An error message appears when using Chase points: Travel Troubleshooting

CARLYE SIEGEL, Chicago

A Chase is right – and wrong. Yes, the points only apply one way, but there are times when such rules should not apply.

For the uninitiated, here’s how these transfers work: You collect points by making purchases with your credit card. You then transfer these points to the airline’s loyalty program. And as I’ve mentioned several times, once you press the button, there’s no going back on these transfers.

Chase point transfers are almost always irreversible, but the actual rules are a bit confusing. To find out your rights, you’ll need to read Chase’s terms and conditions, as well as those of your airline and partner airline. When I looked through the correspondence between you, Chase and Virgin Atlantic, it turned out that both had policies that the points were only valid one way, and it looked like both your credit card company and your airline had each other adhered to their conditions.

It’s really difficult to understand your interactions with Chase and Virgin Atlantic. They calmly explained that there was a mistake, most likely made by the third party Aeromexico. But neither company would help you fix the problem. You spent 74,000 Virgin Atlantic points but received nothing in return.

Actually it shouldn’t be that complicated. If a flight is listed as available on a website, it should be available. If Chase or Virgin Atlantic want to create a highly complex rewards program with multiple airlines – and you want to participate in it – that’s fine, as long as it works as promised. But it didn’t work for you as promised.

My best advice for avoiding these types of problems is to avoid using a complicated rewards program. Buy your ticket instead. Remember that the only real winners are the credit card companies and airlines.

Appealing to a higher level might have helped you get a quicker resolution. I list the names, phone numbers and email addresses of Chase and Virgin Atlantic customer service representatives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

I contacted Chase on your behalf. It refunded your points.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Send him an email at [email protected] or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.