Can I get refund for SkyGreece flight?
We purchased return tickets from Toronto to Zagreb on SkyGreece Airlines directly from the airline’s website. We were to depart next week and return in October. I found out the airline has filed for creditor protection and has cancelled all their flights. How can we get our money back?
As the airline just recently filed for creditor protection, it is difficult to determine at this time which remedy may prove successful in obtaining a reimbursement. You may wish to contact your credit card company and ask them to refund or issue a credit for the SkyGreece Airlines charge.
Be sure to advise the credit card company that the airline has filed for creditor protection and that your flights have been cancelled. Each credit card company has different policies depending on the protection and coverage that pertains to your credit card.
For example, the credit card company may advise you that they will not consider issuing a refund until your travel dates have passed to ensure you have not received the services purchased.
Your other possible recourse is to contact the trustee, Ernst & Young Inc., that is monitoring and assisting the airline with its restructuring efforts. The trustee announced a customer and creditor support centre will be operational in the coming days to improve customer communications. You may wish to check the Ernst & Young website at documentcentre.eycan.com for an update.
If you purchased travel insurance or have travel insurance protection through your employer, you may wish to contact the insurance provider and ask if your policy provides any coverage under these circumstances.
Unfortunately, by booking directly with the airline you forfeited the consumer protection that may be available to consumers who booked their SkyGreece Airlines tickets from an Ontario registered travel agency.
Many consumers are not aware that the travel industry in Ontario is regulated and there is consumer protection legislation.
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) administers the Travel Industry Act, 2002 in Ontario, which regulates approximately 2,500 travel agencies and tour operators located and operating in the province.
Consumers who bought SkyGreece Airline tickets online or in person from an Ontario registered travel agency may have the added alternative of Ontario’s Travel Industry Compensation Fund.
Consumers who purchase their travel services from Ontario registered travel agencies benefit from the consumer protection provisions found under the Travel Industry Act, 2002, which includes protection from an industry-financed Travel Compensation Fund. By law, all travel agencies operating in Ontario must be registered with TICO and contribute to the fund.
The fund reimburses consumers when they have not received the travel services purchased due to bankruptcy or insolvency.
As the airline has filed for creditor protection, the future of SkyGreece Airlines is yet to be determined. Dorian Werda is vice-president, operations for the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO), a non-profit corporation that regulates 2,500 travel retailers and wholesalers registered in Ontario. Send your travel questions to travel@thestar.ca. Not all questions can be answered.