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January 18, 2021

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January 18, 2021

Germany: Many passengers without registration or with fake data

Jan Gruber 18 January 2021 16:29

The Federal Republic of Germany appears to have a problem with electronic entry registrations, because according to the Federal Police Headquarters, around 13 percent of air travelers fill them out incorrectly or not at all. The executive confirmed this to the DPA. However, the number of unreported cases is likely to be significantly higher, because systematic checks are not carried out on arrivals from the Schengen region. Federal police officers only carry out random checks. In the period from November 8, 2020 to January 10, 2021 inclusive, there were 185.800 electronic entry registrations. According to the DPA, 24.540 of them had deficiencies or were not present at all. Germany requires that this registration must be filled out online when staying in a risk area defined by the Robert Koch Institute. In exceptional cases, a so-called substitute notification can be filled out on paper. However, many travelers obviously do not take this very seriously. The previous “exit cards” did not make things any easier for the authorities, as they were often filled with fake data. However, there is a lack of systematic controls in Germany.

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Germany: Many Thomas Cook victims have not called on state liability at all

Jan Gruber 18 January 2021 16:03

Within a year, the Federal Republic of Germany paid out around 70 million euros to around 50.000 former Thomas Cook customers who received nothing or only a portion of the insolvency insurance. This is according to a response to a query by the government in the Bundestag. It is noteworthy, however, that only 60 percent of those entitled to claim even submitted an application. The Federal Republic of Germany had budgeted 225 million euros for this. However, only a fraction was claimed. The background to this is that Germany implemented the law on package holiday insurance sloppily, contrary to the EU directive. The insurer's liability was limited to 100 million euros because it was not expected that an industry heavyweight such as Thomas Cook could collapse. Due to the inadequate implementation, the Federal Republic of Germany would have been held officially liable. The government wanted to avoid a flood of lawsuits and therefore decided to recognize the claim. The money was only claimed by a fraction of those entitled.

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FRA: Record low reached in 2020

Granite Pireci 18 January 2021 14:39

The worst it has been in over 30 years: The Corona crisis is setting Frankfurt Airport back decades. At just under 18,8 million passengers, passenger volume was 73,4 percent lower than in the record year of 2019, airport operator Fraport announced on Monday in Frankfurt. This corresponds to the level from 1984. In December, Germany's largest commercial airport counted around 892.000 passengers, 81,7 percent fewer than in the same period last year. The cargo business did significantly better. In December, the volume of freight and airmail increased by 8,9 percent to 182.568 tons. However, if you look at the year as a whole, the bottom line is still a decrease of 8,5 percent to just over 1,9 million tons. Fraport CEO Stefan Schulte expects passenger traffic to recover in the new year, especially in the second half of the year. Overall, however, he estimates that passenger numbers will only reach 35 to 45 percent of the record year of 2019.

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Not flown at all? Get taxes and fees back!

Amely Mizzi 18 January 2021 14:36

It often happens that you cannot or do not want to take a flight. In most cases, the fares are non-refundable, so you will not get anything back if you cancel or do not show up at the airport as a so-called "no-show". But you will not go away empty-handed, because you have the legal right to a refund of taxes and fees. Why? Your airline only has to pay these if you actually flew. The most important thing to note first: the legal basis for the right to a refund is EU Regulation 1008/2008. This can be downloaded in PDF format in German using this link. What do you get back if you did not fly? In any case, you have the legal right to a refund of taxes and fees. Whether you also get part of the flight price ("net airfare") back depends on whether you have booked a fare that can be refunded. You will find this information when booking the flight on the airline's website and then on your booking confirmation. The airline's general terms and conditions of carriage also provide you with information about this. The Chamber of Labor explains your claims as follows: "Due to an EU-wide regulation (EC Regulation No. 1008/2008), government taxes, airport fees, and other fees, surcharges and charges, such as those related to security or fuel, must be shown separately in addition to the actual flight ticket price. These taxes, fees and charges can often be found on the invoice next to the flight ticket price under the heading "Tax". These fees are collected by the airline for the benefit of third parties together with the ticket price and paid when the flight begins. However, if the flight

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Suitcase gone: You are entitled to this and you have to pay attention!

