airberlin to cease all longhaul operations
Sep 25, 2017, 8:04 am
#1
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airberlin to cease all longhaul operations
it's official now. AB will stop all longhaul flights on Oct. 15. All remaining A330s will be returned to their lessors then.
http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/...a-1169796.html
http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/...a-1169796.html
Last edited by bhomburg; Sep 25, 2017 at 8:12 am
Sep 25, 2017, 8:48 am
#2
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The wording on the English-language website is a bit more stark. It states that long-haul operations will cease by October 15, not on October 15. This language places all long-haul services at risk as of this moment. Whether that is a translation choice or a factual choice is unclear.
airberlin will need to cease its long-haul flight operations by 15 October 2017, as the aircraft leasing companies are gradually withdrawing their Airbus A330 jets. The connection between Dusseldorf and Los Angeles will therefore be discontinued on 25 September 2017. Further cancellations will follow on 16 October 2017. On 29 September 2017, airberlin will discontinue services between Hamburg and Munich and between Cologne/Bonn and Munich. We regret the inconvenience for our passengers.
airberlin will need to cease its long-haul flight operations by 15 October 2017, as the aircraft leasing companies are gradually withdrawing their Airbus A330 jets. The connection between Dusseldorf and Los Angeles will therefore be discontinued on 25 September 2017. Further cancellations will follow on 16 October 2017. On 29 September 2017, airberlin will discontinue services between Hamburg and Munich and between Cologne/Bonn and Munich. We regret the inconvenience for our passengers.
Sep 25, 2017, 9:52 am
#4
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However, regardless of when they announced the imminent demise of a route, passengers would be affected. *All* AB-ticketed passengers have been on tenterhooks since August 15. At least these customers now know where they stand.
Sep 25, 2017, 10:43 am
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Not to defend poor financial management in the past, but the fact is that AB has to cancel these flights because it will lack the aircraft to operate them. As leasing companies recall their aircraft, more routes are cancelled. That includes more than long-haul.
While this handwriting has been on the wall for months, anybody who booked on or after August 15, certainly must have realized that operations could cease at anytime.
Last edited by Often1; Sep 25, 2017 at 10:49 am
Sep 25, 2017, 12:44 pm
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A good friend of mine has a booking for ORD-TXL-STR in December, with a 745 ticket booked on August 14.
I'm guessing he needs to make his own alternative arrangements and just put in an insurance claim, after the fact.
Any better advice?
I'm guessing he needs to make his own alternative arrangements and just put in an insurance claim, after the fact.
Any better advice?
Sep 25, 2017, 2:23 pm
#7
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Might be best to write the airline first to try to get documentation that they won't be offering a refund or other solution.
Sep 25, 2017, 2:40 pm
#8
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This is sad. I really liked their Y TATL service. But given this, and their wet-leasing a lot of service for LH Group, what is the point of Air Berlin anymore?
Sep 25, 2017, 4:11 pm
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Sep 25, 2017, 4:52 pm
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Pitty he didn't wait 2 days because he would have a refund. But, how could he know?
Before doing anything, he should contact AB per its website to determine whether he has or will be rebooked. It is unlikely, but one never knows.
If he has not been rebooked, unless his card issuer offers insolvency protection, he may chargeback, seek a refund under EC 261/2004 or do anything else. But, he is an unsecured creditor and may possibly see some miniscule amount at some point in the future, but most likely nothing.
He would do best to rebook as soon as possible as the cancellations are certain to drive availability down and prices up.
Before doing anything, he should contact AB per its website to determine whether he has or will be rebooked. It is unlikely, but one never knows.
If he has not been rebooked, unless his card issuer offers insolvency protection, he may chargeback, seek a refund under EC 261/2004 or do anything else. But, he is an unsecured creditor and may possibly see some miniscule amount at some point in the future, but most likely nothing.
He would do best to rebook as soon as possible as the cancellations are certain to drive availability down and prices up.
Sep 25, 2017, 7:08 pm
#12
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If he has not been rebooked, unless his card issuer offers insolvency protection, he may chargeback, seek a refund under EC 261/2004 or do anything else. But, he is an unsecured creditor and may possibly see some miniscule amount at some point in the future, but most likely nothing.
For example, many brides were apparently able to successfully recover charges for wedding dresses when Alfred Angelo closed and filed for bankruptcy a few months back. I have no idea if that means the bank ended up eating the loss, but does it matter?
He would do best to rebook as soon as possible as the cancellations are certain to drive availability down and prices up.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:05 am
#13
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I was scheduled on the same flight. I booked through Chase. I called them this morning after seeing the announcement about the cancellation from LAX to DUS today. After an hour and a half on hold with them trying to contact AB, they said they were getting the run around with AB and could not verify if the flight was on or not and they just refunded the points for my 4 tickets. It cost me $500 more plus 30,000 additional points, but we were able to secure a different flight.
Sep 26, 2017, 2:48 am
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He booked through a travel agent (Justfly) and paid with a US credit card (I don't know which).
I will advise him to contact Air Berlin and get something officially in writing, saying that as far as they are concerned he's not flying.
Then I guess it's a chargeback or insurance (Allianz).
Sep 26, 2017, 6:53 am
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If he's in the US, there's some reason to be optimistic about a chargeback. As long as you follow the rules, it's not clear to me that it's actually contingent on your bank being able to recover the money from the vendor.
For example, many brides were apparently able to successfully recover charges for wedding dresses when Alfred Angelo closed and filed for bankruptcy a few months back. I have no idea if that means the bank ended up eating the loss, but does it matter?
Good point.
For example, many brides were apparently able to successfully recover charges for wedding dresses when Alfred Angelo closed and filed for bankruptcy a few months back. I have no idea if that means the bank ended up eating the loss, but does it matter?
Good point.
If US law applies, the chargeback is guaranteed by law. That is because the merchant, e.g. AB, does not have the funds. But, card issuers have witheld a percentage of AB's revenue for over a year and have a tidy cushion to pay this out.
Note that none of this helps with new travel as one is stuck purchasing new tickets, possibly at walk-up fares.