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Easyjet ticket machine (archive picture): The low-cost airline was also sued by the consumer centers for outstanding payments
Photo: Jan Woitas / picture alliance / dpa
The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations is outraged by the lack of repayments from airlines to their customers and calls for an end to the prepayments customary in the industry.
"It cannot be that airline customers have been waiting for months for several hundred euros and it is completely unclear when they will ever see the money again," said association chief Klaus Müller of the "Rheinische Post".
"This approach by companies is embarrassing and scandalous, especially when they have been supported with billions in aid from taxpayers."
Since January there have been more than 80,000 complaints about airlines and travel companies, said Müller.
That corresponds to about twenty times what occurs in normal years.
"This is largely due to the annoyance about reimbursements of prepayment payments that were not made or were too late after the outbreak of the corona pandemic."
A number of travel agencies, tour operators and airlines have been asked to refrain, according to Müller.
"Among the companies that we ultimately had to sue are well-known providers, including TUI or Easyjet and the Condor airline."
According to Müller, the usual procedure of companies to have themselves paid when booking and thus partly well in advance should be abolished.
"It finally needs new legislation to put an end to the prepayment practice in the travel sector," said the consumer advocate.
"We demand that in future a flight ticket only has to be paid for a few days before departure."
Icon: The mirror
dab / dpa
