Flight cancellation: Demand your money back directly from the airline

Throat. In the event of flight cancellations, passengers in the EU have the choice of insisting on a replacement flight or having the ticket price refunded. If you decide on a refund, the airline must refund you the money for the ticket within seven days, says the Center for European Consumer Protection (ZEV).

According to consumer advocates, this also applies if the ticket was not booked directly with the airline but via an online booking portal. According to its own information, the ZEV has warned several airlines that did not consider themselves responsible for affected travelers in such cases and referred them to the intermediary for reimbursement.

Ironing out to intermediaries is “not permitted”

"There is no right to request a refund from us for tickets for which payment has not been made to us. Please contact the respective ticket seller," an affected passenger was told, according to ZEV, who then contacted consumer advocates.

They consider such a statement to be “misleading and inadmissible” - and make it clear: According to the EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation, if a flight is canceled, passengers can request a refund of the entire ticket price directly from the operating airline. “This also applies if the ticket was booked through an agent.”

You may also be entitled to compensation

Was the flight canceled at short notice, i.e. a few days or even hours before departure, and was there no external factors outside the airline's control to blame (e.g. volcanic eruption)? In addition to the choice between a refund and a replacement flight, compensation payments of between 250 and 600 euros per person can also be considered.

The European Union's air passenger rights apply to all flights departing within the EU and from Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. They only apply to flights from a non-EU country to the EU if the airline is based in the EU. Otherwise, other national or international regulations may be relevant.

How to assert your rights

If you want to assert your rights, you should first contact the airline. Consumer advocates have collected concrete links to their complaint offices from many airlines online.

If you don't get any further and the airline gets in the way, passenger rights portals can help. They work on the basis of fees or commissions, so they are not free. Another option in Germany is the Travel and Transport Arbitration Board.