Refused a statutory refund for a cancelled flight – Booking.com hides behind airline policies
I booked a return trip from London to Antalya as a single booking through Booking.com. The inbound flight was cancelled by the airline, which made the entire trip pointless and forced me to buy alternative travel at my own expense. I spent over 4 hours on chat with Booking.com, passed between agents, cut off twice, and refused to speak to a supervisor. When I requested a full refund under UK Package Travel Regulations 2018 (which entitle me to one for a cancelled package), Booking.com refused – repeatedly citing the airline's "non-refundable fare policy" as their excuse. Their position is clear: they are not willing to comply with UK law, despite my booking being a single order number for a return journey. They have now formally refused my refund request and advised me to escalate externally. I have now escalated to my bank, the UK Civil Aviation Authority, and will be pursuing a small claims court claim. Do not book flights through Booking.com. If something goes wrong, they will not take responsibility – they will hide behind the airline and leave you to fight for your money alone.