give refunds. They offered us 2 years to rebook, but since they were closed most of last summer, we are not available to go for the dates they offered.
Hi Irene, thanks for your question. If you bought the vacation online/over the phone and it was the supplier who cancelled, you may be able eligible to go through our process for a refund. However, it is important to remember that when we review complaints about cancelled travel, we consider the length of time since the original service failed to be provided, the actions (or inaction) of the consumer to pursue a refund with the supplier, and whether the consumer consented to accepting a credit for the future supply of goods/services in place of the original contract. In these instances, we may not be able to pursue a complaint. You can find our process for dealing with cancelled travel available on our website here: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/questions-about-travel-plans-and-covid-19/ Be sure to follow all the steps exactly, as we require proof when you submit your complaint. I hope this helps!