Lynx Air shutdown leaves customers on hold with their banks for hours to get refunds
Lynx Air announced on Thursday that it will be ceasing operations in the coming days, and many who had booked flights with the low-cost Canadian carrier are now stuck in limbo.
The airline has filed for creditor protection, attributing its sudden shutdown to “financial pressures.” Its last day of service will be on Monday, February 26, at 12:01 am MT.
Lynx Air says its travel and flight vouchers will no longer be accepted after operations cease.
According to its FAQ page, flights scheduled on or after February 26 will receive a flight cancellation notification and will get a refund through their credit card company.
One customer, Meeraj, posted on X to Scotiabank sharing that he’d been waiting to speak to its credit card department for two hours.
Scotiabank responded, saying many others have reached out with the same concern today.
“For this reason our disputes line has been experiencing longer than normal wait times. We appreciate your patience and understanding!” the bank replied on X.
Thanks for clarifying, Meeraj! Others like yourself have been reaching out for the same concern today. For this reason our disputes line has been experiencing longer than normal wait times. We appreciate your patience and understanding! If you have questions, please DM us. ^SM
— Scotiabank Helps (@ScotiabankHelps) February 23, 2024
Another said they had called BMO’s credit card dispute centre to discuss their Lynx Air flight refund, but despite being told they would only have to wait for 48 minutes, they ended up spending five hours on the phone without luck.
“This is insane!” they wrote.
Is it normal to wait for 5 hours for BMO Mastercard dispute center to take the call? I was told to wait 48 minutes to discuss about Lynx flight refund! However I have been waiting for 5 hours and still holding. This is insane!#Lynx #bmo
— Dream (@LIN09693580) February 23, 2024
After Lynx shared info about its shutdown on X, another customer responded to the post saying they cancelled their booking and were charged a massive cancellation fee that was “almost half the cost.”
“What the f**k. Called our [credit card] company. They said as far as a refund, all they can do is put in a dispute,” @waynehearn wrote. “Had eight tickets booked for July. Out thousands.”
I cancelled my booking and was charged a cancellation fee. Almost half the cost. What the fuck. Called our CC company. They said as far as a refund all they can do is put in a dispute. Had 8 tickets booked for July. Out thousands.
— Wayne Hearn (@waynehearn) February 23, 2024
Other passengers are getting conflicting messages from their banks about how they’ll receive their refunds.
X user @LitaHinostroza says their bank told them that Lynx is the one who has to refund the money.
Does anyone know how we can proceed with the refund of the flights? I contacted my bank and they informed me that Lynx is the one who has to refund the money because my purchase in January qualifies as successful, and the bank no longer has the money, Lynx does…
— Lita (@LitaHinostroza) February 23, 2024
Meanwhile, X user Jeremy Roberts says RBC told them they have to wait until the actual date of their flight passes before they can log a dispute.
I was told by RBC that you have to wait until the actual date of your flight to have passed before they can log a dispute and you have 120 days from the time of the service not being provided to dispute the charges.
— Jeremy Roberts (@jerroberts) February 23, 2024
All in all, it seems many passengers have been left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately for @TheOneNOnlyJDV, it had to happen for an important flight for his wedding.
Lynx going out of business is frustrating. Telling people last minute and refusing to refund them is unprofessional. Having to go through my credit card to get a refund is an inconvenience. But did it have to be the flight home for my wedding 😞
— JDV 🎥 (@TheOneNOnlyJDV) February 23, 2024
In a statement, CIBC told Daily Hive that clients seeking refunds on their Lynx Air purchases “may submit a dispute after the date of the scheduled flight through online banking or by calling the number on the back of their card.”
Daily Hive has also reached out to RBC, Scotiabank, and BMO asking them to clarify the refund process for passengers. We will update the story with details when they reply.
Are you experiencing issues with Lynx Air refunds? Let us know in the comments.
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