Delta settles lawsuit over canceled pandemic flights. Here’s how to see if you qualify for refunds

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines settled a class-action lawsuit filed by passengers whose flights were canceled at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lawsuit filed by customers claimed that Delta breached contracts by canceling the flights and the airline’s systems caused frustration to request a refund for the canceled flights. The lawsuit also accused Delta of not delivering refunds in a timely manner.

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Court documents show that the plaintiffs requested a trial and that Delta denied the allegations. Both sides reached a settlement to avoid the costs of continued litigation. Channel 2 Action News obtained a copy of the settlement, which a federal judge signed on June 2.

“Since the beginning of 2020, Delta has refunded more than 11 million bookings totaling $6 billion. When the dark days of the pandemic in 2020 brought significant impact to our business, we held true to our people-first values and provided cash refunds those eligible when requested after a cancelled a flight or significant schedule change,” Delta said in a statement to Channel 2.

Who is eligible for the settlement? There are several elements in order for you to qualify.

The first is your flight must have been between March 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021 that the airline canceled. Passengers must have requested refunds through the Delta database, but received flight credits instead.

If those credits hadn’t been used as of Jan. 13 of this year, then those passengers qualify for the settlement.

Court documents show that Delta will pay eligible passengers a cash refund plus 7% interest of the original ticket amount or a ticket credit that matches the unused credit plus the 7% interest.

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Delta will have from June 17 to August 28 to send out notices about the settlement, according to court documents. Those who qualified will have until Sept. 15 to submit a claim form. Delta employees and their family members are not eligible for the settlement.

No refunds will be issued until after the court’s final approval hearing on Oct. 5.

Delta isn’t the only airline that recently agreed to refund travelers whose trips were canceled during the pandemic.

In November, Frontier Airlines and international airlines TAP Portugal, Air India, Aeromexico and Israel’s El Al agreed to millions in refunds. The U.S. Department of Transportation said it also fined the airlines more than $7 million for delaying refunds.

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