The bookings of thousands of Lufthansa, Eurowings, Swiss and Easyjet customers were canceled weeks before departure. The Hesse Consumer Center provides information about the rights those affected have against airlines that have breached their contract.
This summer, flying will be an adventure.
There is an acute shortage of flight and ground staff, meaning that the current sharp increase in demand cannot be met. The result: Lufthansa and its subsidiaries Eurowings and Swiss alone have canceled hundreds of domestic German and European flights for July. Affected passengers should be informed immediately about changes and cancellations to their flights and, if possible, rebooked on other flights free of charge. A domestic German ticket can often be exchanged for a train voucher. But what if that doesn't work or the traveler refuses alternative transport?
“If the airline cancels the flight, it must offer alternative transport at the earliest possible date. If the customer no longer wants to take the flight, the entire flight price, including taxes and fees, will be refunded,” says Peter Lassek, head of the legal department at the Hesse Consumer Center. If the airline does not offer an alternative flight or only offers a much later alternative flight and better connections are available, the consumer advice center advises setting a deadline for the airline to make a corresponding offer. How long such a deadline must be depends on how much time remains until the original departure date.
If the cancellation results in additional costs, for example for hotel rooms that cannot be canceled free of charge or missed connecting flights, the airline must also reimburse these costs. “However, this only applies if the airline that breached the contract was responsible for the cancellation itself. If the flight is canceled due to a lack of staff, you should be able to assume that the airline also bears responsibility,” explains Lassek. However, experience shows that airlines often see things differently and customers ultimately have to enforce their rights in court.
Compensation only for short-term cancellations
Anyone who was hoping for a generous compensation payment in addition to the ticket refund or rebooking due to the inconvenience is likely to be disappointed. The EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation only provides for compensation payments if the airline cancels the flight less than 14 days before departure. In this case of cancellation, the passenger must be offered the above options (refund or alternative transport). In addition, passengers are entitled to compensation depending on the flight distance. This amounts to 250 euros for short-haul flights up to 1,500 kilometers, 400 euros for medium-haul flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers and 600 euros for long-haul flights over 3,500 kilometers.
Package holidays can also change
With a package tour it is a little more comfortable: Here the tour operator also owes the transport to the fixed date booked. He takes care of the entire organization, including replacement flights and rebooks hotels if necessary. If the “new trip” then differs significantly from the one booked, customers may be able to assert claims due to a travel defect, for example a pro-rata refund, termination of the entire travel contract and/or compensation.
Additional Information
- “Fluganger app” from the consumer advice centers offers uncomplicated help - a self-help tool for calculating claims conveniently and free of charge and submitting them directly to the airline.
- In practice, disputes with the airline often arise. If there is no agreement, you still have the option of contacting the arbitration board for public transport.
Source: Hesse Consumer Center
Austria
Note: There is also an arbitration board for Austria that provides assistance free of charge and without commission. This is the Agency for Passengers and Passenger Rights, apf . Can be reached at www.passagier.at
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