About a third of the more than 1.300 inquiries in AK consumer protection on the subject of travel dealt with flight bookings, package tours and online travel platforms, rental cars and train travel. The compensation payments amount to up to 400 euros per person.

From May to mid-September there were around 530 inquiries about flight bookings alone. In July in particular, massive delays caused by congested airports caused trouble. Many flights were also cancelled: "Most of the time, however, just in time for no compensation to be due," says Bettina Steppwieser, head of AK consumer protection. After intervention, the travelers got the fare back. But those who had booked a hotel separately were left with any cancellation fees. It was also noticeable this year how many suitcases did not arrive. "Either it took three to five weeks or the suitcases were lost," said Steppwieser. In the event of non-appearance, travelers will be reimbursed a maximum of 1.500 euros. In general, it can be said that despite all the problems, the low-cost airlines stand out.

Avoid online travel platforms

Flight bookings via platforms also stood out among the complaints. The brokers often offered flights that could not be booked with the airline. "Our advice is to book directly with the airlines," says the expert.

Overbooked accommodation

In the case of package tours, there were mainly negative experiences with hotels. “This year, for the first time, we often had to deal with overbooked hotels. The travelers were then often assigned a much worse hotel. A better hotel would only have been possible for an extra charge," says Steppwieser. In these cases, the surcharge was returned and compensation for loss of holiday enjoyment was demanded.

Hotels to run away from

(Massive) deficiencies in hotels were also an issue again. For example, a travel agency forgot to report that the sandy beach at the hotel booked in the Maldives had been washed away. In a hotel on Crete, all guests suddenly suffered from diarrhea with vomiting at the same time (some even had to go to the hospital) - the hotel blames the guests.

Get back thousands of euros

The compensation payments per person are between 250 and 400 euros. “We have already been able to bring in around 42.000 euros from all files from May to mid-September. Many files are still pending,” says Steppwieser.