Granite Pireci 18 January 2021 14:34

Man plans, fate laughs: When travelling by air, not everything always goes according to plan. This is no surprise, as thousands of people fly in all directions every day. It can also happen that luggage is damaged or lost. Find out what you can do in such a situation here. First of all, keep calm. With a cool head, the problem can be solved more quickly and easily. And there is a good reason not to panic straight away. Because a study shows that in 95 percent of cases, the missing suitcase actually turns up again after just a few days. But the luggage does not come home on its own. To get the system up and running straight away, the incident should be reported immediately. The form specially provided for such cases can be filled out at the airport and handed in at the baggage counter. The subsequent report to the airline in question should ideally be made in writing and just as quickly. The flight ticket and any documents that could be important should be kept - just in case! Without timely reporting, there is no money. Why it makes sense not to take too long to report the incident becomes clear when you look at the deadlines. These must be met in order to continue to have any claims for compensation. Otherwise, you will get nothing. While delayed luggage must be reported within 21 days of delivery, you have up to seven days after receipt of the luggage if it is damaged. It is also not uncommon for airlines to give passengers whose luggage arrives late a so-called "overnight kit" or offer partial compensation for the purchase of the most essential items. But it should really only be these. A Rolex will not be reimbursed. The liability of airlines is regulated by the Montreal Convention. This was signed on

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Flight delayed or canceled: You are entitled to this and this is how you get your money!

Jan Gruber 18 January 2021 14:31

Delays and cancellations are always a source of frustration, as business travelers may miss important appointments and private trips can be ruined. However, in most cases, passengers have the right to care, alternative transport and, if necessary, even money. In this guide, Aviation.Direct presents the most important passenger rights and gives you valuable tips. The most important thing first: you can download the legal basis for passenger rights according to EU Regulation 261/04 in PDF format in German at this link. You are entitled to care services (e.g. meals) for the following delays: Flights up to 1.500 km: two hours or more Flights over 1.500 km within the EU: three hours or more Flights between 1.500 km and 3.500 km (not within the EU): three hours or more Flights over 3.500 km (not within the EU): four hours or more The airline must provide the care services, which include meals, drinks, phone calls and e-mails, free of charge. Depending on the individual case and the length of the delay, hotel accommodation and a transfer between the airport and the hotel and back must also be provided. If the airline does not do this, it is essential that you keep all receipts so that they can be requested later. Important: You are entitled to care services if the flight was cancelled on the day of departure or was delayed according to the scale above. The duty of care is triggered at the time when the airline can foresee the delay. This means that the departure delay is decisive. When do you get to “enjoy” compensation payments? The situation is a little different with compensation payments, because for

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Package holidays: this is how you can cancel for free!

Granite Pireci 18 January 2021 14:29

The new Package Travel Act (PRG) was more omnipresent in 2020 than it has been for a long time. But what is a package tour and what has to happen in order to be able to withdraw from the package tour contract - ideally free of charge? Package tours are very popular. Tour operators offer "all-round carefree packages" where you don't have to lift a finger yourself - just go on holiday. The most important thing first: The Austrian legal basis can be viewed at this link and the one that applies in Germany at this link. The EU directive can be found here. The traveler therefore books various, related services, such as accommodation in a hotel and transport to the destination, for a total price from just one tour operator. This means that they only have one contractual partner - and the advantage that legal disputes are easier to resolve because the court does not have to deal with several parties. When and under what circumstances can you cancel free of charge? But what if starting the trip is proven to be dangerous or the trip cannot be carried out at all? The solution can be found in the law: The Package Travel Act (PRG) provides for a free right of withdrawal for the traveller “if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at the destination or in its immediate vicinity which significantly affect the implementation of the package tour or the transport of persons to the destination” (Section 10, Paragraph 2). This means that circumstances must arise which one could neither control nor prevent. These must also have a direct impact on the package tour and significantly affect the services booked. This is therefore regularly the case in the case of border closures, airport closures or – recently often in

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Individual trip vs. package tour: these are the differences that you need to know!

