Brampton man stuck between airline, booking website in fight over $7K in cancelled tickets

Said Al Shayeb was supposed to be in Jordan right now enjoying a month-long vacation with his whole family. Instead, he's locked in a dispute between EgyptAir and FlightHub over who will refund $7,000 in tickets after his flight was cancelled last month.

EgyptAir says FlightHub, the website Al Shayeb used to book the five tickets, is responsible for refunding his money. FlightHub says it's EgyptAir's responsibility.

"I don't know what to do, honestly. You cancelled my flight, you took my money. I want a reimbursement," said Al Shayeb, who lives in Brampton. 

He's just one of many Canadians who've had their travel plans dashed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When airports were shutting down in April, Al Shayeb called FlightHub inquiring about cancelling his flights. He says he was advised to keep his tickets. 

"At that time, no one thought COVID-19 would be around for this long," he said.

Spent weeks calling Egypt Air

That changed in June when EgyptAir sent him an email saying his flight was cancelled. He says he called and emailed the airline, but couldn't get through. So he turned to FlightHub for answers, only to be told that EgyptAir was the party responsible for providing the refund.

When he finally got through to the airline, he says it punted him right back to FlightHub.  

"I'm stuck between two parties. I don't know how I can get my money back," said Al Shayeb. 

Airlines 'holding on to passengers' money'

Gabor Lukacs, an advocate for air passenger rights, says airlines have been abusing travellers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"They have been holding onto passengers money that should have been refunded by law," Lukacs told CBC Toronto.

• Why many passengers grounded by COVID-19 aren't getting refunds

Canada introduced air passenger protection regulations in December 2019 requiring up to $1000 in compensation for customers when flights are cancelled for reasons within an airline's control. 

But, he says, the regulations don't do enough to protect the traveller and the government does even less to enforce them. 

"The government has all the means or the tools necessary to enforce the law. Airlines do have the money to issue refunds but the government is tacitly, implicitly endorsing the theft of passengers' money by the airlines' actions," said Lukacs. 

If airlines refuse to issue refunds, ask your credit card company for a chargeback, since you didn't receive the service you paid for, Lukacs added.

"The chargeback procedure has been working for a number of passengers, but you have to be extremely stubborn ... not to take no for an answer," he said.

After a few tries, CBC Toronto finally got through to EgyptAir. A spokesperson for the company said all refunds are currently on hold and that Al Shayeb's flights will be processed in mid-August, adding that "tickets will be refunded as full amount without any deduction."

However, EgyptAir insists Al Shayeb will have to go through FlightHub, since he purchased the tickets through that website. 

Lukacs says that shouldn't be the case, since the charge that appeared on Al Shayeb's credit card was from EgyptAir, not FlightHub.

• Air Canada customers struggle to get refunds for cancelled Labrador routes

For Al Shayeb, this whole process has been stressful and he's unsure if he'll ever get his money back.

"What I don't understand is the airline companies and reservation companies should reach out to the customers and offer options."  he said.  

"I got no help at all."