Refunds after FTI bankruptcy: a complicated fight for money

Refunds after FTI bankruptcy: a complicated fight for money

Since the bankruptcy of the tour operator FTI in June 2024, many customers are faced with the challenge of receiving their refunds for canceled trips. The German travel insurance fund (DRSF) has now launched the reimbursement process, which is of great importance for the travelers concerned, since a total of 250,000 package tours have been canceled. A total of around 60,000 travelers whose trips are affected by bankruptcy expect a repayment.

The challenges of the reimbursement

Despite the reimbursement process started, there are hurdles for many customers that have to be overcome. A report informs that the online form that must be filled out to apply for the refund is perceived as cumbersome. Vacationers have to complete the application within 90 minutes, but there is no way to save the application in between or change afterwards.

Another problem is that travelers have to sign an attached form, which requires a printer - a device that not everyone has in the household. The consumer consultant of the Baden-Württemberg consumer center also expressed concerns that there is no possibility for technically less experienced holidaymakers to submit the application in paper form, which makes independent applications difficult.

The reimbursement process in detail

According to the DRSF information, the requested reimbursements should be completed by autumn 2024. Ali Arnaout, one of the managing directors of the DRSF, reported that the reimbursement process may be one of the largest in the history of Germany, with a volume in the middle three -digit million range. Affected customers will be contacted directly if your contact details are available and receive instructions via an online portal for application.

For FTI or Bigxtra customers, whose information is incomplete, notification will be notified by post to ensure that all the necessary data is available. It is important that travelers have their booking documents, including the DRSF's security certificate, to accelerate the processing of the refund.

The social environment and the relevance

The FTI's bankruptcy not only has financial impact on the travelers concerned, but also affects the travel industry as a whole. FTI is Germany's third largest tour operator and played a central role in the travel segment. The foundation of the DRSF after the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook in September 2019 shows how important such protection is for customers. The DRSF has the order to reimburse customers' advance payments in the event of bankruptcy and support stranded vacationers. This emphasizes the importance of effective consumer protection within the travel industry and makes it clear how important it is that travel providers act responsibly.

Special aspects of the reimbursement process

It is important to note that the DRSF only covers package tours and therefore do not incorporate individually booked services such as hotel rooms, flights or rental cars into the reimbursement process. This could mean that many travelers continue to wait for uncertain refunds of other bookings, which enlarges the uncertainty in the current situation.

Overall, the travel industry faces a difficult situation in which both companies and customers are required to find solutions. While the reimbursement process has now started, it remains to be seen how many customers can ultimately receive the necessary refunds in full and what long -term effects this bankruptcy will have on the industry.