After long economic turbulences, the German airline Air Berlin had to file for insolvency. What are the consequences for consumers?
Wait and see
Right now, consumers have to wait and see what the district court of Berlin-Charlottenburg decides about the motion. Until then, Air Berlin will continue to operate. They got a loan of 150 million Euro from the German government to secure "business as usual".
If Air Berlin does go bankrupt and has to cease their operation, consumers could only file for compensation of the ticket price within the insolvency proceedings. In this scenario, they would only get a payment according to a ratio, which is often very small.
Therefore, it is advisable to book flights at another airline. It is not possible to withdraw from booked flights free of charge. The common terms for cancellation are still valid. If you have a cheap ticket, the costs for cancellation or rebooking are usually rather high. If you cancel, you are entitled to a refund of those taxes and fees that don't arise for the airline (e.g. fuel). Those are only a small part of the ticket price.
In case of a package travel that includes flights of Air Berlin, the tour operator is responsible to secure a smooth service. If the flights get cancelled, he has to organise an alternative for your transportation.
Air Berlin gives current information on its website. According to them and other media reports, the Austrian subsidiary NIKI is not affected by the insolvency.
We will keep you updated on our website as well.
