While flight activities plummeted in the Corona year, there were downright waves of lawsuits against the airlines in court. Because some did not want to reimburse canceled trips. Few companies got away with it. The tour operator Tui only brought a lawsuit to relent.

Two consumers had booked a package tour to Egypt with TUI Deutschland GmbH - consisting of a Nile cruise and a hotel stay - for around 4.500 euros. The trip should start on March 22nd, 2020. Due to the increasingly drastic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, they canceled the trip ten days before departure. However, the tour operator only paid back part of the costs. The reimbursement of around 3.000 euros was rejected. The consumers then turned to the Association for Consumer Information for help. The VKI sued the remaining amount for the consumers on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs. Before there was a verdict, TUI Germany gave in and reimbursed the consumer for the entire amount.

“Consumers can withdraw from a package tour if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at the destination that significantly impair the execution of the trip. And without paying any cancellation costs, ”says Beate Gelbmann, head of the complaints department at the VKI. "The fact that TUI Deutschland refused to cancel free of charge in the case mentioned is completely incomprehensible from a legal point of view and cannot be justified."