Aircalin via Bravofly flight cancelled - Credit or refund?

We received this question from a supporter:
In December 2019 I booked flights to New Caledonia for October 2020. In October the airline Aircalin cancelled the flights and directed me to initiate a refund through the booking agent, Bravofly. I contacted Bravofly, who informed me that Aircalin had not refunded them so they couldn’t refund me, and that I should contact Aircalin directly. The airline issued me a credit that expires after 12 months, which can then be claimed as a refund. This will be almost two years after I paid for the tickets. I believe I should be given the choice of a credit or refund, especially given that it was the airline who initiated the cancellation. Is this reasonable, and is the airline able to change clauses/policies, as I don’t think they had these rules pre-COVID?*

Answer: Travel insurance expert Jodi Bird
That’s an interesting clause that we’ve not seen before. The ACCC has indicated that travel providers can provide refunds or credits for travel plans affected by COVID-19, so it doesn’t appear to be illegal. We suggest you complain to Aircalin and ask if you can get your refund earlier. The contract terms that were in place at the time you purchased your ticket are the terms you are bound by. If the airline has changed the conditions of carriage after you bought the ticket and applied them retrospectively, that may be deemed an unfair contract term under Australian law. It’s worth pointing this out to them. It’s not unreasonable to ask for a refund when a provider fails to deliver a service, whether or not it’s their fault. Lodge a formal complaint via their channels, but also try their social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Otherwise, you can escalate a complaint via your state consumer affairs body, but enforcing complaints against overseas companies can be challenging.

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