Passengers do not have to be fobbed off with “compulsory vouchers”. Eurowings was legally “made aware” of this by the Nürtingen District Court for an “extra charge” of 175 euros.
The airline Eurowings was finally sentenced by the local court of Nürtingen to repay a ticket. Previously, the carrier had only offered the affected traveler a voucher, which he did not accept, but instead took it to court with the help of EU Flight.
Like many other airlines, Eurowings speculated that a binding “voucher solution” for flight tickets would be created at EU level. The German Federal Government advocated this, but the EU Commission rejected the proposal and repeatedly made it clear that even in times of Corona, travelers are entitled to full reimbursement of the ticket within the meaning of Art. 8 EU Regulation 261/2004 . Vouchers expressly do not have to be accepted by travelers.
According to a report by the news magazine “Der Spiegel”, the case that landed at the Nürtingen District Court was affected by a deletion on April 6, 2020 on the Stuttgart-Budapest route. The passenger does not receive the reimbursement of around 75 euros, but Eurowings only offered a voucher. Even after express rejection, the Lufthansa subsidiary did not pay the flight price. The person concerned went to court with the help of EU Flight.
The District Court of Nürtingen sentenced the defendant, Eurowings, to the payment of the ticket price of EUR 75,99 plus procedural costs of EUR 175 without an oral hearing. The judgment is now final.
Compared to the "Spiegel“Said an airline spokesman that the reimbursement request was initially denied and the passenger was offered a rebooking or a voucher. This was done with regard to the corona crisis and the unclear situation at the time the reimbursement application was submitted. A possible voucher solution was viewed as "sensible and fair". Now, however, "the EU's final decision on the vouchers" will be taken into account and customers who wish to receive a refund will also be able to send it to them. Due to the large volume, processing will be "delayed a little".