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Consumer advocate, author and journalist Chris Elliott has found an effective strategy for securing refunds when your travels take a wrong turn. 

Among the techniques he's developed through years of experience is called the three “P’s.” According to Elliott, it works great on refunds, including airline refunds.

For starters, advises Elliott, use credit cards to pay whenever possible, keep a paper trail if you submit a request for a refund and be ready to appeal your case if necessary. 

Further, he recommends keeping these three things in mind.

Patience. 

Give the company at least a week to respond to your refund request, says Elliott,  and two credit card billing cycles to pay you.

Persistence. 

Don’t let months pass by without letting the company know that your money is still missing, he advises. If necessary, set a calendar reminder so that you don’t forget.

Politeness. 

Angry demands for a refund and threats to take a company to court almost always backfire, suggests Elliott. The company may refer your case to its legal department, where it could linger for weeks or months.

Final advice: "Be nice!"

For more about this topic and how Christopher Elliott works to help travelers, visit his site here.