Reader question: EVA Air ticket rebooked
Dear readers,
In November 2019 I bought a ticket from EVA Air through D-travel for a flight on April 7 to Bangkok. However, due to the outbreak of the Covid 19 virus, all flights have been canceled, including my flight. In order not to cause financial problems for the company, I was also asked to rebook the ticket and not to ask for my money back. Did I do. I received an active reservation number which was valid until March 19, 2021.
Two weeks ago I submitted my ticket to the travel agency to book for January 26, 2021. However, to my great surprise, I received a message that the conditions have changed and I must now have used my ticket before the end of December 2020!
Last week the changes were changed again, now with the message that I now have to book my ticket for December 2 before June 31nd.
A holiday to Thailand this year does not fit into my agenda, but it is very annoying that if you approach EVA Air to rebook your ticket instead of asking for your money back, you will now be put in front of the block.
Are there readers who also have this experience? And if so, what action did you take?
Please hear it.
Thank you for taking the effort
Regards,
Ton
Even in the current situation, EVA AIR simply offers the possibility of a refund, without costs. If you have booked directly with EVA, you can arrange this via their website. Your problem is that you have booked the ticket with a travel agent and then EVA does not do business with you on this point and you refer to, in this case, D-Reizen.
Reading the conditions on the EVA website again, it seems to me that you could rebook to 2021, but that in that case the usual change costs apply.
Thanks to all readers for your advice, because it really doesn't suit me to go this year, I have requested a refund. I was immediately told that this will take 6 to 12 months.
We will see.
Greetings and thanks.
Ton
That's very long. Last summer, when EVA was shut down due to strikes, I had a refund for a canceled flight in my bank account within weeks. Is it D travel that builds in this 'delay'?
Formally (!!) you do NOT have to settle for a voucher or whatever. According to European regulations, you are entitled to a full refund of your ticket. Nothing more and nothing less! This was confirmed again this week by the European Commissioner (see here (in German, also about Germany, but also applies in terms of law for the Netherlands: https://www.aero.de/news-35265/Streit-ueber-Reisegutscheine-EU-Kommission-gegen-deutsche-Loesung.html)
In the Netherlands, the minister has agreed to temporarily allow vouchers. However, this is legally questionable, precisely because European rules prescribe otherwise and European rules take precedence over national (i.e. Dutch) regulations. And then the airlines also set conditions that limit your options in any case. No matter how well-intentioned and how understandable.
Personally, I wouldn't settle for a voucher either. It is clear that airlines are struggling, but you are not the bank for the airlines and moreover (and most importantly); you run the risk of bankruptcy! If, in this case EVA Air, goes bankrupt, you lose your money. And I think the chance that you will still get your money from Taiwan is smaller than that you win the state lottery. Even if you don't participate!
Simply don't settle for a voucher and demand your money back, unless the government guarantees your ticket in the event of bankruptcy (which the government hasn't done yet and that is already a sign on the wall!) and also only if the conditions are acceptable to you. You indicate that those conditions are not acceptable to you, so demand a refund!
I still think EVA refers you back to D-Reizen, they did the transaction with you.
Perhaps there are possibilities to change the name of the ticket so that you can sell it.
Won't be easy but who knows it's possible in this day and age.
My travel agent called me today with whatspp if I wanted to call her in the middle of May 2020 because it would be busy Eva Air would fly on June 4, 2020, And the other dates of flights were not yet known. But it had to be booked before or on June 1, 2020 and with flight confirmation date, so I am very curious what the month of June 2020 will bring.
Do you not have a written confirmation of the agreed dates from D Reizen? If so, I would get a lawyer
Take a look at Aviclaim.nl
I was already afraid of these kinds of examples, you try to help society, but in the end you are screwed. Was talking about it last week with friends hypothetically suppose I booked and they propose me a voucher then I wouldn't settle for that because when things get going again you can bet the ticket prices will be the shoot air. Why don't airlines just give a kind of flight guarantee that you are assured of a seat at the same price in a comparable period. Now I am alone and it will be better than expected for me (I hope), but what about families who have paid for 4 or more tickets and have accepted a voucher and if the tickets have become approximately € 100/150 more expensive, then So they have lost € 400/600 more, while they actually want to help society, they are the victims themselves…