British Airways Fined $1.1 Million for Delayed Refunds on Cancelled Flights During Pandemic, Says US Department of Transportation

2023-06-02 13:59:42

The United States has fined British Airways $1.1 million (about Rs 9 crore) for delay in refunding ticket charges for flights canceled during the Covid-19 pandemic. The fine was imposed after the airline failed to provide timely refunds for canceled flights to and from the United States, the US Department of Transportation said. The Transport Department said that more than 1200 complaints have been received against the airline. The US Department of Transportation added that the fine is a strong warning against similar illegal actions by British Airways and other airlines in the future.

Meanwhile, British Airways has completely rejected the allegations and said that they are operating legally. According to the US Department of Transportation, between March and November 2020, customers were told to contact the airline by phone for refunds, including for canceled or rescheduled flights, on the airline’s website.

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But customers were unable to contact the airline for several months due to congestion on phone lines. No refund request could be made through the website at this time. In addition to the 1,200 complaints received by the US Department of Transportation, the airline also received thousands of complaints and refund requests directly, the report said. All of this has caused significant delays for thousands of consumers in getting the refunds they need, the department said.

British Airways said the pandemic has unfortunately forced the cancellation of thousands of flights and the closure of some call centers due to government restrictions, causing customers to wait slightly longer. They added that during this period British Airways had always acted legally and offered customers the option of rebooking travel on different dates and claiming refunds if flights were cancelled.

This is not the first time the US Department of Transportation has fined airlines for not issuing refunds on time. Chilean airline Latam and its affiliates were previously fined $1 million for late refunds. The Department of Transport hopes that airlines will be more proactive in protecting the rights of customers through these strict measures.

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