United Airlines Hit with Class Action Lawsuit for Refusing to Refund Tickets for Canceled Flights
United Airlines Hit with Class Action Lawsuit for Refusing to Refund Tickets for Canceled Flights
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United Airlines has been hit with a class action lawsuit from angry passengers demanding refunds for their canceled flights. According to a Daily Mail news report, the airline slashed its flight schedules because of the coronavirus pandemic resulting in thousands of flight cancellations for numerous passengers. United Airlines has refused to issue monetary refunds to passengers with canceled flights and has instead offered customers travel vouchers, which expire in one year from the original ticket date.
Plaintiffs Seek Monetary Damages
The lawsuit names Jacob Rudolph as one of the plaintiffs. Rudolph is a police officer in Minnesota and according to the lawsuit, he bought three tickets to travel from South Carolina back to Minneapolis on April 4. The complaint states he paid a total of $1,521.45 for the tickets, additional travel options and taxes. United canceled flights due to the growing coronavirus outbreak in the United States.
Rudolph says he feels deceived by the airline because he bought the tickets under the impression that he would be refunded if the flight were to be canceled at any time. Rudolph and other plaintiffs now claim that they are entitled to a refund because it was the airline that canceled the flights. The lawsuit also states that people need monetary refunds over travel vouchers right now – a time when most people are feeling financial strain due to job loss and furloughs, and are struggling to pay for a mortgage, rent, utilities, food and other necessities.
Plaintiffs also note that airlines are due to receive $58 billion in aid through a government bailout under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Plaintiffs also state that United has changed its refund policy four times within seven days regarding passenger flights when flight schedules are altered. Plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages and attorney’s fees and costs.
Protecting Consumers’ Rights
At a time when millions of Americans are losing their jobs and struggling to make ends meet with no relief in sight, it is unconscionable for an airline, which is about to receive part of a $58-billion bailout package, to refuse to refund passengers for flights that were canceled by the airline. While it’s true that the airline industry is also struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic, that is no excuse to shortchange passengers.
Our class action attorneys are determined to protect consumer rights during this difficult time by going after large corporations that put their interests ahead of everyone and everything else.
