NEW YORK — A group of friends in Queens say they are out of tens of thousands of dollars because a third-party booking service called FlightsAssist won’t give them their money back even though the trip was fully refundable.
They’re not the only ones complaining. The Better Business Bureau says it has received 106 complaints about FlightsAssist over the past three years.
‘I didn’t get a cent back from anyone’
Tracey Jones planned a trip to Egypt with some friends to celebrate her retirement. As the war between Israel and Hamas intensified, the group decided to cancel the trip late last year due to Egypt’s border with Gaza.
“I didn’t think it was going to be a problem because I know I bought a refundable ticket and bought insurance,” Jones said.
The “refundable amount” was $11,572 each for airline tickets, including a $337 travel insurance fee, according to emails Jones and her friends say they received from a third-party booking service called FlightsAssist. They say it’s been a year since they first told FlightsAssist they were canceling.
“I haven’t gotten a cent back from anyone,” Jones said. “Every time I think about it, I get goosebumps knowing that they are actually taking this money from me, from us.”
‘They felt misled’
Claire Rosenzweig of the Better Business Bureau says some customers first encountered FlightsAssist after searching online for ways to change or confirm a trip.
“People said they booked things, but the carriers didn’t know what was booked,” Rosenzweig said.
Experts say holidaymakers looking to book a flight or make a change should take their time and make sure they call who they think they are calling.
“They felt misled because they thought they were talking to customer service representatives of the actual airline, but in reality they were going to be talking to FlightsAssist,” Rosenzweig said.
For example, one of Jones’ friends says she even got a text from a man walking past Marshal Watson: “I’m from the Emirates reservations team.” But the friends say Marshal also sent them an email from an email from FlightsAssist.com.
“They shouldn’t be going around taking people’s money.”
Jones is still hoping for a refund, while also sending a warning to potential customers.
“Really, I just want them to be exposed, to not have to take people’s money,” Jones said.
FlightsAssist would not agree to an interview with us or explain what happened in Jones’ case, and the Better Business Bureau says most of those 107 complaints have not received a response. But FlightsAssist has responded to some of them, denying complaints that it was misrepresenting itself as an airline.
Experts say that if you’re using a third-party booking site, it’s best to use a well-known, reputable service.
Tim McNicholas
