What to do when your flight booking is not showing on the airline website
How flight bookings are processed through Cryptorefills
Flight bookings made on Cryptorefills are processed through Duffel, an airline distribution and booking platform that holds direct connections with a large number of carriers. When a booking is confirmed on Cryptorefills, Duffel creates the reservation in the airline's reservation system and issues a booking reference. This booking reference is the identifier the airline uses to locate the reservation in its own systems, and it is the correct piece of information to use when checking the booking on the airline's website or managing the reservation through the airline's app.
The Cryptorefills confirmation email contains the Duffel booking reference and should be the first document consulted when checking a booking's status. If this email has not been received, checking the spam or junk folder is the correct first step before drawing any conclusions about whether the booking was created successfully.
Why airline systems sometimes take time to reflect a booking
A confirmed booking in Duffel's system does not always appear in the airline's own booking management tools immediately. The airline's reservation system synchronises with external booking sources on its own schedule, and on some carriers this can take several hours or, in a small number of cases, up to 24 hours. During this interval the booking is genuine and confirmed in Duffel's records, but a search on the airline's website using the booking reference may return a "not found" result or a partially populated record. This is a known delay in the system synchronisation process and it does not indicate that the booking was unsuccessful.
The Cryptorefills confirmation email and the booking reference it contains are the authoritative record of the booking during this interval. Presenting the confirmation email at the airport or check-in desk, together with the booking reference, is sufficient to establish the reservation if the airline's system has not yet updated. Airline staff have access to booking system tools that may show the reservation even when the passenger-facing website does not.
When not to rebook and why
The highest-risk response to a booking that is not immediately visible on the airline's website is to make a second booking on the assumption that the first one failed. A second booking on the same flight creates two confirmed reservations, which typically cannot both be used, and cancelling one of them may involve fees depending on the fare type. The financial and logistical cost of resolving a double-booking is considerably greater than waiting the recommended 24 hours and contacting support if the booking has not appeared by that point.
Before taking any action that creates a new booking, contact Cryptorefills support with the booking reference from the confirmation email and confirm the status of the original booking. Support can verify whether the booking exists in Duffel's system and whether the airline's synchronisation is simply delayed. The guide on booking flights with crypto covers the full booking flow and what the confirmation email should contain.
Frequently asked questions
What is Duffel and why is it involved in my flight booking?
Duffel is an airline distribution platform that holds direct connections with carriers and enables third-party platforms such as Cryptorefills to offer flight booking with payment in crypto. When you book a flight through Cryptorefills, Duffel creates the reservation directly in the airline's reservation system on your behalf. The booking reference issued by Duffel is the same type of reference used by any direct airline booking and functions the same way for check-in and seat selection.
How long should I wait before contacting support if my booking is not showing?
If the Cryptorefills confirmation email has been received but the booking is not visible on the airline's website, waiting up to 24 hours before contacting support is recommended, as this covers the synchronisation window for the majority of carriers. If the booking is still not visible after 24 hours, contact support with the booking reference, the airline name, the flight date, and the route. Do not make a second booking before contacting support.
Can I check in online if my booking is not showing on the airline website?
If the booking is not yet visible on the airline's website, attempting online check-in through the airline's platform may not be possible during the synchronisation delay. In this case, checking in at the airport desk with the Cryptorefills confirmation email and the booking reference is the practical alternative. Airline staff at the desk have access to reservation tools that may show the booking even when the website does not. Arriving with enough time to resolve any check-in issues at the desk is advisable.
What information do I need to give support to investigate a missing booking?
To investigate a booking that is not showing on the airline's website, support requires the booking reference from the Cryptorefills confirmation email, the airline name, the flight number, the departure date, and the order number from the Cryptorefills platform. If the confirmation email was not received, the payment transaction hash is also useful for locating the order. Providing all of this information at the outset allows support to investigate without requiring additional back-and-forth.
What happens if the flight I booked is cancelled by the airline?
If the airline cancels a flight booked through Cryptorefills, the airline's standard cancellation policy applies. For bookings made through Duffel, the refund or rebooking options available depend on the fare type purchased and the airline's policy for involuntary cancellations. Contact Cryptorefills support with the booking reference in the event of an airline-initiated cancellation; support can advise on what options are available through the booking channel.