Advice Requested: Eurowings Cancellation TLV
I am booked TLV-DUS in Bizclass for 3 AUG. Just this afternoon I received the flight cancellation notice. The message says that I will be offered an alternative within 30 minutes. This has not happened.
In any case I immediately got on the phone. While waiting for ever I learned that all LHG flights have been canceled until the 8th, obviously due to the potential increase in military activities between Israel and its neighbors.
My reading of my rights is that if I want to rebook in the future then I have to stick to the airline. However, if I want to stick to the original plan I can demand they put me on other airlines even outside of the lufthansa group.
I was flatly told by one representative, "we do not do that." I then asked to speak to a supervisor and she said "we do not do that" and hung up.
Another person said I should just book the ticket and submit the costs for reimbursement and they would be repaid. The conversation was recorded, but I do not trust this organization to pay out or follow through on a promise of an employee.
The most convenient option would be a one-way ticket in business with Emirates for 4100 EUR. I paid 600 for the Eurowings return ticket.
My only other options are:
1) get a one-way ticket to Larnaca and then have Eurowings fly me from there. However the flight times are horrible.
2) Travel by land to Jordan having to pay the visa fees, exit fees, all the taxis, etc. I guess this will add up to about 400 EUR in costs and it will be a miserable journey particularly since the Shabbat and the shutdown of lots of services will start along the way.
I have sent in a form demanding to be rebooked on Emirates or something similar within 12 hours to establish some kind of legal record.
Questions to the community:
1) Am I entitled to be put on other airlines?
2) If Eurowings does not budge on rebooking me onto another airline, do you think they would actually reimburse me for the Emirates flight?
3) Does anyone have any alternative suggestion on how I can get back to Düsseldorf? I have 11 nested flights depending upon me getting to Düsseldorf on the 3rd.
Thanks in advance!