Expedia, a victim of an action demand for elegance for refusing to refund cancelled flights due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Daniel Mahoney filed a lawsuit against Expedia after claiming that the booking service had violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act by refusing to refund the value of his airfare.
“Despite its role as an intermediary or broker in the purchase of airline tickets through its consumers on those airlines, Expedia has not intervened or taken steps to ensure that its consumers are entitled to a refund on cancelled flights in the event of a pandemic,” demand says.
According to the lawsuit, Mahoney said he purchased a $ 905. 08 round-trip ticket on Expedia in December from San Francisco to Milan via TAP Air Portugal in July 2020.
Will the refund claims that oppose the take-off of the airlines succeed?
In May, after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Expedia informed Mahoney that his flight had been cancelled through the airline and presented him with only a “good” full refund.
“(Mahoney) requested a refund of his purchase for the cancelled flight,” the lawsuit states. “The agent (Expedia) stated that it would obtain a coupon for its value purchased for use with American Airlines, valid until December 31, 2020. The agent indicated that the airline would not provide a refund. “
Mahoney said he spoke to Expedia agents and added that a manager said “I have my hands tied” to provide a full refund. Mahoney said he earned credit for travel.
“During this unprecedented economic and global fitness crisis, the desire for consumers to receive a refund for coupons is urgent,” demand says. “Travel coupons offer little security in this crisis, especially when many other people want cash now to pay for pieces like food and rent.
The action of elegance alleges that Expedia violated Washington’s customer coverage law through “unfair or misleading practices in industry or commerce. “Mahoney and the organization are looking for economic damage and triple damage.
DOT warns airlines – again: the company asks airlines to factor refunds for cancelled flights after receiving 25,000 complaints
Prosecuting an airline turns out to be the new American pastime. Since the start of the pandemic, passengers have sued all former airlines in court, claiming that they had not refunded their tickets as required by law.
In April, a passenger in Chicago sued United Airlines for refusing to factor out refunds for a cancelled flight when “he was entitled to a refund if the airline cancelled a flight for any reason. “
A few days later, the passenger filed a lawsuit against Delta Air Lines, accusing the airline of acting in a “misleading and unfair manner” by not complying with price ticket refunds and passenger requests after the outbreak.
Less than a week after that, the same law firm sued American Airlines, claiming that it had forced consumers to replace their flight or coupon reservations instead of returning their money.
After receiving more than 25,000 court cases from travelers related to airfare refunds in March and April, the US Department of Transportation warned airlines that they should reimburse travelers if their flights were canceled or changed particularly through from the airline in May.
Contribution: Christopher Elliott, Dawn Gilbertson
Does an airline cancel its flight because of the coronavirus crisis?You’re still entitled to a refund, says DOT