A made-up case (fictional airline, person and numbers), generated by RefundThis exactly as a customer would get it. Yellow [FILL IN] spots are details the customer didn't give us.
Start your own free preview →Jordan Reyes [FILL IN: your address, email and phone] October 15, 2026 SkyLark Air [FILL IN: company's complaints/customer-service address or email] Subject: Request for full refund on cancelled flight QX7TPL Dear SkyLark Air, On 02 Aug 2026 I purchased flight SL 2281 from Denver to Boston for 19 Sep 2026. The total charged to my credit card was $612.40 (fare $541.00 plus taxes and fees $71.40). Confirmation number is QX7TPL. I have enclosed a copy of the e-ticket receipt. On 17 Sep 2026 SkyLark Air notified me that flight SL 2281 had been cancelled for operational reasons. The airline rebooked me on a flight two days later, which I declined in the app and booked with another airline instead. Rather than issuing a refund, SkyLark Air provided only a travel credit. I chatted with your support team on 20 Sep 2026 and again on 27 Sep 2026; both times I was told that a travel credit was the only option available. Under the U.S. Department of Transportation's airline refund rule, an airline must refund the ticket when a flight is cancelled or significantly changed and the passenger does not accept the alternative offered (such as rebooking, travel credit or a voucher). The refund is due within 7 business days for credit card purchases and within 20 calendar days for other payment methods, to the original form of payment. Your cancellation notice stated that I could choose a travel credit for the full value of my ticket. I am requesting a full refund of $612.40 to my original credit card instead of the travel credit. Please process this refund and reply by 29 Oct 2026. I have also enclosed a copy of the cancellation email. If this is not resolved I will use the options available to me, including a dispute with my card issuer. Sincerely, Jordan Reyes Enclosures: airline_receipt.pdf; airline_cancel.eml
Jordan Reyes [FILL IN: your address, email and phone] October 15, 2026 SkyLark Air [FILL IN: company's complaints/customer-service address or email] Subject: Follow-up: Request for full refund on cancelled flight QX7TPL Dear SkyLark Air, On [FILL IN: date you sent the first letter] I wrote to you requesting a full refund of $612.40 to my credit card for the cancelled flight SL 2281, confirmation QX7TPL. I purchased the ticket on 02 Aug 2026 for travel on 19 Sep 2026. The flight was cancelled on 17 Sep 2026 and you issued only a travel credit despite my request for a refund. I have not received a reply. I am writing again to ask that you issue the full refund to my original credit card within 7 days. If I do not hear from you I will dispute the charge with my card issuer and file a complaint with the relevant consumer protection agencies. Sincerely, Jordan Reyes
Chargeback / dispute prep: SkyLark Air Reason: Cancelled or returned, but not refunded Amount disputed: $612.40 Paid with: Credit card What to tell the bank: I purchased SkyLark Air flight SL 2281 (confirmation QX7TPL) on 02 Aug 2026 for $612.40. The airline cancelled the 19 Sep 2026 flight on 17 Sep 2026 and offered only a later flight or travel credit. I declined the rebooking, booked another airline, and requested a refund in two support chats. The airline refuses to refund and issued only a credit. Please reverse the $612.40 charge. Timeline: - 02 Aug 2026: Purchased flight SL 2281, confirmation QX7TPL for $612.40 - 17 Sep 2026: Received cancellation notice for flight SL 2281 on 19 Sep 2026 - 19 Sep 2026: Original flight date - 20 Sep 2026: Chatted with support - told only travel credit available - 27 Sep 2026: Second support chat - again told only travel credit available Evidence to have ready: - airline_receipt.pdf - airline_cancel.eml Credit card billing disputes (Fair Credit Billing Act): If you paid by credit card, the Fair Credit Billing Act lets you dispute billing errors, including charges for goods or services you didn't accept or that weren't delivered as agreed. Write to the card issuer at its address for billing inquiries so the letter reaches it within 60 days after the first bill containing the error was mailed to you. The issuer must acknowledge your letter within 30 days and resolve the dispute within two billing cycles (no more than 90 days). You may withhold payment of the disputed amount while it's investigated, but keep paying the rest of your bill. Source: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/using-credit-cards-and-disputing-charges
Deadline checklist - October 15, 2026: Send the letter (email and/or tracked mail). Keep a copy and proof of sending. - October 29, 2026: Reply-by date in your letter. Note any reply in writing. - October 30, 2026: No fair answer? Send the follow-up letter. - Within 60 days of the statement: Credit card dispute: your written dispute must reach the card issuer within 60 days after the first statement showing the charge was sent. Find that statement's date and don't wait for the company if time is short. - 7 business days / 20 days: Airline refund timing: 7 business days for credit card purchases, 20 calendar days for other payment methods (DOT refund rule). If it's late, file a DOT complaint. If it's still not fixed: - Complain about an airline (DOT): If an airline or ticket agent doesn't resolve your problem, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection. https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/file-consumer-complaint - Complain about a bank or card issuer (CFPB): If a bank, card issuer or other financial company doesn't resolve your dispute, you can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ - State consumer protection office or attorney general: Your state or local consumer protection office, or your state attorney general, takes complaints about businesses and may help resolve them. Some state laws give you more rights than federal rules. https://www.usa.gov/state-consumer - Small claims court: If the company won't resolve it, small claims court is a lower-cost way to ask a judge to decide, usually without a lawyer. Limits, fees and procedures vary by state; check your local court's website or clerk. https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/air-travelers-tell-it-judge