ANVR: Airlines do not refund money; passenger dupe
Dozens of airlines are still not giving travelers the option to receive money for a canceled flight due to Covid-19. As a result, these passengers run the risk of being left empty-handed or with an uncovered voucher if the airline goes bankrupt. The ANVR considers this an unfair situation.
Despite clear statements from both the EU and the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, many airlines do not offer consumers the opportunity to receive or give money to customers if their flight is canceled due to Covid-19. legal term to pay back. Many give the customer an uncovered voucher without being asked. In contrast to the 'Travel voucher with SGR guarantee' that ANVR travel organizations issue to their customers, the airline passenger runs the risk of being left with a worthless voucher if 'his' airline goes bankrupt; these vouchers are not covered by anything and anyone. And not only the traveler is paralyzed in the event of the airline's bankruptcy, the travel organizer - who has carefully put together a package trip including a flight for the customer - is also at risk. He will also not receive a refund from the airline if the flight is canceled and if the airline goes bankrupt, the financial risk towards the consumer lies with this travel company.
“This is an extremely incorrect and unfair situation,” said Frank Oostdam, ANVR chairman. “That is why we have presented a plan to the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management together with ANWB, Consumers' Association and guarantee fund SGR. A Dutch ticket guarantee insurance can be realized with a small levy on the flight ticket price (think of approximately € 0,25); similar to what already appears to be a tried and tested model in Denmark. The Minister wants to realize this at European level, a noble aim. But that is a long and uncertain process, while it can now be introduced simply and quickly in the Netherlands.”
By law, airlines must give the customer the choice: a voucher or money back within the statutory period of one week. Several companies have indicated that they will offer this choice, but practice shows that payment takes weeks or even months. A group of airlines, often smaller, are unclear about the method of repayment or offer the customer a voucher as the only option. With this, the airline saddles both customer and travel company with a problem. If the travel company does not receive any money, how can it reimburse the customer whose flight is part of a package holiday?
Travel industry organization ANVR therefore calls on the Minister and the ILT to address the relevant airlines on this. The ANVR has compiled and handed over a list for this purpose.
What the ANVR has apparently not yet found out is the situation in which the ticket trader collects the refund from the airline and then gives the customer an – uncovered – voucher. And one more: the ticket trader who does pass on the refund but deducts 100 euros from it in 'costs'.
Both – undesirable – situations have come to light here on Thailandblog.
Whether you bought a ticket directly or through an intermediary makes no difference at all. According to a court ruling, the airline in question must reimburse the customer directly. By the way, our KLM is also very lax about this and keeps trying to shift the handling due to the busy work surrounding Covid19. Striking are the advertisements that KLM places with the headline “When you are ready” and the closing line “KLM trusted when traveling.” I think the customer is thinking: Is KLM ready to finally refund double-paid costs due to a canceled flight on April 5 after cancellation of the previously planned flight?
Joseph, could you perhaps provide me with a link to that statement?
Statement on Tv thought in the program 'De Vakantiema' of broadcaster MAX
Unfortunately I cannot find such a statement. Very curious about the reasoning.
There is no ruling, it is a communication from the EU Commission, which has determined the rules regarding canceled flights. The EU regulation stipulates that the traveler is entitled to a refund. The member states thought they could deviate from this with the voucher, but were rejected.
We also had to deal with this, tickets purchased from Expedia, suitcases purchased from KLM, which Expedia does not book.
Our flight canceled by KLM reported to Expedia took me half a day to get through.
Expedia has forwarded this to KLM. Received an email about this. KLM will refund everything.
Now Expedia deducts booking costs according to European law, this is not allowed and Expedia must refund it. No response to email or confirmation that they have received my request.
We will not pay telephone information is now on the website. Bad thing Expedia is now catching up on booking fees because I'm not the only one.
Christina, have you received the money yet? I am still waiting despite two extensive letters with all the ins and outs regarding the bookings. Only the answer that they are so busy due to Covid19. Nice excuse and not exactly customer friendly. Scratch behind my ears a few more times before booking through our National pride(?).
I am not aware of the possibilities in the Netherlands, but I think that those possibilities also exist.
In Belgium we have Economic Inspectorate as part of Ministry.
Complaints about non-compliance with statutory regulations are really taken to heart there and handled in the interest of the consumer and in most cases are quickly resolved.
For many companies, citing the intention to report the dispute to that service is already an incentive to follow the Law and not to play with the ……. of the good man/woman.
Pointing out to Expedia that you want to go down that road if they don't comply with the Law can therefore be a remedy.
Flight tickets
We are also the victims of this bad service. Our return flight from Denpasar to Amsterdam has been canceled by the Emirates and you can find out.
Also d trips (where the tickets are booked) just drop you completely.
Even now almost 3 months later nothing at all, send you from d travel to emirates and back.
What a bad thing, We think that d travel should indemnify us, they sold us the tickets and do not deliver!!!!!
Yes here the same flight canceled there and back trip we were supposed to leave March 28 and indeed still haven't received anything I'm calling to d travel every week but I keep getting the same song as long as the airline doesn't pay anything we can't pay anything nice if you look now when booking a flight there is extra insurance when I booked last year that was not yet so if they go bankrupt money is gone
If the me's pay out those cancellations, they're going out of business anyway. I think it is better to ask for a voucher for a delayed flight.
Would you like to hear a different sound? Ticket booked with Qatar Airways for May 1 to Brussels and June 1 back to Bangkok. Was informed well in advance that the flights could not go ahead and what I wanted. Was initially given a Voucher but changed my mind and asked for my money back. Within a week my money was in the bank.
Have now bought a return ticket from Qatar Airways for the same amount for October – November.
Had also booked tickets with Bangkok Airways and got the money refunded to my bank account without being asked.
I always book my airline tickets directly with the airline.
I was due to fly with Qatar on April 8th. Booked through Cheaptickets.
Flight has also been canceled and received notice that Qatar is in the process of refunding all paid tickets. Received an email 2x during that period that they were still working on it. But everyone is very busy with it. So it may take a while. Please be patient.
And last Friday I received a message that Qatar has refunded the money and that Cheaptickets would transfer the money back to my account. That could take another 10 days.
Never been offered a voucher.
Does anyone have experience with aireurope. Ticket purchased through intermediary Mytrip.
Quite a few negative comments regarding Mytrip here:
https://nl.trustpilot.com/review/mytrip.com
Received a voucher from Gate1 here, nothing was requested from our side. Ticket was canceled by Gate1, not by us. 2 days later a voucher suddenly arrived. Gate1 does not offer a refund. There's no point in calling, no contact. Well, of course we would like to get our money back because Gate1 does not have an SGR, so in the event of bankruptcy we would simply lose the money, nice. The question is of course how do you get the voucher converted into cash?
is the voucher not transferable? if so maybe offer it on a sales site.
…….but who buys a non-guaranteed, i.e. uncovered, voucher?
Flight from Brisbane April 6 canceled by the Emirates filled out forms we would get our money back until now heard and received nothing.
I received a full refund of 4 tickets from KLM. 2 x BKK-AMS and 2 x AMS-BKK-AMS.
Took 1 1/2 months. Excellent service