Turkish Airlines not responding to refund request

Upsidedownandaround

CarolineBeth said:

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice, I booked return flights with Turkish airlines back in February 2020 for June 2020 due to travel restrictions I couldn't travel, even though the flight still went ahead, there was a non essential travel guidance in place.  I phoned them, they where very helpful and gave me an open ticket until December 2021.  I have decided I want a full refund now as the covid 19 pandemic has lasted longer than initially expected and with the government stopping travel until June 2021, and the current situation in Turkey I don't feel like it is at all safe to be putting myself at risk.  I contacted them about this and they said they can only give me £30, the flights coat my £550.  Their response via email, "
We’re sorry that you had to change your travel plans. However, unfortunately we are unable to fulfill your full refund request. Just one time you can make new reservation without any fee.

We can only process refund/reissue requests in accordance with your ticket’s fare rules.  Fare rules may vary depending on whether your ticket is in the flexible, limited or promotional class.

To avoid similar problems on future flights, we recommend you take careful notice of your ticket rights specified at reservation.

Any help or advice would be greatly welcomed.  

Since presumably you booked a non-refundable flight you were not entitled to a refund. The only part of the flight you would be entitled to a refund would be air duty taxes which is presumably the £30 they are offering you.

They gave you a voucher out of goodwill which they didn't need to . It is up to you whether you use this or not.

Your only option to recover the full cost of the flights would be an insurance claim I'm afraid.

Thrugelmir

CarolineBeth said:

 I have decided I want a full refund now as the covid 19 pandemic has lasted longer than initially expected and with the government stopping travel until June 2021, and the current situation in Turkey I don't feel like it is at all safe to be putting myself at risk.

That's not the airlines issue. They are intending to provide the service you booked. Flexibility comes at a cost.  Booking non refundable tickets always poses a number of risks. Something that suitable insurance cover protects one against the majority of risks. 

CarolineBeth

What if travel doesn't resume before December 2021? 

nilanteh

CarolineBeth said:

What if travel doesn't resume before December 2021? 

If your flight still goes then you won’t be entitled to a refund. They will be allowed to travel and other people might be allowed to travel. It won’t matter to them whether you can. This is would be one for insurance as stated above 

bagand96

CarolineBeth said:

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice, I booked return flights with Turkish airlines back in February 2020 for June 2020 due to travel restrictions I couldn't travel, even though the flight still went ahead, there was a non essential travel guidance in place.  I phoned them, they where very helpful and gave me an open ticket until December 2021.  I have decided I want a full refund now as the covid 19 pandemic has lasted longer than initially expected and with the government stopping travel until June 2021, and the current situation in Turkey I don't feel like it is at all safe to be putting myself at risk.  I contacted them about this and they said they can only give me £30, the flights coat my £550.  Their response via email, "
We’re sorry that you had to change your travel plans. However, unfortunately we are unable to fulfill your full refund request. Just one time you can make new reservation without any fee.

We can only process refund/reissue requests in accordance with your ticket’s fare rules.  Fare rules may vary depending on whether your ticket is in the flexible, limited or promotional class.

To avoid similar problems on future flights, we recommend you take careful notice of your ticket rights specified at reservation.

Any help or advice would be greatly welcomed.  

If your fare wasn't flexible or refundable then there's nothing you can do. The offer of an open ticket was a gesture of good will over and above their obligations.  The flight went ahead so they fulfilled their contract with you. 

You may have been covered on your travel insurance. 

Upsidedownandaround

CarolineBeth said:

What if travel doesn't resume before December 2021? 

Then your ticket with expire and you will need to see whether the Airline will give you a further gesture of goodwill. There patience may be limited though since when they did this previously this wasn't enough for you.

CarolineBeth

I'm still honestly confused, I booked before the pandemic, the flight did go ahead but due to covid 19 I wasn't allowed to fly, it has to be for work, medical reasons or a family death, and for these reasons  I'm still not allowed to fly.  Surely I've paid for a service I still can no longer avail of.  I am not at fault and neither are the airline, but they do still have my money.

Westin

CarolineBeth said:

I'm still honestly confused, I booked before the pandemic, the flight did go ahead but due to covid 19 I wasn't allowed to fly, it has to be for work, medical reasons or a family death, and for these reasons  I'm still not allowed to fly.  Surely I've paid for a service I still can no longer avail of.  I am not at fault and neither are the airline, but they do still have my money.

They still held you a seat on the flight.

In the circumstances you describe, TK is under no obligation to refund you.

This would be a travel insurance claim (did you have cover in place?).  

Unfortunately just because you don’t have the money paid and you could not travel, does not mean automatically that someone else is at fault and should refund you.  

CKhalvashi

CarolineBeth said:

I'm still honestly confused, I booked before the pandemic, the flight did go ahead but due to covid 19 I wasn't allowed to fly, it has to be for work, medical reasons or a family death, and for these reasons  I'm still not allowed to fly.  Surely I've paid for a service I still can no longer avail of.  I am not at fault and neither are the airline, but they do still have my money.

You paid for a seat on the flight, and Turkish provided this to you.

Turkish Airlines don't set immigration rules, nor do they set rules in the UK.

If you purchased a non-refundable flight, then this was at your own risk, as the service was not cancelled and was available to you by the party you paid. That you changed your plans is not the problem of the airline.

bagand96

CarolineBeth said:

I'm still honestly confused, I booked before the pandemic, the flight did go ahead but due to covid 19 I wasn't allowed to fly, it has to be for work, medical reasons or a family death, and for these reasons  I'm still not allowed to fly.  Surely I've paid for a service I still can no longer avail of.  I am not at fault and neither are the airline, but they do still have my money.

The fact you were unable to use it because of Government restrictions is not the fault of the airline. The flight went so the service you payed them for could be provided.  If you had booked fully flexible and refundable tickets (which are very expensive!) then you’d be entitled to a refund.  It would appear you didn’t, so there’s no refund option. 

This situation would be a Travel Insurance claim if you wanted your money back. 

The open ticket/date change is a goodwill gesture, many airlines have offered similar. 

You could look up the Competition and Markets Authority advice in frustrated contracts. Their opinion is that in your situation the contract is “frustrated” as you can’t use the flight so therefore a refund should be an option. This has not been tested in law though, and for all the CMA’s advice I don’t think anyone’s reported a success in the frustrated contract route. It will need someone to bring a test case to court, to be honest I think it will be hard enough against a UK based airline, let alone a foreign one.