Granite Pireci 18 January 2021 14:23

Two terms keep cropping up in the media: package tour and individual tour. What do the two terms actually mean? What are the differences and what do you have to look out for? Aviation.Direct answers these questions on this page and gives you valuable tips that you should consider when booking your trip. First of all, the most important tip: compare prices! The internet is not always the place to find the best prices. Sometimes you can get a bargain at the travel agency around the corner or if you book directly with the hotel (for example by phone) they have a great offer for you. Travel completely individually Individual tours are, as the name suggests, trips that you put together yourself and book independently. You book your flight with an airline, if you want your rental car with one of the many providers, your hotel directly at the accommodation or via a booking platform and, if necessary, transfers or tickets directly with the service provider or via an agent. The advantage of individual tours is of course that you can choose and book every detail yourself. You can get the cheapest flight tickets and are completely free to put together the components of your trip. You can save a lot of money compared to a package holiday, but sometimes you can also pay a lot more, because the tour operators often have very good contracts with airlines and hotels. It depends on the individual case, so you should definitely compare prices. However, individual trips also have a major disadvantage: you have no insolvency protection. If the airline or hotel you booked goes bankrupt, you may lose your money. Book within

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Rental cars: protect yourself from being ripped off!

Jan Gruber 18 January 2021 14:20

A rental car at a holiday or business destination is very important for many and sometimes even essential. But time and again, problems start when you pick up the car and when you return it and even afterwards there can be problems. Aviation.Direct has summarised the most important points to look out for. The most important thing first: Most providers require you to pay a deposit with your credit card. If you don't have one, ask about alternatives before booking. Sometimes debit cards (Debit Mastercard, Visa Debit) or even cash are accepted. What should you look out for when booking? The first traps lurk when booking, because there are many agents on the Internet who promise great services and some even suggest that they are rental companies themselves. In reality, you are acting as an agent and the insurance benefits do not come from the service provider itself, but from the agent. This can lead to surprises when you pick up the car and in some countries even to rip-off attempts. If you decide to take an offer from an agent, ask them how the claim settlement process works in the event of an accident. If you book directly with the landlord, you only have them as your contact and there is no "intermediary". You can select the insurance package you want online and avoid annoying sales attempts at the counter. If possible, always book tariffs that you can cancel at short notice and only have to pay at the counter when you pick up the vehicle. How does the deposit work? Note that you usually have to pay the deposit even if you have already booked with a

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Flying in the future: opinions differ

Granite Pireci 18 January 2021 14:13

Airlines are currently working on making travel as safe as possible again. Their approaches vary. While many airlines are relying on rapid tests, others are considering whether the introduction of compulsory vaccination might be the better alternative. The head of the Australian airline Qantas, Alan Joyce, spoke in the domestic media months ago about only allowing vaccinated passengers on board. This step is a "necessity" in view of the drastic situation. It is not surprising that such statements come from this direction. In the meantime, Australia has been debating a general vaccination requirement - at least for certain groups of people, this should apply in the future. In Germany, Health Minister Jens Spahn repeatedly emphasizes: "I give you my word: There will be no compulsory vaccination in this pandemic." Just as there is not in most European countries. AUA's parent company Lufthansa would not even consider making vaccination mandatory, as a spokesman confirmed to Der Spiegel. Instead, the crane airline is testing so-called "coronavirus-free" flights. An antigen test swab is taken from volunteers shortly before departure. Only those who have tested negative are allowed on the plane. The pilot project has already been used on the Munich-Hamburg route. Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian also tried this between Vienna and Berlin, and Alitalia did something similar between Rome and Milan. In addition to practicing the procedures, such projects are intended to show passengers and governments that flying can theoretically be safe again and that quarantine rules should be reconsidered. 

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