Airport chaos: Scholz Minister brings the end of prepayment for air travel into play
Created: 07/11/2022Updated: 07/11/2022 05:15
By: Marcus Giebel
Airports are now haywire.
Does this have financial consequences for the airlines?
The federal government is obviously thinking about this.
Munich – Air travel in Germany is currently particularly exciting.
A lot of things that have been taken for granted for years now have to be questioned.
Does the plane really take off?
Do the suitcases come with you or do they even end up at a different location?
The airport operators seem hopelessly overwhelmed with the situation that after two years of the corona pandemic, more people want to take off again.
Of course, the current corona wave is not entirely innocent, because this summer many employees will be absent due to infections.
Also at airports.
Airport chaos in Germany: Environment Minister Lemke is still waiting for her suitcase
The complications do not stop at the federal government.
Environment and Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke reveals in the
picture
: "I've been waiting for my suitcase for over a week, which got lost somewhere between Lisbon and Berlin." understand desperate citizen.
"It can't be that they get stranded at the airport and pay for it themselves," Lemke complains, at least explaining the consequences.
The 54-year-old questions the usual advance payments, which are intended as a guarantee for the airlines: "We would then have to think about whether it really makes sense for flights to be paid for in advance."
Suffers from the airport chaos: Environment and Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke looks at the actions of the airlines.
© Sebastian Willnow/dpa
End of advance payment for air travel?
Lemke thinks about changing the principle
At present, the situation is too often such that holidaymakers pay in advance for a service that they do not subsequently receive and, on top of that, are left with these costs.
Lemke speaks of a “customer’s leap of faith”.
And Lufthansa and Co. are possibly putting this at risk, because: “If the airlines no longer live up to the trust, this principle has to be changed.” Lemke does not explain exactly what that means, she only adds: “In the current one In this situation, however, I am counting on the airlines meeting their obligations.
We will check that closely.”
Germany and the possible gas shortage: Bad experiences with cheap electricity providers last winter
But it's not just about air travel that people's nerves are being strained in these weeks and months.
No one in the country is unaware of the looming crisis in the energy supply.
There is a risk of a bottleneck, especially with gas, regardless of whether Vladimir Putin will soon completely cut delivery via Nord Stream 1.
Preparations for a winter with fewer heating options than usual are already being made.
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Lemke mentions the "special protection" that consumers enjoy.
At the same time, she names precautions in this context that should give citizens at least some planning security: "Among other things, we have stipulated that energy companies must inform their customers three months in advance if they want to stop energy supplies." This is also an experience from the last winter, "when cheap electricity providers simply stopped delivering in rows".
Banger look: Air travelers check whether their plane is even on its way.
© CHRISTIAN CHARISIUS/dpa
Energy supply in Germany: Lemke thinks about "moratorium on electricity and gas cuts"
However, Lemke also points out that a political balancing act is required: "On the one hand, we have to ensure that the suppliers can maintain the energy supply in the country.
And on the other hand, in such a crisis situation, nobody should have their electricity or gas cut off because they are behind on the bill.”
Lemke emphasizes that consumers should therefore be granted “a moratorium on electricity and gas cuts”.
However, that should not be the end of the road: "In the event of a crisis, we would also have to decide on another aid package."
Even if this still seems a long way off, citizens should be grateful for any security.
Especially at a time when even holidays with the unsightly side effects do not bring pure relaxation with them.
(mg)
