The airline says it refunded my travel agent. Where's my money?
Who owes you when an airline refunds your travel agent or booking site, how to get the money passed on, and where to escalate.
The agent does. Once an airline refunds your travel agent or booking site, that money is yours, and the Australian Consumer Law requires the agent to deal with it within a reasonable time. Qantas makes its agents pass refunds on within 4 weeks. Ask the agent in writing with a 14-day deadline. If it still doesn't pay, raise a chargeback or apply to your state tribunal, which can order the agent to pay.
Rather not chase this yourself? Ajust writes to the business, tracks the deadline and escalates if they don't fix it.
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Does the travel agent have to pass the airline's refund on to you?
Yes. Once the airline has refunded the agent, the agent is holding your money and should pay it to you as soon as possible. Telling you it hasn't arrived when it has can also be misleading conduct.
The Australian Consumer Law, Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, requires services to be supplied with due care and skill and within a reasonable time (sections 60 and 62). It bans misleading conduct (section 18) and false claims about your rights and remedies (section 29). The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says these rights apply whether you booked direct, through a travel agent or through a booking platform, and that both businesses' terms apply.
The ACCC's guidance for the travel industry, written with the state regulators, tells agents that when a supplier returns funds they must pass them to the customer as soon as possible, keep the customer informed, and not deduct fees unless the terms expressly allow it. It was written for COVID-19 cancellations, but the law behind it has not changed.
Qantas requires travel agents to return refunds to customers within 4 weeks. If they don't, Qantas will refund the customer directly and recover the money from the agent.
Gotogate and Mytrip say they charge no fee to process a refund when the airline cancelled the flight.
Your next move depends on where the money is:
- The airline has paid the agent. The agent has your money. Chase the agent in writing, with the airline's confirmation attached.
- The airline hasn't paid, or has no refund request. The agent may not have lodged one. Ask the agent for the date it did, and ask the airline whether it has a request on file.
- Each one blames the other. Get both answers in writing. The agent took your payment, so it is the merchant your bank will dispute if it comes to a chargeback.
What should you do first?
Step 1: Get the airline's answer in writing
Email the airline and ask it to confirm that your ticket was refunded, the amount, and the date it went to the agent. Many airlines will tell you to contact the agent instead, but a written confirmation is the strongest evidence you can have, so ask.
If you were flying Qantas, a refunded ticket shows as status R in the agent's system, and Qantas has a Customer Refund Declaration for travellers whose agent hasn't paid them.
Step 2: Ask the agent in writing and set a deadline
Use the agent's complaints form or email, not live chat, so the request sits on a record. Webjet publishes a Complaints Guide with its form and postal address. Give the agent 14 days.
Subject: Refund owed for booking [booking reference], cancelled flight [flight number]
[Airline] cancelled flight [flight number] on [date]. [Airline] has confirmed in writing that it refunded $[amount] to you on [date]. A copy is attached.
That refund is mine. Under the Australian Consumer Law you must supply your services with due care and skill and within a reasonable time (sections 60 and 62), and you must not mislead me about the status of my refund (section 18).
Please pay $[amount] in full to my original payment method within 14 days of this email. If I have not received it by then, I will raise a chargeback with my bank and lodge a complaint with [your state consumer agency].
Step 3: Keep a timeline
Log every call and email: the date, who you spoke to and what they said. "Still processing" replies matter. They show how long the agent has held your money, and your bank, the travel industry scheme and a tribunal will all ask for them.
What if the agent still doesn't pay?
Work through these in order. You can run a chargeback and a complaint at the same time.
- Chargeback through your bank. Dispute the payment with the merchant on your card statement, usually the agent. Banks that subscribe to the Banking Code must claim a chargeback where a right exists. Under Visa's rules a travel agency dispute generally waits 30 days after the cancellation and must be raised within 120 days of the date you were due to travel. Mastercard sets its own limits, so ask your bank for the deadline when you call. A decision can take up to 8 weeks.
