Canceled flights, delays at the airports: some vacationers are concerned about their summer trip - and not everyone will have the vacation they long for go smoothly. Then what applies?
Problems with the airlines and at the airports - mainly due to the lack of staff - ensure a tense travel summer. While Lufthansa has already sent a letter of apology to the passengers, Tui Germany boss Stefan Baumert recently reassured: "Despite all the challenges due to staff shortages in the industry, the holidays will go smoothly for the vast majority."
But what if you don't belong to this majority? If the holiday flight was canceled or the suitcase didn't arrive? We have summarized important tips for specific scenarios:
Case 1: The flight was cancelled
In such a case, travelers have the choice: full refund of the ticket price or rebooking by the airline.
Especially those who travel individually and have booked a holiday home, for example, will probably insist on the latter - after all, otherwise there is a risk of being left with the costs for the services booked locally.
According to Stiftung Warentest, you are entitled to substitute transport. If the airline does not offer a replacement flight in a timely manner and refuses to book a replacement flight with the competition, you can book it yourself and claim the money after your vacation, writes the foundation. If the replacement flight was more expensive than the canceled flight, resistance from the airline can be expected.
Therefore the advice: First ask the airline to book a replacement flight in the near future before you take action yourself.
If the information about the cancellation came less than 14 days before departure, travelers may be entitled to compensation in addition to reimbursement or replacement transport - depending on the flight route, this is between 250 and 600 euros.
Claims can be verified with the free Flugärger app from the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center, which is available for iOS and Android, or the browser-based self-help tool for flight problems from the European Consumer Center in Germany.
In the case of package tours, the organizer is the contact person in the event of canceled flights. You should contact him and ask for a timely replacement transport, advises Stiftung Warentest. If the new flight is scheduled significantly later than the original one, there may be an option to cancel the trip.
But actually you want to go on vacation. Good to know in this case: If you arrive much later, the travel price may be reduced.
Case 2: The flight is heavily delayed
In this case, there may be a right to compensation payments under the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation, which should be checked. This also applies to package tours.
However: If you get reimbursed for the flight trouble from the airline and organizer, you have to offset it, according to Stiftung Warentest and explains using a specific example: If you received a refund of 80 euros from the organizer after a cancellation and still demand 250 euros from the airline, they would have to only pay out 170 euros.
The EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation applies to all flights departing within the European Union. For flights that land in the EU, it only applies if the airline is based in one of the EU member states.
Case 3: There are delays at the airport
It is advisable to be at the airport in good time during the peak times in the summer holidays and, with a view to possible claims in the event of problems, also imperative - airlines usually recommend 2.5 to 3 hours in advance.
But what if the check-in and security checks still take so long that the plane takes off without the passenger in the end?
Anyone who is stuck in the queue at the airport and is afraid of missing the plane should make themselves known and document the situation on site. For example: taking photos of the long queues, picking up receipts for purchases at the airport. "Perhaps also network with fellow travelers and possibly exchange contact details in order to have witnesses later," suggests Jan Philipp Stupnanek from the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center.
If there are problems when checking in - for example not enough counters - for the missed flight, the airline would be responsible. According to the passenger rights portal Fairplane, the passenger rights regulation then applies.
If you miss a flight due to delays at the security check, it is not so easy to assert claims for compensation - the Air Passenger Rights Ordinance, for example, does not mention this case. According to the consumer advice center, this falls within the area of responsibility of the federal police.
Possible claims could then only be asserted against the state. A ruling by the Higher Regional Court (OLG) in Frankfurt am Main (Az.: 1 U 220/20) shows that this can sometimes be successful. The prerequisite is that you have documented the problems on site and can prove that you arrived at the security checkpoint on time. In one case, which the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt also had to decide, about 55 minutes before departure were not "on time" (Az.: 1 U 139/15).
If package holidaymakers get stuck at the airport despite arriving on time and therefore miss or threaten to miss the plane, they should contact their tour operator.
Case 4: Airlines object to reimbursement
Airlines are far from always paying out justified compensation payments without hesitation or making it easy for travelers to exercise their right to choose (reimbursement or rerouting) in the event of a cancellation.
"Theory and practice sometimes differ greatly when it comes to demanding rights," observes consumer advocate Stupnanek.
The advice: The correspondence and telephone calls that you exchange with the airline should be kept or documented. This can help when travelers seek outside help.
Be it a lawyer, the arbitration board for public transport (SÖP), consumer advocates or portals that work on a commission basis or with service fees, such as Fairplane, EUclaim, Flightright or Airhelp.
Case 5: The suitcase is gone
The plane leaves, but the suitcase stays. If you land at your holiday destination without luggage, you should start working at the airport and fill out a so-called PIR, a Property Irregularity Report, at the airline counter.
In addition, the delayed luggage must be reported to the airline in writing within 21 days. If the PIR document is missing or if the deadline is missed, the airline may not have to reimburse anything, warns the European Consumer Center Germany.
Important for package travelers: The same deadline applies to them, but they must report the loss to the organizer. And they also need the PIR document.
Being without a suitcase at the holiday destination usually also means: no change of clothes. According to the consumer advocates, travelers are allowed to buy replacements, if only if they have to do without their luggage for a few hours. However, the purchases must be limited to what is really necessary. Toothbrushes, underwear, swimming trunks, shirts and pajamas are not a problem.
Of course, travelers must keep the receipts for the replacement purchases. You should also have the luggage label from check-in ready as proof in such cases.
According to consumer advocates, the upper limit of liability for luggage problems is currently just under 1700 euros per passenger. In addition to necessary replacement purchases, airlines have to pay for things that have been lost or damaged. However, valuables such as jewellery, money or laptops are exempt from liability. They belong in hand luggage.
