Verbraucherschutz: Flugausfall: Airline muss erstatten - nicht der Vermittler
Wer nach einer Annullierung sein Geld zurückwill, kann sich direkt an die Airline wenden – auch wenn das Ticket über ein Portal gebucht wurde. Betroffene sollten sich hier nicht abbügeln lassen.
When flight cancellations occur in the EU, passengers have the choice to either insist on a replacement flight or receive a refund for their ticket. If they choose the refund option, the airline must return the ticket price within seven days, according to the Center for European Consumer Protection (ZEV). This applies even if the ticket was booked through an online booking portal rather than directly from the airline, consumer advocates estimate.
The ZEV has sent reminders to several airlines that refused to assist passengers and instead referred them to the intermediary for compensation. Referring customers to intermediaries is deemed "unacceptable." Passengers are informed that they have no right to request a refund from the intermediary and should contact the respective ticket seller instead.
Consumer advocates consider this statement "misleading and unacceptable," clarifying that EU flight rights allow passengers to directly claim the full ticket price from the executing airline upon cancellation. This applies even if the ticket was booked via an intermediary. Additional compensation of 250 to 600 euros per person may be due if the cancellation happens shortly before departure due to no fault of the airline (e.g., volcanic eruption).
EU flight rights apply to all flights within the EU and those departing from Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland. They only apply to flights from non-EU countries if the airline has its headquarters in the EU. Otherwise, other national or international regulations may apply. To claim your rights, contact the airline first. Consumer advocates have collected specific links to each airline's complaint department online.
If you encounter difficulties and direct your concerns to the airline, flight rights portals can assist further. These portals operate based on fees or commissions and are not free of charge. In Germany, an alternative option is the Reise und Verkehr Schlichtungsstelle (travel and transport arbitration office).
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
