After an airline delay leaves him stranded in Phoenix, Michael Damarino rents a car to finish his trip. But American Airlines voids his refundable ticket because he's technically a "no-show." Can he get his money back? 

Q: My wife and I were recently scheduled to fly from Boston to Tucson, Ariz., via Phoenix on American Airlines. We booked refundable tickets through Expedia.

The first flight was delayed 90 minutes because the first officer fell ill, and it also had a problem with weight calculations on checked baggage. Because of the delay, we missed our connecting flight to Tucson.

There were no later flights with space available, so we had to rent a car and drive the 100 miles to Tucson.

American Airlines is offering me a flight credit. It has erroneously stated my ticket was nonrefundable. I have gotten nowhere, and I need help getting my refund. — Michael Damarino, Brockton, Mass.

A: I admire your initiative. When American Airlines handed you lemons in Phoenix, you made lemonade by renting a car and hitting the highway so you wouldn't miss your vacation.

Here's the thing about airline logic: It rarely aligns with the logic of a rational human being.

You purchased a refundable ticket. In the real world, that means if you don't use it, you get your money back. In the airline world, however, "refundable" often comes with strings attached.

The most important string is the "no-show" clause. If you aren't at the gate when the flight closes, and you haven't canceled the reservation before your departure, the airline assumes you aren't coming. It marks you as a no-show, cancels the rest of your itinerary, and you often forfeit the value of the ticket.

When you decided to rent a car and drive to Tucson, you effectively became a no-show for that second leg. You solved your own problem, which is commendable, but you didn't tell American Airlines you were doing it so that their computers wouldn't categorize you as a no-show.

Since you booked through Expedia, there was an extra layer of complexity. The online travel agency saw that the airline had marked you as a no-show, which tied its hands regarding a refund. 

Expedia told you to talk to American. American told you to talk to Expedia. It was the classic travel industry game of Pong, and you as the ball.

To be clear, you should have received a full refund for the unused portion of your ticket. The delay was caused by the airline's operational issues—a sick pilot and baggage weight problems—not an act of God. Under the Department of Transportation's rules, you're entitled to a refund if the airline cancels your flight. When it comes to a delay, it must be "significant" (more than three hours for a domestic flight) to be considered for a refund. Your delay wouldn't have qualified if you had a nonrefundable ticket, but your ticket was refundable, so you should have received it, as long as you notified American before the flight departed.

However, because you took matters into your own hands without formally canceling that second leg first, you gave the airline a technical loophole.

For future reference, if you decide to bail on a connection and drive, make sure you cancel the remaining flight segments immediately. Get an agent to document that the cancellation is due to a significant delay. That preserves the value of your refundable ticket.

If you ever find yourself stuck in a customer service loop between an agency and an airline, you can often cut through the red tape by escalating your complaint to an executive. I publish the names, numbers and emails of the top executives at American Airlines and Expedia in the company contacts section of my consumer advocacy website, Elliott.org.

I contacted Expedia on your behalf. The company reached out to American Airlines regarding your situation. The airline initially stuck to its no-show policy, adding two $50 trip credits to your existing credits for the inconvenience, but then did an about-face and refunded the entire ticket. You say it would have been impossible to notify American that you weren't going to use the next leg of your flight because of the initial flight delay, and the airline eventually agreed.

 Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/