- The travel industry scheme. If the agent is accredited by the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA), lodge a complaint at traveltick.com.au once the agent has had 21 days to respond in writing. Its appeals committee can make binding decisions. Check accreditation on the same site; Webjet is listed.
- The airline itself. If a Qantas refund has sat with the agent for more than 4 weeks, ask Qantas to refund you directly under its agency policy.
- Your state consumer agency. NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria and the other state and territory agencies take complaints at no cost and can contact the agent for you. They cannot order a refund.
- Your state tribunal. This is the step that can order the agent to pay. NCAT hears consumer claims up to $100,000, with a $64 fee for claims up to $10,000, and you must apply within 3 years. QCAT hears consumer disputes up to $25,000. VCAT generally takes claims within 6 years.
- AFCA, if your bank mishandles the chargeback. The Australian Financial Complaints Authority reviews how your bank handled the dispute, at no cost to you. See how to lodge a complaint with AFCA.
The Airline Customer Advocate won't help with this one. It covers Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia only, and it deals with airlines, not agents. More on what the Airline Customer Advocate can do.
Ajust contacts the business, follows up, and escalates if they refuse. You get notified when it moves.
Get help with my complaintThe new aviation ombuds scheme won't cover travel agents as drafted. The Aviation Consumer Protection Bill 2026 passed the House of Representatives on 29 June 2026 and is still before the Senate. It sets requirements for airlines and airport operators. The airline industry asked for travel agents to be included, but the bill does not cover them. Until that changes, a refund stuck with an agent is a matter for the Australian Consumer Law, your card scheme and your state tribunal.
What doesn't work
- Cancelling the booking yourself to speed things up. It can turn an airline cancellation into a change of mind, with agent fees of $70 to $250 a person.
- Accepting a travel credit from the agent. NSW Fair Trading says a credit is only acceptable if you agree to it after being offered a full refund, so ask for the refund in writing first.
- Chasing by phone and live chat only. Banks, the travel industry scheme and tribunals all want the written request and the agent's written reply.
- Waiting out months of "processing" replies. Card time limits keep running while you wait, and a late chargeback cannot be fixed later.
- Paying a fee to "release" the refund. When the airline cancelled, fees only come off if the agent's terms expressly allow them, and never in place of your consumer guarantee rights.
Common questions
How long can a travel agent hold my refund?
No longer than is reasonable once it has the money. The ACCC's guidance says as soon as possible, and Qantas gives its agents 4 weeks. Agent terms often quote 8 to 12 weeks, but that covers waiting for the airline to pay, not holding money already received.
Can I go straight to the airline instead of the agent?
You can ask, but many airlines send agency bookings back to the agent. NSW Fair Trading says you can choose to deal with either. Emirates and AirAsia X direct agency refunds to the agent, while Qantas will refund you itself if the agent hasn't passed its refund on within 4 weeks.
I booked my flights on Booking.com. Who is my agent?
Usually a third-party flight agent, not Booking.com itself. Booking.com says most of its flights are provided through a third-party aggregator, and Etraveli, which runs Gotogate and Mytrip, provides its flight booking and fulfilment. Check your confirmation email and card statement for the company that took payment.
The booking site is based overseas. Does Australian law still apply?
Yes, if it sells to consumers in Australia. The ACCC says overseas businesses supplying Australian consumers must follow the Australian Consumer Law. Gotogate and Mytrip's Australian sites are run by Gotogate Pty Ltd in Sydney, and Cheapflyshop.au by Flightease Australia Pty Ltd in South Australia.
Can the agent charge a fee to pass on the refund?
Only if its terms expressly allow it, and the fee cannot override your consumer guarantee rights. Gotogate and Mytrip say they charge nothing when the airline cancelled. Aunt Betty's terms allow some deductions, subject to the Australian Consumer Law. Ask for any fee to be itemised in writing.
Should I raise a chargeback or keep waiting?
Raise it if the agent hasn't paid within 14 days of your written request. A chargeback takes the money back from the agent, and card time limits don't pause while you wait. Tell your bank the airline has confirmed it refunded the agent and attach the proof.
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