Crew issue canceled my flight and the airline only offered a credit, can someone actually force a cash refund?

Posted by EstimateSpirited4228@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 4 comments

My flight was canceled last minute due to crew issues and the airline rebooked me two days later. I needed to be home for a family emergency so I bought a new ticket on another carrier. When I asked for a refund they said they could only offer a travel credit. I know DOT rules require a full refund for controllable cancellations. The customer service chat just loops me back to the same options. Is there a service that handles the escalation calls and citations for you, since the chat is clearly a dead end?