Sholopa et al. v. Turk Hava Yollari A.O. (d/b/a Turkish Airlines) et al.
Turkish Airlines Settlement
Case No. 1:20-cv-03294-ALC

Welcome to the Turkish Airlines Settlement Website

Important UpdateAll payments to Class Members with valid claims have been issued. If you have questions about the payment you received or if you need a check to be reissued, please write to the Settlement Administrator at Turkish Airlines Settlement, c/o JND Legal Administration, PO Box 91455, Seattle, WA 98111.

What is this lawsuit about?

A Settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit. In the lawsuit, Plaintiffs Svetlana Sholopa and Milica Milosevic (“Plaintiffs”) allege that Turk Hava Yollari A.O. (d/b/a Turkish Airlines) and Turkish Airlines, Inc. (“Turkish Airlines”) breached its General Conditions of Carriage (“GCC”) by failing to refund them for flights cancelled due to COVID-19 at all or within a reasonable amount of time.  By entering the Settlement, Turkish Airlines does not concede the truth of any of the claims against it; Turkish Airlines maintains that it did not breach the GCC, that it did provide refunds within a reasonable amount of time particularly given COVID-19’s impact on Turkish Airlines’ operations and the airline industry generally, and it denies that it did anything wrong. The Court has not decided who is right. Instead, the parties agreed to a compromise.

Who is included in the Class?

A Settlement Class Member is any United States resident who purchased tickets for travel on a Turkish Airlines flight scheduled to operate to, from, or within the United States between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 (a) whose flights were cancelled by Turkish Airlines, (b) the customer did not cancel the flight or fail to show for the first leg of the flight prior to the cancellation of a later leg, (c) the customer did not request and receive a voucher or rebooking from Turkish Airlines, and (d) the customer did not request and receive a charge back from their credit card provider for the full amount of the flight cancelled by Turkish Airlines (the “Settlement Class”). Settlement Class Members consist of two categories of individuals: (1) Settlement Class Members who have received refunds from Turkish Airlines for Qualifying Flights; and (2) Settlement Class Members who have not, to date, received a refund for Qualifying Flights.

What does the lawsuit provide?

Under the Settlement, Settlement Class Members who have already received a refund from Turkish Airlines and who submitted a valid Claim Form had the option to elect either (1) the Cash Option: $10.00 USD per person, or (2) the Voucher Option: a Voucher for future travel on Turkish Airlines in the amount of $45.00 USD.  The Cash and Voucher Options are subject to a cap of $1,000,000.00 USD. Receipt of total valid claims made by Refunded Claimants greater than $1,000,000.00 USD will reduce the cash and voucher payout for each eligible Refunded Claimant that submitted a valid claim on a pro rata basis until the full $1,000,000.00 USD has been paid.

For Settlement Class Members who did not receive a refund and submitted a valid Claim Form requesting a refund on the Claim Form, Turkish Airlines will (i) provide them with a full refund, and (ii) provide an additional Interest Payment of one percent (1%) of the unused ticket price, or in the case of partially used tickets, one percent (1%) of the price of the unused flight segment (i.e., a 101% refund). Refunds and Interest Payments available for Class Members that have not yet received a refund are not capped in any manner.

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS

OPTION DESCRIPTION

DO NOTHING

If you are a Settlement Class Member and do not take any action, you will not receive anything under the Settlement. However, if the Settlement is finally approved, you will be bound by the Court’s Final Judgment and the release of claims explained in the Settlement Agreement.

SUBMIT A CLAIM FORM

Submitted Online or Postmarked by August 18, 2023
[PASSED]

You must submit a Valid Claim to select either the $10.00 USD cash payment or $45.00 USD voucher if you have already received a refund for your cancelled flight from Turkish Airlines, or to receive your refund plus one percent (1%) of the unused ticket price, or in the case of partially used tickets, one percent (1%) of the price of the unused flight segment (i.e., a 101% refund) if you have not received a refund from Turkish Airlines to date. To find out how to submit a Claim Form, please read Question 10.

EXCLUDE YOURSELF (OPT OUT)

Postmarked by September 15, 2023
[EXTENDED]

Get no benefits from the Settlement. Requesting exclusion from the Settlement (also called “opting out”) would allow you to file or continue your own lawsuit against Turkish Airlines about the legal claims involved in the Settlement, individually. To find out how to opt out, please read Question 12.

OBJECT OR COMMENT

Received by July 17, 2023
[PASSED]

Write to the Court about why you do or do not like the Settlement. To find out how to object or comment, please read Question 14.

GO TO FINAL APPROVAL HEARING

Received by July 17, 2023
[PASSED]

Whichever of the above options you choose, you may also ask to speak in Court about the Settlement. To find out how to do so, please read Question 19.

FINAL APPROVAL HEARING

Held on August 24, 2023

The Court held a Final Approval Hearing and approved the Settlement and granted Class Counsel’s motion for attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses. copy of the Order may be downloaded and viewed from the Important Documents page.

For More Information

Visit this website often to get the most up-to-date information.

Mail
Turkish Airlines Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
PO Box 91455
Seattle, WA 98111