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The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has just announced a fine of 1.1 million USD for British Airways for failing to timely refund passengers of flights to and from the US affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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| Photo: Reuters |
Reuters news agency quoted a source from USDOT stating that since March 2020, it has received more than 1,200 complaints accusing British Airways of failing to fulfill its refund obligations on time. The department allowed British Airways to postpone the payment of $550,000 in fines because in 2020 and 2021, British Airways refunded more than $40 million in tickets to passengers who purchased non-refundable tickets.
According to USDOT, the penalty decision is intended to deter British Airways and other airlines from repeating non-compliance with the law.
USDOT cited British Airways' failure to maintain customer service phone lines, leaving many people unable to contact the airline's service department for months.
However, British Airways, a subsidiary of the International Airlines Group (IAG), has denied the allegations. The airline stressed that it always complies with the law and has allowed passengers to rebook or get a refund in the event of a flight cancellation. British Airways explained that at the height of the pandemic, it was forced to cancel thousands of flights and close some of its customer care centers due to restrictions. Waiting times were also longer.
Last May, USDOT also fined Latin America's largest airline, LATAM Airlines Group, $1 million for similar reasons after receiving more than 750 comments about the airline's failure to promptly refund passengers booked on flights to and from the United States.
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