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Glenn Ward is charged twice for his airline tickets to Europe. Why won’t someone fix the problem?

Q: My wife and I booked tickets earlier this year to fly from Boston to Budapest on American Airlines and British Airways, an American Airlines partner. We made the reservations through our travel agent.

British Airways charged us for the tickets, but a few days later, American Airlines charged us again for the same tickets. We asked our travel agent what was going on. She seemed as confused as we were.

I contacted American Airlines, which agreed to refund the second set of tickets. But it has only refunded one of them.

I disputed the charge for the second ticket through my Citi credit card. Last week, we received correspondence from Citi indicating they had not received enough information to support our claim. “The transaction will not be removed from your account,” they said.

I am confused about what I could send them that would indicate the ticket was not purchased. I don’t have a receipt to show what I didn’t buy. I have been on the phone between customer service and the resolution department at Citi and American Airlines for close to 25 hours. I need your help. — Glenn Ward, Whitman, Mass.

A: You should have received only one charge for your tickets. And if you got a double charge, your agent should have fixed it with American Airlines’ help. You shouldn’t have needed to file a credit card dispute, which usually allows you to claw back the money.

But, while we’re on the subject, let me say: You should carry a credit card that carefully considers every chargeback you file. Your bank did not thoroughly review your request, which is too bad. You might consider finding another card that will take better care of you.

By the time you contacted me, your case was half-solved. American Airlines had refunded your wife’s ticket but not yours. It still owed you $1,666.

Why did American Airlines charge you for a second set of tickets? Your travel advisor doesn’t know. I asked the airline, and it doesn’t know either. But everyone could agree—everyone except your bank, that is—that you deserved a refund for those American Airlines tickets.

In a situation like this, you need to keep a complete paper trail of correspondence between you and the airline (which you did) and escalate your problem to the right executive at the airline (which you didn’t). I publish the names, numbers, and emails of the American Airlines customer service managers on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

One thing you should not do is call the airline to get this fixed. Spending 25 hours on the phone with American Airlines wastes your time. I’m guessing you had to tell your story to many agents, none of whom could authorize a refund. Many consumers believe they can fix a billing problem with a quick phone call, but that seldom works. You have to put everything in writing.

By the way, your travel advisor should have also been able to help you. They have special contacts at the airlines and should be able to fix a problem like this quickly. It’s not clear why your travel advisor could not help you.

I contacted American Airlines on your behalf. A representative said it had reviewed your case and refunded your second ticket.