My Airline Went Bankrupt While I Was Stranded. My Credit Card Saved Me.

I booked a flight on Booking.com through their flight portal. The airline went bankrupt. Yes, the airline literally shut down operations while I was en route to the airport for my return flight. I got stranded in a foreign country for three days.

Booking.com said they were not responsible because they are just a booking platform. The airline said they were not processing refunds because they had filed for bankruptcy. My credit card company said I had 120 days to file a chargeback but I needed proof that the service was not delivered.

I filed a chargeback with Chase. I provided my booking confirmation, the airline's bankruptcy announcement, and proof that I was stranded. Chase reversed the charge within a week.

But here is the part that made me mad: three months later, the airline's bankruptcy administrator sent me a letter saying I was an unsecured creditor and might receive 5% of my ticket price. Meanwhile, Chase had already reversed the charge. I ended up being paid twice in a way. I returned the 5% to Chase because it felt wrong to keep it.

The lesson: when an airline goes bankrupt, your credit card chargeback is your strongest protection. Do not wait for the bankruptcy process. It takes years and you will get pennies on the dollar.