A would-be class action accusing BA of breach of contract for not providing customers the option of cash refunds for flights canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic can move forward, but the plaintiffs are limited in the kinds of damages they can potentially recover, a federal court in New York said Friday. Like many airlines, BA canceled flights en masse in spring 2020. Four plaintiffs allege that the airline modified its website to mislead affected customers into accepting travel vouchers, and removed the option for submitting refund claims online. The airline began requiring customers who wanted refunds to call customer service, which often took hours or disconnected, the plaintiffs claim. They seek to have the case certified as a class action. The plaintiffs have plausibly stated a claim for breach of contract under New York law, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York said, rejecting BA’s motion to dismiss. The “general conditions of carriage” that applies to all BA tickets states that if the airline cancels a flight, the customer can choose one of three remedies: immediate rescheduling, rescheduling at the customer’s convenience, or a refund. The plaintiffs plausibly alleged that the airline frustrated their ability to secure their preferred choice, the refunds, the court said. The court rejected BA’S argument the plaintiffs’ claim was preempted by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. But the act does limit the plaintiffs’ potential recovery to compensatory damages, not other forms of relief like punitive or exemplary damages, it said.<br/>
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Premium passengers who are missing the inflight dining experience can now simulate the experience at ground level. British Airways is offering the chance to “experience first class dining at home”. Along with the home delivery firm Feast Box and the caterer Do & Co, the airline is offering a “travel-inspired recipe box with first class menus and ingredients”. The price of a four-course meal for two is GBP80 for two for the pasta option or GBP100 including “beef cheeks in a port wine jus”. Hamish McVey, BA’s head of brands and marketing, said: “Although it might appear a little different being delivered to a customer’s door rather than at 38,000 feet, we hope it will be just as exciting.” Each meal kit includes a voucher for 10% off a BA flight, which could more than pay for the cost – though there is a limit of one per customer.<br/>
Chile’s LATAM Airlines is open to signing an exclusive contract with an e-commerce operator in Latin America as it looks to boost its cargo unit due to persistently weak passenger demand resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, an executive said. E-commerce has grown substantially in Latin America during the pandemic although it has historically lagged due to poor infrastructure. Argentina’s Mercadolibre Inc dominates in the region, especially in Brazil, and has a small fleet of in-house planes. Amazon.com has also been making inroads in Latin America. While signing an exclusive cargo contract is a possibility, Andres Bianchi, the CE of LATAM’s cargo division, said the company may also create a system “where different players who want to participate in e-commerce have access to capacity and use our network.” “We are seeing e-commerce as a trend in the region that will continue growing, not just domestically but increasingly internationally,” Bianchi said. LATAM, the largest carrier in the region, filed for bankruptcy protection last May.<br/>