Travel solutions: Can I get a refund for checked baggage confusion?

I was confused, and I added three extra checked bags, which were unnecessary. I overpaid Aer Lingus $449 because it included an additional checked bag for each passenger on my itinerary.

I called Aer Lingus twice on the same date of the ticket purchase and filed an online request that it return the luggage fee. I kept receiving messages that the fee was nonrefundable.

I believed Aer Lingus’ online booking was confusing and deceptive, so I filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation. I received no further information from the DOT other than acknowledgment of my complaint.

I want my $449 back. Can you help me get it? — Krista O’Brien, New Haven, Connecticut

A: Your case raises important issues. First, there’s the issue of an airline intentionally making its booking interface confusing in a way that benefits it. This is most common with seat assignments. If you have an airline ticket, you have a seat. The airline will try to sell you a seat assignment, meaning you get to select where you sit. But it sometimes leaves you with the impression that you don’t have a seat at all. That’s a deceptive booking interface.

The second issue is the refundability of fees. Already, the DOT says your airfare must be refundable if you cancel within 24 hours, unless it’s a week or less than a week before your trip. So, why not apply the same rule to fees?

I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the customer service executives of Aer Lingus on my consumer advocacy site (Elliott.org).

I contacted Aer Lingus on your behalf. A representative responded: “Our terms and conditions for baggage fees are nonrefundable,” she said. “However, as a gesture of goodwill, we have refunded her luggage fees.”