Emily Sortor  |  April 22, 2020

Category: Covid-19

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Spirit airlines covid-19 sign

A Spirit customer has filed a class action lawsuit against the airline over claims that consumers should receive refunds for trips canceled due to the coronavirus.

The Spirit refund class action lawsuit was filed by Massachusetts resident Edward L. Manchur who says he purchased plane tickets from Spirit before the coronavirus cancelations began.

However, his flight was allegedly canceled and rescheduled to a time that he could not fly, as Spirit began to grapple with the effects of the pandemic. Manchur says he was denied a refund when he asked for one, and instead was offered a voucher subject to expiration. 

According to Manchur, on March 4, 2020, he purchased two tickets on a Spirit Airlines flight scheduled to fly on April 9, 2020 from Boston to Fort Meyers, Fla.

However, he received an email before his trip alerting him that the April 9 trip had been canceled. In the email, Spirit informed Manchur and his travel companion that they had been rebooked to an earlier flight, on April 7. 

The plaintiff says that he could not travel on April 7, as prior commitments prohibited him from doing so. He reportedly informed the airline of this, and requested a refund for the cost of the tickets. However, he was allegedly denied a refund and was instead offered a voucher for future travel with Spirit.

Have you had a flight canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak? Get legal help by clicking here.

According to the Spirit cancelations refund class action lawsuit, Manchur paid $224.78 for his tickets and made the purchase with the understanding that if his flight was canceled or rebooked, Spirit would give him a refund. 

The airline COVID-19 cancelations class action lawsuit claims that Manchur was injured by Spirit’s conduct because had he known that he would not receive a refund, he would not have purchased the tickets or would not have paid as much as he did for them. 

The coronavirus travel cancelations class action lawsuit states that Spirit misled Manchur and many other customers by failing to offer refunds.

Allegedly, Spirit’s own Contract of Carriage requires that the airline provide refunds, not credits, if the airline cancels a passenger’s flight without rebooking the passenger or when the airline books the passenger on a different flight other than the next “flight on which seats are available to the guest’s original destination.” 

Manchur stresses that the flight to which he and his travel companion were moved was not the next flight, but an earlier one. He stresses the fact that because the flight was earlier than scheduled it was impossible for him to take advantage of the flight.

Similarly, Manchur notes that the Department of Transportation informs consumers that they have the right to a refund if their flight is canceled, as well as a refund for other costs associated with their tickets, such as the costs of baggage.

In light of the coronavirus cancelations, the Department of Transportation re-emphasized that airlines such as Spirit are required to offer refunds for canceled tickets, and must do so promptly, even during the coronavirus.

Allegedly, in this notice to airlines, the DOT did note that a failure to provide refunds on a prompt schedule could “subject the carrier to an enforcement action.”

The Spirit refund voucher class action lawsuit says that the coronavirus pandemic has taken a profound toll on the airline industry, forcing airlines to cancel most of their flights in an effort to help slow the spread of the virus. This combined with an allegedly far lower demand for flights, has led to a decrease in profits, says Manchur.

Spirit airlines coronavirus illustrationThe plaintiff goes on to assert that in an effort to somewhat protect itself from the extreme economic losses that come from the pandemic, the airline took several steps to avoid giving refunds to its passengers.

In Manchur’s eyes, the company is trying to pass off the costs of the pandemic onto customers. 

Manchur seeks refunds on behalf of himself and all other similarly affected customers who had flights scheduled and were denied refunds between March 1, 2020 and when a Class of consumers might be certified, arguing that Spirit Airlines has both a legal and moral responsibility to its customers. 

Manchur is represented by Michael A. Borrelli. 

The Spirit Airlines COVID-19 Flight Cancelations Class Action Lawsuit is Edward L. Manchur v. Spirit Airlines Inc., Case No. 1:20-cv-10771-LTS, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

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11 thoughts onSpirit Airlines Class Action Claims Ticket Holders Were Refused Refunds

  1. Maria Ramirez says:

    How can I join? I was traveling with two children and a small dog and we were left stranded in a rural island when they canceled our flights in the middle of the night. Spirit offered no explanation and no assistance what-so-ever. After driving around the island for hours, in the dark, with children, we finally found a hotel with one room in a sketchy area. We got stuck paying for a room, had to extend a car rental and after trying to get them to re-book us, for days, we finally had to pay an inflated amount for new flights to leave. Since they did not bother to inform us of the issues they were having, days ahead, we got stuck in a dangerous, traumatizing situation.

  2. Melissa Singleton says:

    Spirit needs to be shut down it’s not fair that they can keep offering routes and it’s not fair that they can keep offering fairs for things that they cannot accommodate if you don’t have any pilots how can you continue to take people’s money for a plane that’s not gonna leave gonna leave that is an inconvenience to people they put my daughter and my grandson out in the middle of the night because they didn’t fly because spirit did not have a pilot that is the craziest thing ever I believe spirit is working on A1099 they are self employed over there So if that’s the case this is understandable but that’s not the case and the airport should not allow spirit to continue to take reservations for flights that they can not accommodate They should not be able to take reservations and fees for flights that their plane aint even gonna leave the terminal You do this and you inconvenience people my daughter and my grandson was wandering around in the middle of the night of Baltimore one of the worst cities in the US she’s not from Baltimore she had no clue anything about Baltimore and spirit didn’t even have the decency to give her a ride to a hotel for her to be safe that’s a problem and us is people need to stop spending our money with spirit and the airlines need to shut spirit terminal down

  3. Ratonya Hudson says:

    I have been in some of those same situations and then some. I would also like to be included in the lawsuit or help start one of it hasn’t been done, Spirit is taking advantage of people and it needs to stop

  4. Mike McMichael says:

    Hello,

    I am owed $1,500.00 from spirit airlines due to the COVID. I have contacted them multiple times and filed a complaint against them with the Better Business Bureau. This has been going on for months. I would love to get in on a class action suit. I was going to sue them in small claims court if I had to. If anyone has any information it would be greatly appreciated.

    Mike M (NJ)

  5. Lenora Seibert says:

    Under the Mottor Accidents Insurance Act there is a set
    treatment to follow to protect compensation.

  6. Tina Egner says:

    How do we join this? I’m out over $783

  7. Keri Lynch says:

    I was waiting in line to get my tickets to board my flight with spirit when they sold my tickets to a family in front of me them told me I was late, charged me $500 to change mine to two days later. I had to get home with my family to work. They still won’t return my phone calls and never refunded it due to it being on them. The staff on the plane said they have been doing it to everyone and keeping the money. I hate that a company can’t be trusted. Please add me to this one.

    1. Roxie R Sibley says:

      I have a similar situation and I called Spirit Airline and complained and they explained its not their fault and to rebook another flight which would have been $800.

  8. Michele L Runberg says:

    My husband and I purchased Spirit airline tickets in Jan. 2019 for a trip in April 2019. Spirit canceled that flight due to covid 19. Spirit gave us vouchers to use within 6 mos of issuance. Then, followed up with another email stating the 6 mos was extended for another 6 mos. We tried to book flights this month and Spirit claimed we have zero credit dollars. After several attempts to contact Spirit requesting a refund or the credit voucher, we have received nothing in response from Spirit. We have been given the run around with back and forth texts from Spirit with nothing to show for it. Now what? Spirit owes us our money one way or another. Right?

  9. Tanya Semler says:

    we are owed over 2000 dollars for a flight that never left by spirit airlines .we have a travel voucher we asked for a refund please help

  10. Tamara Good says:

    I have two tickets two New Orleans that I purchase in March of this year.

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