Expat Community > Colombia

fecherklyn
Joined 2015
Posts: 1459

New law, Airline refunds

1 year ago

I said I was curtailing my activity on EXPAT EXCHANGE, but my frustration has calmed down since then, and I think this news is worth reporting.

My wife and I were scheduled to fly away to a new sunset on January 26th 2023, but here we still are, once again cut off at the knees by a mix of Colombian bureaucracy and the Covid footsteps.

To be more precise, my wife has still been unable to renew her Colombian passport (details given in a post about 3 months ago), without which she obviously cannot travel internationally, AND the “newish” Decreto 482 del 2020, Articulo 17).

I describe Decreto 482 as “newish”, because although it is nearly 3 years old, very few people know about it – Travel Agents included.

We had to back out of our reserved flight last month because of the passport renewal problem, but we felt comfortable because we were confident we were fully protected by the flight cancellation conditions. The fact is, our health conditions are nowadays are so haphazard we can never be absolutely certain will fly on a finite day, so accordingly, we pay extra to avail ourselves of bullet-proof cancellation refund rates. Example, our 26/01/2023 return tickets cost COP 19,997,186, plus an extra COP 12,848,518 for the gold plated, supplementary cancellation refund provision and an earlier flight change. Expensive Non?

However, all of the above has proven of little importance in the face of Decreto 482:
"
El artículo 17 del Decreto 482 del 2020, por el cual se dictan medidas sobre prestación del servicio público de transporte durante la emergencia por coronavirus (covid-19), dispuso que en los eventos en que las aerolíneas reciban solicitudes de retracto, desistimiento y otras circunstancias relacionadas con la solicitud de reembolso podrán realizar, durante el periodo que dure la emergencia y hasta por un año más, rembolsos a los usuarios en servicios prestados por la misma aerolínea.

En este sentido, precisó la Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio, en ejercicio de sus facultades jurisdiccionales no puede acoger pretensiones encaminadas al reintegro del dinero pagado por unos tiquetes aéreos, en el marco de un litigio. De acuerdo con la normativa señalada, las empresas de servicios aéreos comerciales podrán realizar rembolsos a los usuarios en servicios prestados por la misma aerolínea"
.
In short, the airlines can now avoid all cash refunds by enforcing a form of credit note refund, irrespective of whether you like it , or not. The airline concerned, and out travel agent both failed to mention this new law at the time of our reservation, but we now understand there are hundreds of other persons in Medellin facing the same problem. We dis suggest to our travel agent that, next time, we would reserve the lowest tariff flights, and then upgrade them a couple of days prior to the flight if we felt well enough. Forget it; even this ruse no longer works - now you can only make upgrades from specific higher rate tariffs.

Is my memory correct? Wasn't it a pleasure to fly at one time?

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

Living in Colombia Guide

Expats in Colombia discuss the pros and cons of living in Colombia. From the Colombian people to driving to taxes and more. As challenging as it can be, expats in Colombia clearly find that there is a lot to love about a country that is a surprising expat hot spot.

Colombia Forum
Join our Colombia forum to meet other expats and talk about living in Colombia.

Contribute
Help other expats and newcomers by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Colombia.

Best Places to Live in Colombia

If you're considering a move to Colombia, here are the 15 Best Places to Live in Colombia in 2023.

Healthcare in Colombia

Our guide to healthcare in Colombia covers public and private healthcare in Colombia, hospitals, vaccinations, prescription medications and more.

Cost of Living in Colombia

Expats offer insight into the cost of living in Colombia.

Moving to Colombia Guide

With its bustling cities, beautiful beaches and friendly Colombians, Colombia is an increasingly popular destination for expats of all ages. Expats in Colombia offer insightful tips for those moving to Colombia.

Real Estate in Colombia

Real estate listings in popular cities and towns in Colombia.

Pros & Cons of Living in Colombia

Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in Colombia.

Retiring in Colombia

Advice for people retiring in Colombia.

10 Tips for Living in Colombia

If you've recently arrived in Colombia, here are 10 tips for digital nomads living in Colombia.

Additional Information:

Visit our Colombia Index for a Full List

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

Contribute
Help others in Colombia by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Colombia.

Login

Or, Send Login Link

Expat Community > Colombia

New law, Airline refunds

Login