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Your Austrian Refund Is Taking Forever. What Can You Do About It?

Experiencing delays with your Austrian refund?

You have made your request for a complete refund due to the flight cancellation, and you are currently in the waiting period. Perhaps you have received an explanatory communication from the airline, or maybe you are still awaiting their response. Regardless of the specifics of your situation, there’s a crucial fact to keep in mind. In the EU, rules govern these procedures. As per the law, your Austrian refund should be processed within a 7-day window.

What should be your course of action if the refund is delayed beyond this period?

Your Austrian Refund Is Taking Forever: Step-By-Step Plan

When are you entitled to an Austrian refund for cancellation?

In circumstances where an airline has cancelled a flight, it is obliged to offer you a refund.

For instance, within the European Union, should Austrian Airlines cancel a flight, they are required to provide you with an option between a full refund and a rescheduled flight. It’s vital to recognise that sometimes you are entitled not only to a full refund (or alternative flight) but also to flight cancellation compensation.

What to do if your Austrian refund is delayed? Follow this guide.

Step 1: Get in touch with Austrian Airlines

You can reach out to the Austrian Airlines customer service through their website.

You can also try contacting them using Facebook Messenger.

Barring extraordinary circumstances like the onset of a worldwide pandemic, you should receive a response within a week. If you haven’t heard back from them after seven days, drop them a few more messages. Continue this process, until you get their attention.

Step 2: Reach out to Austrian Airlines through Social Media

If Austrian doesn’t get back to you, resort to social media.

If despite numerous emails and messages spread over a few weeks, you have yet to receive a reply, utilise platforms like Facebook and Twitter to contact Austrian Airlines. Remind them of the 7-day rule. Refer to the Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Articles 5 and 8.

Step 3: Don’t Agree to Vouchers

Your Austrian refund should be reimbursed to your bank account.

You don’t have to agree with Austrian vouchers.

Step 4: Contact the National Enforcement Body (NEB)

In every EU member state, such an institution exists.

Reach out to the NEB of the country your flight originated from. If your flight departed from Germany, get in touch with the Nationale Beschwerde- und Durchsetzungsstelle Fluggastrechte. If the flight originated from a non-EU country, contact the NEB of the arrival country. All the contact information for these bodies can be found on this page.

Find out more here.

In fact, this step is often the most time-consuming. It typically takes approximately 2 months for the relevant NEB to reach a decision. Then, you need to wait for Austrian to process the payment. To increase your chances of a successful outcome, continue to make your presence felt on Austrian’s social media pages and other communication channels.

View from the Austrian flight

When Are You Entitled to Austrian Refund?

In which situations are you entitled to Austrian refund?

As per EU regulations, you’re entitled to a full refund if Austrian cancels your flight.

If Austrian cancels your flight, they must give you the option of re-routing (a new flight at no extra cost) or a complete refund of your ticket price. This holds true regardless of the cause of the cancellation, including extraordinary circumstances. The refund for a cancelled flight must be provided within seven days.

Any delay from Austrian in providing refunds contravenes EU regulations, and passengers may contemplate taking additional action.

What If You Cancel the Flight Yourself?

If you’re the one cancelling the flight, the refund process becomes a bit more intricate. Here are a few points to bear in mind:

  • Flexible tickets. If you’ve secured a flexible ticket, it’s probable you’ll receive a refund, but it’s always important to familiarize yourself with the airline’s terms and conditions.
  • Non-refundable tickets. If you’ve booked non-refundable tickets, you normally won’t receive a full refund. However, airlines may propose to refund the taxes you paid as a part of your ticket cost.
  • Travel insurance. If your travel insurance encompasses cancellations, depending on the reason for the cancellation, you might be able to file a refund claim with your insurance company.
  • Cancellation within 24 hours of booking. Some carriers will deliver a full refund if you cancel your booking within 24 hours, provided the booking was made at least a week before the scheduled departure of the flight.
  • Unforeseen events (such as serious illness). If you cancel your flight due to unforeseen events such as serious illness or a loss of a family member, depending on the airline’s policy, the airline might provide a refund or credit for future travel.

Flight Cancellation Due to Extraordinary Circumstances: Can You Get a Refund?

During extraordinary circumstances such as extreme weather conditions, airport employee strikes (excluding strikes by airline employees), or security threats, airlines are generally not held accountable for the cancellations.

Nevertheless, according to European Union regulations (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004), when an airline has to cancel a flight, they are still obligated to provide the passengers with a choice of either a full refund or an alternative flight. This implies that even if the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances, you are still eligible to receive a full refund.

Make sure that the refund is issued within a week. If you are facing delays with your refund, feel free to follow the previously discussed step-by-step guide.

What is your experience with Austrian refunds? Have you ever received a refund from Austrian? Share your experience in the comments!