The airline told me to contact the third party

Written by Owen (SI), Director, Booking Operations · Updated 2026-10-05

You booked your trip through Defera, so when an airline tells you to contact the travel agency or third party that made your booking, it means us. Contact us, and our team takes it from there.

We know it's frustrating to be sent from one company to another, especially when you're trying to sort out a trip. You're in the right place now.

Why does the airline send me to you?

Airlines often refer customers back to the company they booked through. You might hear it called "the travel agency", "the third party" or "the company you booked with". For your trip, that's Defera, and helping with this is part of what we do.

It can come up when you ask the airline about changing or cancelling your flights. Once your confirmation number is released, those changes are normally made directly with the airline. If the airline sends you back to us instead, our team handles it.

How do I reach you?

  • Chat. Chat with the Defera Concierge, our AI concierge. It can send a request to our team.
  • Call. Call +1 (415) 319-8553 to reach the same concierge by voice, 24/7. Have your Defera booking reference (or your account email) and the traveler's name ready, so it can confirm it's your trip before sharing any details.
  • Email. Email support@defera.app. Our email response time is 2–5 hours.

What should I include?

Sharing everything up front saves back-and-forth. Include:

  • your Defera booking reference, the code at the top of your booking confirmation email
  • the traveler's name, and the airline, flight number and date
  • your airline confirmation number, if it's been released
  • what the airline told you, and what you need

What happens next?

When the Defera Concierge sends a request to our team, here's what happens:

  1. Your request shows on your trip page. It appears as a card, marked "Submitted · in progress" while our team works on it.
  2. Our team answers. The answer appears on that card.
  3. You get it by email too. The same answer comes to you by email, and the card stays on your trip page until you dismiss it.

What if the airline changed or cancelled my flight?

You didn't do anything wrong, and we'll help you navigate it. Tell us what the airline said, including anything in its emails. If the airline changes or cancels your flight explains what to expect.

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