I bought a flight ticket, but now I have a health issue which specifically forbids me to take flights. Can I get a full refund?
I bought a plane ticket from Turkish Airlines, 2 months before the flight. Then I went to the doctor, and the doctor said I have a health problem, which specifically forbids me to take flights for one month.
I have a valid doctor's note too. I can document this in any valid type. Does it makes me eligible for a full refund?
Best Answer
As the accepted answer says, your airline doesn't have a policy to provide refunds in that case, but you may be able to get one with a personal approach.
In the event you don't succeed, you can still get a refund on airport fees and taxes. In low cost tickets (which nonrefundable ones generally are), these can amount to half the cost.
Don't settle for this, though, only as a last resort. A medical condition is a very strong reason for a full refund.
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Can you get a flight refund for medical reasons?
In some cases, airlines will grant waivers and refund your ticket due to severe medical reasons but only on a case by case basis. Airlines will require some sort of documentation from your doctor. You will need to contact the airline directly to inquire if you can get a refund.Do airlines have to refund due to Covid?
Airlines and ticket agents have a legal obligation to provide refunds to consumers if the airline cancels or significantly changes a consumer's flight. However, in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines had difficulty processing the significant volume of refund requests that they received.How do I cancel my flight for medical reasons?
Airlines reserve the right to waive off any applicable penalties at their discretion. If you would like to cancel your flight due to medical reasons, please contact the airline directly with a copy of your medical certificate requesting them to waive any applicable cancellation fees.Airline Refunds - Flight Cancelled? Know Your Rights!
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Answer 2
Speaking from experience, although only one particular case. My father-in-law was planning to visit us in UK from Georgia, flying with Turkish Airline. About a week before the planned trip, he was admitted to hospital in relation to a previously undiagnosed heart problem - and he was actually still in hospital on the day of the planned travel.
The ticket was a non-refundable, non-exchangeable, etc, etc. (i.e. the cheapest possible). With a note from the hospital, the airline agreed to refund the actual price of the ticket, but not the taxes and airport fees, as they don't control those. In our case, it was about half the ticket price. The remainder of the costs (i.e. taxes, fees, etc.) were covered by his travel insurance (minus USD $25 deductible).
All in all, we lost about $25 out of about $400 cost of the ticket - better than losing everything.
Answer 3
In this situation it will be especially important to have a note written from the doctor. Typically there is a processing or cancellation fee so don’t expect a full refund. You might be better able to pursuade them to give you a credit that you would have to use within the year. When you call the airline, the first person you will speak to usually doesn’t have the authority to do anything beyond the standard policy. If you are hoping to make the cancellation and get a refund or a credit, you will likely have to escalate to a manager. I encourage you to be kind as you will likely get a better result.
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