Anyone else booked on a air berlin flight after November? After hearing about the airlines bankruptcy issue I am a little unsure of what I should do next. I have contacted both the website the tickets were purchased through and the airline. The website used to purchase the tickets through was of little help. Other than stating that they are still selling air berlin tickets. We are scheduled to fly from Chicago to Berlin on Dec. 27. We are using another airline to return home.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
Be sure to read the fine print on any insurance you purchase. They often have exclusions on airlines with shaky financial situations.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
2790 posts
Insurance bought after the airline announces it's going bankrupt won't cover financial default by the company.
Your best bet is to hope someone steps up and takes over the airline or gives them more cash!
Good luck
Posted by
OP
7 posts
I considered purchasing the insurance but like others said, I think it might be a waste of money. I bought the tickets back in March and thought I'd done my research about the airline.
Posted by
TX, USA
529 posts
Here is an article about Air Berlin on The Points Guy. The title of the article is: "What Can You Do When Your Airline Goes Belly Up".
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
8881 posts
This is an example of why the decision to self-insure or buy travel insurance needs to be made at the time when the first tickets are purchased. Each person should think about his/her comfort level with paying out their own money if something goes wrong vs his/her comfort level with paying for travel insurance and hoping it is a waste of money.
I would also encourage a little research into what travel insurance is in place through the credit card you used to purchase the tickets. This may be your best bet if you have a good credit card.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
German lawyers explain: In case Airberlin is grounded your tickets will be lost. There is no such thing as an airline insolvency protection for air ticket holders. A lawyer of the renown Beiten Burkhardt legal service recommends to rebook your tickets to dates prior to the end of November and use them up. In your case, if you can, get rebooked on an AA or BA operated service at least. Also please note that AB has canceled most direct flights between the US and Berlin effective October 2017.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thanks for the advice. I purchased the tickets on my Chase United card and was able to get a refund with no questions asked.