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260,000 cancelled Germania flight bookings won't be refunded

The Local Germany
The Local Germany - [email protected]
260,000 cancelled Germania flight bookings won't be refunded
A sign in the Munich Airport taken on Tuesday, right after Germania declared bankrupcy. Photo: DPA

Germania airlines today announced that over a quarter of a million flight bookings with the airline will not be reimbursed or refunded. The flights were cancelled after Germania declared insolvency earlier in the week.

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The immediate cancellation of Germania's remaining flights has come as unwelcome news for tens of thousands of holiday makers across Southern Europe.

A company spokesperson told Focus that an estimated 20,000 travellers were already at their destinations at the time the insolvency process began, forcing them in many cases to pursue alternate routes home at their own expense. 

The cancelled flights include bookings made all the way up until May 2020.

SEE ALSO: Flights cancelled as Germania airlines files for bankruptcy 

As reported by The Local on Tuesday, the Berlin-based airline struggled for some time to stay afloat but was forced to declare insolvency. Germania cancelled all flights and informed those who booked with them directly that they would not be entitled to refunds - or to alternate flights with another company. 

Instead, they would need to purchase new flights at their own expense or see if the cancellation was covered by travel insurance.

Germania's slogan reads: Not there again? Book now with Germania. Image: DPA

In a publicly-released statement, Germania said their attempts to secure short-term funding to cover costs were unsuccessful, leaving insolvency as the only choice. They encouraged customers who had booked with travel agents to contact their retailers to see if refunds were possible.

Germania - which principally focused on holiday destinations in the Mediterranean - was a popular choice for package holiday travellers. Travellers who have purchased package holiday deals will sometimes be entitled to refunds for the cancellation, unlike those who booked directly. 

SEE ALSO: What rights do airline passengers in Germany have to flight compensation?

The move comes just over a year after another airline based in the German capital - Air Berlin - also filed for bankruptcy, doing so after accruing years of losses. Air Berlin was at one point Germany’s second largest airline, but had struggled after being sandwiched in between low-cost carriers and larger, more expensive providers. 

Unlike Air Berlin, which received a bridge loan from the German government so that it could continue to operate without leaving its passengers stranded, there are no such indications Germania will be bailed out.  

SEE ALSO: Five things you need to know about the Air Berlin insolvency

 

 

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