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After exhausting all of my options with Avianca Airlines to rectify the missed flight that occurred in Panama, I had one final option. I filed a dispute with Chase Bank since I purchased the ticket with my United MileagePlus Explorer card. Here is the dispute:
Reason: Non receipt of merchandise/service as agreed
Narrative: I purchased a one way business class ticket from Panama City, Panama to Dallas. When I arrived at the airport, the check in counter was closed and there were no agents available to assist me in making my flight. I reached out to Avianca for assistance but they did nothing. After I returned home, they provided the check in policies for different countries. This is was exactly what I needed when I booked the ticket. I am requesting a full refund of the ticket on the grounds that the airline did not deliver service as promised.
Soon after submitting the dispute, I was sent the following confirmation email from Chase:
Dear ROBERTO,
Thank you for contacting us to dispute a charge on your credit card account.
Here’s helpful information to know as we begin researching your billing dispute:
While we are working on your dispute, you do not have to pay for the disputed amount and no interest will be charged on that amount.
We will contact you by letter in five to seven business days to advise you on the status of the dispute or to request additional information. If needed, we may also contact you by phone.
We may request copies of all documents related to your dispute, such as a receipt, credit slip or other items. We may also contact the merchant for information related to the charge.
If you have any questions, please call us at 1-888-489-8452. Our Dispute Specialists are available to assist you Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 10 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 8 PM, ET.
While we work to resolve this matter as quickly as possible, we hope you’ll continue to use your card and enjoy all of its benefits.
Thank you for choosing Chase.
Sincerely,
Billing Dispute Team
A few days passed and I received a letter in the mail that stated the bank had received my refund request and had conditionally approved the refund of $454. The refunded amount would be credited to my account within 7-10 days and no further action was needed on my end. The letter also stated that Avianca had two billing cycles to dispute the refund.
Final Word
I really appreciate the attention that Chase gave to my claim. This situation never had to be this bad, but Avianca’s poor customer support left me no option. If Avianca responds to the dispute as they did my inquiries, I will get to keep the refund.
