In Fine Print, Airlines Make It Harder to Fight for Passenger Rights

Airlines have the right to lawyer themselves out of business I guess. I love to fly, I love aviation in general, I love to travel... but these days, unless there's an ocean, or several time zones between me and my destination, I'll chose to drive myself.
The fun, and more importantly, the dignity has been sucked out of the travel experience.

Sad. Damn corrupt air carriers.

WestJet refused to refund me for an Easter trip to UK (YYZ-LGW-YYZ), offering a travel voucher only. I called Visa and disputed the charge for 'frustration of contract', got the money back from Visa within a week.

I'm pretty sure they have no power in whether or not people are allowed to file class action lawsuits.

Absent action in the courts I doubt the airlines will honor even the extremely narrow conditions under which they are required to provide refunds. I had round-trip tickets to Hawaii via Delta for late April/May 2020, purchased late February (just before COVID measures commenced). When it became obvious my flights would not take place (Delta had suspended service), I began unwinding my travel bookings. Because my flights were booked through Costco, Delta wouldn't take my call directly. Costco's telephone lines were overwhelmed; on-line they used a form that only allowed a choice between accepting a partial refund or a voucher because *I* was cancelling my vacation (ha!). After finally getting through on Costco's telephone line, I was told on two separate occasions that I didn't understand the rules and that a refund wasn't "required" because Delta was offering a voucher. The voucher they offered had to be used by the end of December 2020 (highly unlikely). I responded by citing Delta's own contract of carriage Rule 22 (refund required for flight cancelled by airline), I was told (again) that I didn't understand the rules and that I was wrong. On my third call I asked to speak with a supervisor after getting the same initial responses as before, which yielded the explanation that Delta hadn't yet "canceled" the flight (just suspended service!), where upon I politely told the supervisor that I would call back again the day before the flight when it would obviously be canceled, thanked him for taking my call, and hung up the phone. About 2 minutes later my phone rang, with the supervisor on the line. He apologized for the inconvenience and agreed to refund the full cost of the flights. Whether the refund came from Costco or Delta I'll never know. The entire system was rigged to avoid the refund required by DOT rules and Delta's own "contract of carriage".

so many of the tickets sold in recent years at the economy fare rates are non refundable...it states that on the ticket and when you buy it you are told that fact..many first class tickets are booked wit frequent flyer miles or some other points program,and no actual cash is exchanged..the airlines have the right to change their rules of carriage,just as any business can change their refund policies or procedures,as so many do where you are given a credit rather than an actual refund of money or to a credit card..if you choose to be part of a class action lawsuit,you generally wind up with very little monetarily,as its generally pennies on the dollar,and not a full refund of what you feel you are due..its spread out over those including themselves and also the attorneys involved..the airlines are trying to survive,as are most businesses now, and rest assured people have become accustomed to flying....