Covid Flight Refund Discussion - Too Late?

NorthWalian

This is an old one from 2020/2021 but I am wondering if there is still a remedy.

A few years back a return flight ticket from the U.K. to Turkey was bought from Lufthansa via Germany - This was a flight only booking direct from the airline. This was a single UK>Turkey ticket.

While the outbound flight went without a hitch, Covid restrictions kicked in on the flight back and Turkey was placed on the UK’s famous “red list”

While flights from Turkey > UK were naturally cancelled, Turkey > Germany flights went ahead and so did Germany > UK flights so there was no cancellation. For what it’s worth, the infamous £1200 quarantine facilities were never built in the airport that the flights were to. 

At the time, we just had to wait until everything cooled down then purchased a new ticket from a different airline.

Was or is there any way to somehow still get a refund on the return leg of the ticket and should I have just took the risk of a forbidden route made of two non-forbidden options.

bagand96

I don't think you'd have had grounds for a refund from Lufthansa at the time and that won't have changed. If the flights operated it wasn't Lufthansa's fault you couldn't take them.

Your travel insurance may have covered you, although it will depend on the policy and things were changing quite quickly at the time.

Westin

bagand96 said:

I don't think you'd have had grounds for a refund from Lufthansa at the time and that won't have changed. If the flights operated it wasn't Lufthansa's fault you couldn't take them.

Your travel insurance may have covered you, although it will depend on the policy and things were changing quite quickly at the time.

Agree.    

NorthWalian

bagand96 said:

I don't think you'd have had grounds for a refund from Lufthansa at the time and that won't have changed. If the flights operated it wasn't Lufthansa's fault you couldn't take them.

Your travel insurance may have covered you, although it will depend on the policy and things were changing quite quickly at the time.

Interesting

I just wondered if it would be different when it would have been legally impossible to take them (I likely would have been denied boarding in Turkey).

bagand96

NorthWalian said:

bagand96 said:

I don't think you'd have had grounds for a refund from Lufthansa at the time and that won't have changed. If the flights operated it wasn't Lufthansa's fault you couldn't take them.

Your travel insurance may have covered you, although it will depend on the policy and things were changing quite quickly at the time.

Interesting

I just wondered if it would be different when it would have been legally impossible to take them (I likely would have been denied boarding in Turkey).

It wouldn't have been any different I'm afraid. It's no different to if you have booked a flight somewhere and the visa requirements were to change, or civil unrest etc. If the airline have sold you a flight and they operate it then there's no entitlement to a refund (unless you have a very expensive refundable fare)

It's normally a travel insurance issue, and their bar is usually the FCDO advice. 

NorthWalian

bagand96 said:

NorthWalian said:

bagand96 said:

I don't think you'd have had grounds for a refund from Lufthansa at the time and that won't have changed. If the flights operated it wasn't Lufthansa's fault you couldn't take them.

Your travel insurance may have covered you, although it will depend on the policy and things were changing quite quickly at the time.

Interesting

I just wondered if it would be different when it would have been legally impossible to take them (I likely would have been denied boarding in Turkey).

It wouldn't have been any different I'm afraid. It's no different to if you have booked a flight somewhere and the visa requirements were to change, or civil unrest etc. If the airline have sold you a flight and they operate it then there's no entitlement to a refund (unless you have a very expensive refundable fare)

It's normally a travel insurance issue, and their bar is usually the FCDO advice. 

What would count as the FCDO advice though as it was travelling back to the home country.