You’re still waiting for your Brussels Airlines refund…
You’ve asked for a complete refund due to a cancelled flight, but you haven’t received it yet. Potentially, you’ve gotten an update from the airline, or perhaps they are yet to respond. Despite the varying scenarios, there is one critical piece of information you should be aware of. In the EU, such matters are regulated. According to these guidelines, your Brussels Airlines refund should be processed within 7 days.
What steps should you take if the refund is delayed beyond this period?
Brussels Airlines Refund Delays: Your Action Plan
In situations where an airline cancels a flight, they are obligated to offer you a refund.
Specifically, within the European Union, if Brussels Airlines cancels a flight, they must provide you with a choice between a full refund or an alternative flight. It’s essential to comprehend that sometimes you may only qualify for a refund, but on other occasions — there’s a possibility of both Brussels Airlines refund and flight cancellation compensation.
Step 1: Connect with Brussels Airlines
Make an effort to reach Brussels Airlines customer service via their website.
Unless it’s an unprecedented large-scale event, like the onset of a global pandemic, they should respond within a week’s time. If you don’t receive a response within this period, persist with your messages and repeat this process every few days ensuring your query gets attention.
Step 2: Reach Out to Brussels Airlines through Social Media
If your attempts to reach Brussels Airlines yield no response, social media could be your next avenue. Should there still be a lack of response after a couple of weeks of emails or messages, use platforms like Facebook and Twitter to get through to Brussels Airlines.
Remind them of the 7-day regulation.
Refer to Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 5 and 8.
Step 3: Refuse Voucher Offers
Your refund should be transferred to your banking account.
You are under no obligation to accept Brussels Airlines vouchers.
Step 4: Engage the National Enforcement Body (NEB)
Such an institution can be found in every EU member state.
Get in touch with the NEB in the country your flight originated. For a flight from Germany, reach out to the Nationale Beschwerde- und Durchsetzungsstelle Fluggastrechte. For non-EU flights, connect with the NEB of the destination country. You can find all the contact information for these organizations on this page.
More about this can be found here.
While the fourth step is the most effective, it’s also the most time-consuming. Almost always it takes around 2 months until the respective NEB arrives at a decision. Following this, you still need to await payment from Brussels Airlines. To ensure the best results, persistently remind Brussels Airlines of your issue on their social media platforms and use all other communication channels.
Brussels Airlines Refund: When Can You Get It?
Under the EU regulations, you are entitled to a full refund if Brussels Airlines cancels your flight.
In case the airline cancels your flight, Brussels Airlines must offer you the option to either reschedule your journey (new flight free of cost) or refund the entire ticket amount. This is applicable no matter what led to the cancellation and includes so-called extraordinary circumstances. The refund for flight cancellation must be processed within seven days.
Any delay by the airline in processing refunds is a breach of EU regulations, and passengers may consider taking further action.
What If You Decide to Cancel the Flight?
Can you get a Brussels Airlines refund if you cancel your flight?
If you choose to cancel the flight, the refund conditions become slightly more complex. Here are a few factors to consider:
- Flexible tickets. If you have a flexible ticket, it’s likely you will get a refund, but be sure to confirm this from the airline’s terms and conditions.
- Non-refundable tickets. Typically, non-refundable tickets won’t provide full refunds. However, airlines may refund the taxes included in your ticket price.
- Travel insurance: If your travel insurance covers cancellations, you might secure a refund through your insurance provider based on the cancellation reason.
- Cancellation within 24 hours of booking: Some airlines offer full refunds if you cancel within 24 hours of booking. Ensure you thoroughly read the terms and conditions prior to booking.
Flight Cancellation Due to Extraordinary Circumstances: Can You Get a Refund?
In scenarios where extraordinary circumstances, such as severe weather, strikes by airport staff (excluding strikes by airline personnel), or security threats, lead to the cancellation of a flight, airlines are generally not held accountable.
Nonetheless, according to EU regulations (Regulation (EC) No 261/2004), if a European airline, such as Brussels Airlines, is compelled to cancel a flight, they are obliged to present passengers with a choice between a complete refund and an alternative flight. This implies that even when the cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances, you still have the right to a refund.
Note that the refund should be made within a week. If you experience a delay in obtaining your refund, feel free to follow the action plan outlined above.
What is your experience with Brussels Airlines refunds? Have you ever received a refund from Brussels Airlines? Share your experience in the comments!
Featured photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels