Airlines to be investigated for failing to give cash refunds for cancelled flights during pandemic

British watchdog to determine whether consumer rights were breached

Airlines will be investigated for failing to provide cash refunds during pandemic. Reuters

Airlines in the UK will be investigated over whether they broke consumer laws by failing to offer passengers cash refunds during the pandemic.

The industry has been widely criticised for taking too long to refund passengers for cancelled or delayed flights since March.

In many instances passengers have been offered vouchers instead of cash refunds.

The consumer watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), will determine whether the airlines breached the legal rights of customers by failing to offer cash refunds for flights that couldn’t be taken.

It said: "The investigation will consider situations where airlines continued to operate flights despite people being unable lawfully to travel for non-essential purposes in the UK or abroad, for example during the second lockdown in England in November.

"The CMA is aware that, in some cases where flights were not cancelled, customers were not offered refunds even though they could not lawfully travel.”

"Instead, many were offered the option to rebook or to receive a voucher."