Guy Saperstein, a UC Berkeley Law graduate, filed a class action lawsuit against Thomas P. Gohagan & Company (“Gohagan”) for failing to provide a money refund to its reservation holders and against Travel Guard Americas LLC (“Travel Guard”) for denying benefits to its insurance policyholders in connection with the cancellation of a cruise for UC Berkeley alumni—European Coastal Civilizations: A Voyage from Lisbon to London (“Cruise”).
Many UC Berkeley alumni book travel through Cal Discoveries Travel, part of the Cal Alumni Association, which provides the UC Berkeley alumni community with educationally oriented travel through Gohagan, among other tour operators. In March 2020, in light of the pandemic, Gohagan canceled the Cruise and denied a money refund to Mr. Saperstein and others who paid Gohagan for the Cruise. Travel Guard also denied trip cancellation benefits to Mr. Saperstein and others who insured the Cruise with Travel Guard. Mr. Saperstein contends Gohagan’s failure to provide a refund breached its contract with reservation holders and Travel Guard’s denial of benefits breached its contract with insurance policyholders, among other claims.
Elizabeth Tran Castillo, a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP, one of the attorneys representing plaintiff and the classes, remarked:
“Travel cancellation by airlines, trains, cruise ships, and other travel companies is expected during the pandemic but so are money refunds and/or payment of trip cancellation benefits to consumers. Consumers should not have to bear the loss of the canceled travel.”
