Avril

In the last 12 hours there have been two positive moves which should help your clients. In the US, following complaints regarding United Airlines, the Department of Transportation has issued an Enforcement Notice warning all airlines that they must offer a prompt refund to customers if they are forced to cancel flights, this applies to flights to, from and within the US, so hopefully United will act before further action is taken.

In the EU last night the Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean issued the following statement

“Airlines must refund cancelled flight tickets. They can of course also offer a voucher but — and this is very important — only if the customer agrees to accept this. If the customer does not want a voucher or other proposed solution, the company must reimburse.”

Taken together I cannot see a way out for United to continue to deny a refund, it may take a few weeks, but it shouldn't be a year

Avril

United Airlines have been one of the most difficult airlines to deal with. Their offer is a credit note valid for a year and convertible to cash only at the end of 12 months. The EU has been clear in its statements that although airlines are at liberty to offer vouchers, they must pay cash refunds if that is what the customer wants.

As you have found, most airlines are flouting the law, United announced it is losing $100 Million revenue a day and is looking at downsizing unless things change quickly and that does not look likely. Worryingly airlines seem to have huge lobbying power both here and in the US, the US has already offered a huge bailout to their airlines, and today Germany announced that Lufthansa could ignore the EU law and just offer vouchers. I suspect the EU Commission is currently under similar pressure to change the rules, so I am afraid at present the outlook is not good