Turkish Airlines Denies $512 Hotel Claim After Toilet Failure Canceled Denver-Istanbul Flight
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 12
Turkish Airlines Denies $512 Hotel Claim After Toilet Failure Canceled Denver-Istanbul Flight
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 12
Summary
$512 in hotel costs fell on a Denver couple after Turkish Airlines canceled its May 30 Istanbul flight around 1 a.m. and later refused reimbursement.
The airline classified the disruption as “force majeure,” even though passengers were told of a mechanical problem and local reporting said an overflowing lavatory caused the cancellation.
That label matters because airlines generally deny lodging for weather or other uncontrollable events, while mechanical problems are often treated as carrier-controlled disruptions.
U.S. rules do not require airlines to cover stranded passengers’ hotels, but major U.S. carriers usually promise lodging for controllable cancellations, and Turkish’s U.S. policy is looser but typically offers it.