Flight booked, paid for – and then it is cancelled. Annoying for consumers when they then have to wait for their money. Consumer advocates are opposed to this.
The head of the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations, Ramona Pop, has called for the prepayment principle to be abolished in view of the flight chaos in Germany. “The problems are homemade, especially by the airlines. It can’t be that consumers are now taking the rap and paying in advance for flights that ultimately don’t take place,” Pop told the editorial network Germany. “That’s why the principle of advance payment must be abolished.”
Consumers are currently giving airlines interest-free loans “so that they are financially liquid again,” Pop criticized. “And right now at a time when consumers urgently need their money themselves.” This summer has “shown once again that the aviation industry does not deserve a leap of faith”.
Airlines defend advantages of the system
Regardless of the current situation, the federal association has long been demanding that the price for flights and package tours should be due at the earliest at the time of departure.
In an interview three weeks ago, Federal Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) questioned the principle of advance payment, which is common in the industry, provided that the airlines do not promptly refund the money paid in advance for canceled flights. She is still counting on companies to meet their obligations.
The Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry pointed out the advantages of the advance payment system on Saturday. By paying in advance, the airlines could plan for the long term, achieve high utilization of the aircraft and, in return, offer consumers inexpensive tickets through early booking discounts. The ticket payments are secured by the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation.
Position paper vzbv
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
