International Travel Network Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Wrongfully Denied Refunds
A New York couple booked a trip with the popular travel agency International Travel Network (ITN) and paid a premium for trip cancellation coverage. When an emergency arose and the husband needed immediate surgery, ITN refused to refund the cost of the wife’s ticket, even though the terms of the travel protection product expressly cover refunds for travel companions.
Dwoskin Wasdin and Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith lead a class action lawsuit against ITN for failing to uphold the terms of its Travel Care Service Agreement and for systemically denying covered refunds to consumers while misleading them about its travel insurance policies.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court of Delaware, alleges that ITN, a travel agency that sells airline tickets and travel packages, charges a premium fee costing nearly double the industry average to add trip protection coverage but fails to provide refunds for companion cancellations that are covered under the policy.
According to the complaint, ITN’s failure to pay companion refunds under the terms of the Travel Care Service Agreement is widespread and systemic. Other consumers affected by this conduct have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, citing that they only received a fraction of the refunds they were owed under ITN’s trip protection plan.
The suit asserts a breach of contract claim for ITN’s failure to pay companion refunds, and consumer protection claims for ITN’s deceptive and unlawful marketing practices related to its travel insurance policies.
“Consumers rely on travel protection plans to provide peace of mind when planning their trips, expecting transparency and fairness from agencies like International Travel Network,” said Nick Wasdin. “It’s alarming to see a travel agency as large as this one deny refunds that are clearly outlined in the travel protection agreement. Not only does this betray the level of trust customers place on travel insurance providers, but it raises concerns about ITN’s broader business practices.”