In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. and foreign airlines are facing a surge of class action lawsuits related to refund demands. Passengers whose flights were cancelled or who no longer wish to travel claim they are owed more than just a travel voucher or credit for future travel and insist on a full refund. But under what circumstances are airlines required to provide refunds to consumers? Is there a legal requirement that they do so? And what are the legal implications to airlines of refusing to provide them?
This webinar examines the airline passenger refund issue from the litigation and regulatory perspectives. Specifically, we will (1) provide an overview of the putative class actions that have been filed against airlines; (2) detail the U.S. Department of Transportation’s regulatory requirements related to refunds; and (3) outline causes of action typically asserted in these lawsuits and weigh the merits of potential airline defenses against those claims, including federal preemption, defenses related to class treatment, and the potential impact of international air transport treaties on some of these cases.
CLE is approved in PA, NY, TX, CA and IL.
All other CLE jurisdictions will be applied for upon request.