Help! A Broken Toilet Grounded My Plane, and the Airline Won’t Cover a Hotel.

Key Points:

• Neal and his wife experienced a significant delay and eventual cancellation of their Turkish Airlines flight from Denver to Istanbul due to an overflowing lavatory, though the airline cited "force majeure" as the reason for the disruption.
• Turkish Airlines informed passengers that no hotel vouchers were available, advising them to pay for accommodations themselves and submit receipts for reimbursement, but Neal received no response after submitting receipts twice.
• Airlines typically cover hotel costs for disruptions within their control, such as mechanical issues, but not for uncontrollable events like weather; Turkish Airlines’ policy for U.S. flights is less strict but generally offers lodging for controllable disruptions.
• The airline’s use of "force majeure" in this case appears questionable since the issue was a lavatory malfunction, not an extraordinary event beyond their control, suggesting a possible attempt to avoid compensation.
• Proving the exact cause of flight disruptions can be complex, as airlines have some flexibility in assigning responsibility, but the evidence in this case strongly indicates Turkish Airlines should cover passengers’ hotel expenses.