According to the German Travel Agency Association, airlines in Germany alone owe agents around four billion euros.

Many people still have to wait for their ticket reimbursements because the airlines are currently being overrun with applications and these cannot be processed on time. The number of reimbursement requests had skyrocketed, while at the same time the service employees were not at their place of work due to the corona-related short-time work, said Alexis von Hoensbroech at yesterday's press conference. 

"We are very sorry. The service offered does not correspond to our actual claim. Now, however, work in the service center is back in full swing. Millions of euros are being paid out to affected customers every week, ”adds the AUA boss. Nevertheless, it will take several weeks until the money is back in the account. 

In our neighboring country, too, those affected have to be patient. According to the German Travel Association (DRV), flight tickets worth almost four billion euros are at stake in Germany alone. Not only air travelers would be waiting for their money. Travel agencies would also suffer as a result. "The consequences of this behavior by the major airlines are threatening the very existence of the licensed sales partners," a DRV spokesman told rp-online.