Turkish Airlines Settles Lawsuit Over Covid Refunds

A Settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit against Turkish Airlines. The lawsuit alleges that Turkish Airlines breached its General Conditions of Carriage (“GCC”) by failing to refund customers for cancelled flights at all or within a reasonable amount of time.

Turkish Airlines maintains that it did not breach the GCC, that it did provide refunds within a reasonable amount of time particularly given Covid-19’s impact on Turkish Airlines’ operations and the airline industry generally, and it denies that it did anything wrong. The court has not decided who is right. Instead, both sides agreed to a settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a lengthy trial and appeals process.

Who’s Eligible?

Related: See All Settlement Rebates Here

Settlement Payout

The benefit you may receive from the Settlement depends upon whether you have already received a refund from Turkish Airlines or have not already received a refund from Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines will pay a maximum of $1,000,000 to settle all claims by those who have already received refunds, while there’s no cap for those who have yet to receive their refunds.

Under the Settlement, Settlement Class Members who have already received a refund from Turkish Airlines and who submit a Claim Form will have the option to elect either

1. the Cash Option: $10.00 USD per person, or
2. the Voucher Option: a Voucher for future travel on Turkish Airlines in the amount of $45.00 USD.

Settlement Class Members who have not, to date, received a refund (but are entitled to one) can request a refund on the Claim Form and, upon submission of a Valid Claim, Turkish Airlines will pay the full amount of the refund, and an additional Interest Payment of one percent (1%) of the unused ticket price, or in the case of partially used tickets, one percent (1%) of the price of the unused flight segment (i.e., a 101% refund).

Settlement Class Members may submit a Claim Form through the mail or at www.TASettlement.com. The deadline to file a Claim Form is August 18, 2023.

How to File a Claim?

If you are a Settlement Class Member who has already received a refund from Turkish Airlines and would like to receive the $10.00 USD Cash Option or $45.00 USD Voucher Option, you must submit a Claim Form by following the directions set forth on the File a Claim page, once it becomes available.

If you are a Settlement Class Member who has not, to date, received a refund from Turkish Airlines and would like to receive your refund plus an additional one percent (1%) of the unused ticket price, or in the case of partially used tickets, one percent (1%) of the price of the unused flight segment (i.e., a 101% refund), you must submit a Claim Form by following the directions set forth on the File a Claim page.

Settlement Class Members who fail to submit a Valid Claim will not receive any compensation from the Settlement.  However, if you are a Settlement Class Member who has not received a refund from Turkish Airlines, even if you do not fill out a Claim Form in a timely fashion, you may still later request a refund from Turkish Airlines without the Interest Payment. Whether that refund will be paid will depend on the circumstances of your flight, its fare rules, and the time that has passed since the flight was cancelled; no interest will be paid on refunds requested outside the Claim Form process.

You must submit your Claim Form by the Claims Deadline – no later than August 18, 2023.