A would-be flyer is suing United Airlines for refusing to refund him for flights that were cancelled due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
On Monday, the traveler, a police officer from Minnesota, filed a class action complaint at a U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois, claiming that United refused to refund the $1,521.45 he spent on three plane tickets. His trip (which was from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., with a connecting flight in Chicago) was scheduled for April 4, but was canceled amid the health crisis.
According to the court documents, United told the man he could rebook or get a ticket credit for travel within one year, but would not refund his purchase.
A new rule put in place by the U.S. Department of Transportation during the health crisis appears to support his claim.
Due to the rapid and widespread grounding of flights due to travel restrictions and government policies around COVID-19, the DOT now requires that airlines “provide a prompt refund to passengers” during the pandemic.
When reached by PEOPLE, a spokesperson for United declined to comment on the court filing, saying they haven’t been served the documents yet, but outlined the company’s refund policies. The rep explained that customers can request refunds online or by calling their contact centers.
“Since the start of the COVID-19 health event, we have implemented new policies to give our customers flexibility during these extraordinary times by allowing them to change their travel plans without a fee,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
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The DOT issued an enforcement warning on Friday, reminding airlines to comply with the policy, explaining that they’ve seen an influx of customer concerns.
“The Department is receiving an increasing number of complaints and inquiries from ticketed passengers, including many with non-refundable tickets, who describe having been denied refunds for flights that were canceled or significantly delayed,” read the formal notice.
According to the United website, the airline’s international schedule has been reduced by 90 percent in April because of the pandemic.
“We are proud of the role our company and our employees play during this crisis and continue to operate to nearly every domestic destination as well as six international markets across the globe, including our partner hubs,” the United spokesperson said.
As of April 7, there are more than 1.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 75,000 deaths worldwide, according to data compiled by The New York Times.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.
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