US: Consumers, lawmakers rip airlines for withholding refunds

Thousands of airline customers who cancelled bookings because of the coronavirus epidemic can’t get their money back. Some Senate Democrats are picking up the issue. “At a time when families are struggling to pay for food, for housing, for prescriptions, it’s absolutely unconscionable that the airlines won’t return this money to consumers,” Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said during an online news conference with consumer groups. Markey and four other Senate Democrats proposed legislation on Wednesday that would require airlines to give full cash refunds to passengers during the pandemic, even if it was the customer who canceled. They say they will try to include the requirement in any further virus-relief measures. The senators have previously estimated that airlines are holding back more than $10b by refusing to pay cash refunds. Anna Laitin, director of financial policy for Consumer Reports, said in some cases airlines have pushed vouchers even when it was the airline that cancelled the flight. Industry officials say that problem has been fixed.<br/>