Aeroflot Class Action Says Airline Provides No Help For Stranded Passengers

A group of passengers say Aeroflot Russian Airlines, as well as Finnair, refused to rebook them and others for delayed flights and missed connections.

Lead plaintiffs in the Aeroflot class action include three airline passengers who attempted to fly round trip from Moscow to Chicago for a vacation.

They say that airport restrictions caused them to miss their flights but instead of being able to rebook their flight, they were forced to pay more than $2,000 to purchase new tickets from Aeroflot and Finnair.

According to the Aeroflot class action lawsuit, the plaintiffs were scheduled to fly out of Moscow at 10:45 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2018. From there, they would connect to a plane in Helsinki that would take them to Chicago.

The plaintiffs say that despite showing up to the airport at 8:20 a.m., they were not allowed to check their bags until 9:30 a.m. From there they still had to clear security and make it to their gate.

The Aeroflot class action plaintiffs claim they were hampered by only two lines being offered by Aeroflot to check their bags.

Additionally, while the plaintiffs proceeded to Terminal D to check their bags, their plane was changed to Terminal F – quite a distance from the original terminal they where they were instructed to check in.

According to the Aeroflot class action lawsuit, “it usually takes approximately 15-20 min from security check point to Terminal F… this is a road with many transitions, turns and stairs, which takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete for a healthy person from the point of security inspection.”

Unfortunately, one of the plaintiffs was born with hip defect that causes mobility problems. Her trip, allege the plaintiffs, took much longer. Even so, the plaintiffs said they made it to the correct gate 18 to 19 minutes before the plane was scheduled to take off, but Aeroflot personnel refused to let them on the plane.

The Aeroflot class action lawsuit states that “at that time the representative of Aeroflot refused to help the Plaintiffs with finding a replacement for the missed flights…instead the Plaintiffs were forced and specifically compelled to buy new tickets for 3 people worth about 170 thousand rubles ($2640 USD).”

In addition to the extra cost, the plaintiffs allege that they were delayed for more than 24 hours and had to miss several days of work because of Aeroflot’s indifference.

“As a direct and proximate cause of delayed departure of international air flights operated by the above-named defendants, the above-named Plaintiffs were subjected to additional lodging and Per Diem expenses, spoliation of their memorable international vacation, physical inconvenience, financial injury, physical discomfort, financial injury of loss of time with nexus to loss of use of their monies and benefit of bargain, and was subjected to various compensable economic actual, general, special, incidental and consequential damages,” alleges the Aeroflot class action lawsuit.

The plaintiffs accuse Aeroflot and Finnair of violating international laws, breach of contract, and racketeering.

The Aeroflot class action lawsuit seeks to represent other Aeroflot customers who were subject to indifference and experienced delays and additional expenses.

The plaintiffs are represented by Vladimir M. Gorokhovsky of Gorokhovsky Law Office LLC.

The Aeroflot Airline Flight Class Action Lawsuit is Bandurin, et al. v. Aeroflot Russian Airlines, et al., Case No. 1:19-cv-00255, in the U.S. Federal Court of the Northern District of Illinois.