Originally Posted by
brunos
As usual, you make many good points.
I do understand the preoccupation of passengers. As I said I have quite some money at stake, mostly with AF. But my point is that we are getting into a paradigm that we never experienced on the economic front. As some editorials state, we are entering WWIII. Airline employees (and their suppliers) face more dire implications than pax getting their 1,000 ticket refunded in less than 7 days. The economic chaos is just another order of magnitude. US airlines ask for a USD50 billion aid, and Trump stated he will push for it, but with Trump... The EU might decide to grant European airlines a package of similar magnitude. Then pax will be reassured....
Regardless, it is precisely the economic magnitude of the situation and the clear attention national governments and Brussels have given that (to me) demands that airlines are held to provide proper REFUNDS to passengers who's flights will not proceed. As an individual passenger I do not have the importance of national (airline) pride or the moniker of critical infrastructure on my side. No one will come to bail me out when I don't have the money to pay my mortgage, buy groceries or keep the electricity running. I see absolutely no justification for the money I put forward for a flight that is cancelled being held indefinitely to satisfy the cash flow needs of the airline. Why are their cash flow needs superior to my own? Their collective importance ensures those truly critical will survive; I have no such guarantee. The amounts may be peanuts to some of you, but to some of us as we enter a very difficult period, the money will be critical to our survival.