Knoxville man seeking refund after COVID flight credit used by someone else

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The effects of the COVID years seem to never go away. A Knoxville couple who booked a flight four years ago had to cancel it when COVID-19 hit. So they were given a credit, but the couple hit a snag when they tried to book a new flight using the credit.

Willie and Freda Johnson booked a flight just before COVID shut everything down in March 2020. They received a credit for their tickets. Freda used hers in 2022, but Willie didn’t. So, when the couple booked their flight to Washington, D.C. to visit their daughter on July 30, Willie wanted to use his ticket that had not been redeemed.

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“Well, I tried to get a credit for the credit that we had from the New Orleans trip. They told me that I didn’t have credit anymore,” said Willie. “They said someone else used it.”

A letter was sent on July 26, explaining that the airlines’ records indicated that Willie’s “flight credit was used by someone else.”

“I regret that we are unable to extend your credit at this time because it appears this person used your credit fraudulently,” reads the letter.

“We just know that we didn’t use it. But, we paid it and we would like to get our credit back,” said Freda Johnson.

Their story began when they booked two airline tickets to New Orleans for their wedding anniversary in late 2019. They each paid American Airlines $613 each for their tickets. Confirmation of their flight was sent to the couple on February 7, 2020.

The New Orleans flight was canceled, but there was good news as well.

“This is one that the trip was canceled,” said Willie. “They gave me credit.”

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On March 26, 2020, American Airlines wrote “Don’t worry your ticket is safe If you’re not traveling soon, there’s no need to call Reservations right now. Please wait to call until you are ready to rebook, and you’ll be able to use the value of your unused ticket and seat purchase toward a future trip.”

“We just want to get his $613 credit back so that at some point in time we can use it,” said Freda.

6 News contacted American Airlines and we were referred to the company’s Travel Credit Options that are outlined on tickets. It says “When given a flight credit, travel must begin one year from the original ticket date.”

Following our inquiry, American Airlines sent this letter a few days ago saying Willie was “offered an extension to his travel credit with an expiration date of December 31, 2022.” Willie said he was never informed about the extension.

“I got this letter four years later telling me my ticket had expired,” said Willie. “[I plan to do] whatever it takes to refund me or give me a credit.”

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Willie intends to continue his dispute. He’s asked American Airlines if they would send him a notification of his credit extension through the end of 2022. Willie said if he had known about the extension, he would used the credit before it expired.

Something else we learned, if a credit is not used, the original numbers on the ticket are re-issued. In this case, the original numbers on Willie’s ticket four years ago were given to a New York woman when she booked her flight.

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