According to an opinion of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), travelers who were brought back to their home country on a state-organized flight at the beginning of the corona pandemic can, under certain circumstances, request money back. Advocate General Nicholas Emiliou announced on Thursday that passengers could not get the money back for the state-organized flight, but for the return flight that was actually planned. Judges often, but not always, follow the opinions of Advocates General. A verdict is expected in a few months. The background is the case of a married couple from Austria. The flew to Mauritius in March 2020 as part of a package tour, but the return flight was canceled by the airline due to the outbreak of the corona pandemic. The couple then returned on a flight organized by the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, this flight was operated by the same airline and at the same time as the one the couple originally booked. All passengers had to pay a contribution towards expenses of 500 euros to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the flight. The couple now want their money back from the airline.
Return flights – hope for travelers – economy
