After a lawsuit by the Association for Consumer Information (VKI), which was brought in on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs, the company has now repaid the entire amount.

In autumn 2019, a consumer had booked a vacation flight from Vienna to Tenerife and back for herself and her husband with Laudamotion. The outward flight should take place on March 16.03.2020, 04.04.2020, the return flight on April 11.03.2020, 19. On March 14.03.2020, 16.03.2020, COVID-524 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, a state of emergency was declared across Spain on March 282, 16.03.2020 and a nationwide lockdown in Austria was ordered on March XNUMX, XNUMX, the day of the scheduled departure. The consumers therefore did not take the planned trip and requested a refund of the total amount of XNUMX euros. Laudamotion only paid back XNUMX euros on the grounds that the flight took place on March XNUMX, XNUMX.

The VKI then sued for the remaining amount of 242 euros for the consumer and relied primarily on the loss of the business basis. According to the VKI, it was already foreseeable on March 16.03.2020, 16.03.2020 that the return flight would not be feasible at the beginning of April. “In such a situation no one could be expected to take the outward flight for a vacation trip to Spain. Even more, when the Foreign Ministry asked all Austrians to return home on March XNUMX, XNUMX, ”emphasizes Beate Gelbmann, head of the complaints department at the VKI. There was no judgment in these proceedings. Laudamotion gave in during the proceedings and paid the amount claimed.