British Airways Hit With $1.1 Million Fine by US Government for Refund Failures During Pandemic
British Airways Fined $1.1 Million by US Government for Failing to Provide Refunds for Cancelled Flights During Pandemic The US Department of Transportation has fined British Airways $1.1 million (£878,000) over claims that the airline failed to provide timely refunds to passengers for cancelled flights during the pandemic.
The department received more than 1,200 complaints about British Airways, claiming that the airline failed to provide adequate refund options for flights that were cancelled or significantly changed.
According to the transport department, from March to November 2020, British Airways' website instructed consumers to contact the carrier by phone to discuss refund options, including for flights that were cancelled or significantly changed.
However, consumers were unable to get through to customer service agents when calling the carrier, as BA failed to maintain adequate functionality of its customer service phone lines.
The department also found that during this period, misleading information on British Airways' website led consumers to inadvertently request travel vouchers instead of refunds.
In addition to the 1,200 complaints received by the department, British Airways received thousands more complaints and refund requests directly from consumers.
The failures caused significant challenges and delays in thousands of consumers receiving required refunds, the department said.
Along with the fine, British Airways will be credited $550,000 towards the penalty because it paid more than $40m in refunds to customers with non-refundable tickets in 2020 and 2021.
British Airways said it is "very sorry" for the challenges and delays experienced by customers during the pandemic.
The airline added that it acted lawfully at all times and offered customers the flexibility of rebooking travel or claiming a refund if their flights were cancelled.
British Airways has issued more than five million refunds since the start of the pandemic.
FAQs: Q: Why was British Airways fined?
A: The US Department of Transportation claimed that British Airways failed to provide tim