For many holidaymakers, the dream of a summer holiday is shattered by an email! Over the next few days, the insolvent tour operator FTI will gradually inform its package holidaymakers about the final cancellation of their summer trip. Axel Bierbach, the provisional insolvency administrator, announced the decision after the creditors’ committee. This affects 175,000 package holidays and certain individual services that customers had booked from July 6th.
Customers, tour operators and hotel providers had been hoping for this news, as holidaymakers will now get their money back through the German Travel Insurance Fund (DRSF). According to legal expert Nicole Mutschke, the refund should be made immediately – without culpable delay. “The contact details of the responsible DRSF can be found on the so-called insurance certificate, which must be included with the travel documents.” This document is therefore particularly important now.
Anyone who still wants to go on holiday should act quickly
Stormy times are approaching for FTI package holidaymakers. The long-awaited summer vacation is in danger of falling through. And this is just now, when the summer holidays are just around the corner in the first federal states. Prices are skyrocketing, the high season has begun.
Many FTI customers had the foresight to plan their vacation months ago and found real bargains. Now they are facing a price shock. But there is a little hope. Numerous tour operators and vacation providers have announced that they will help FTI customers with special discounts.
These discounts come in various forms: price reductions, vouchers or generous cancellation options. In some cases, deposits for the new booking are deferred until the money for the canceled FTI trip is back in the account. However, there is a small catch: in order to benefit from these offers, the vacationers concerned must present invoices and vacation confirmations.
But don’t worry, the customer king from FOCUS online is at your side and shows you where you can get the best conditions now.
These offers are now available at Tui, Dertour and Co. for FTI customers
- Alltours: Package tours can be rebooked or cancelled free of charge up to 28 days before departure.
- Annex: Refunds from the DRSF can be credited towards new bookings.
- Bentour Travel: When booking through a travel agency, the company offers special flexibility and cancellation periods.
- CoralTravel: Cancellations for planned trips are possible free of charge until the end of June.
- The tour: Free cancellation up to three days before departure – for trips booked by June 30th but commencing by October 31st.
- Eurowings Holidays: Free cancellations up to four days before departure for all new bookings until June 17, 2024.
- ID Riva Tours: 20 percent discount on cruises 2024 until the end of August 2024.
- It’s Your Trip/Colibri Travel/East Asia Tours: Customers receive special conditions for FTI rebookings through travel agencies.
- Journal away: Holidaymakers receive vouchers for new bookings. This can give them a discount of up to 500 euros.
- LMX: No deposit required for new bookings. Applies to bookings made until the end of June and for holidays starting before October 31st.
- Miller Travel: Special conditions for FTI customers.
- Olimar: Free cancellations or rebookings up to 21 days before departure.
- Schauinsland: No deposits required and reduced cancellation conditions, holidaymakers may soon also receive emails: Individual FTI trips have been taken over by the company and are taking place.
- Suntrips and LMX Individual: Five percent discount on new bookings.
- TUI: No deposits and no discounts on new bookings. Holidaymakers may also receive emails soon: Individual FTI trips have been taken over by the company and are taking place.
- TUI Cars: Price guarantee and inclusive services for Drive-FTI bookings.
Have you discovered other offers? Write an email to kundenkö[email protected]
What do I need to know about the offers? The goodwill arrangements do not apply everywhere and often not to all travel destinations! Therefore, read the small print.
And remember: 175,000 holidaymakers are now potentially looking for an alternative. This drives up prices. Look for alternatives too. Trips to Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Greece or Italy may be very expensive. It is better to go to cheaper countries like Albania, Egypt, Turkey or Bulgaria.
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Travel within Germany with the 49-euro ticket
If you want to travel cheaply, stay in Germany. There are many reasons to spend the summer on the North Sea and Baltic Sea, in the Alpine regions or in German cities. Germany, for example, has a well-developed transport network that makes traveling within the country affordable.
Households can explore different regions and cities relatively cheaply by train, bus or their own car. FOCUS online advises: Use the 49-euro ticket. This allows you to use all of Deutsche Bahn’s regional trains for 49 euros per person per month. This is particularly useful because from July onwards there will hardly be any saver tickets for ICE, Intercity or Eurocity routes. However, the so-called Germany ticket is a subscription. It is important to pay attention to the booking and cancellation periods. In some federal states, from the middle of the month, only the ticket for the following month will be available for 49 euros.
Germany offers a variety of scenic beauty, from the beaches of the North and Baltic Seas to picturesque lakes and the impressive Alpine regions in the south of the country. These natural treasures can often be enjoyed for free or at low cost.
Use the 49-euro ticket to save on flights and trains
In many cases, the 49-euro ticket can also be worthwhile in order to get a cheaper flight ticket or a saver train ticket. This applies, for example, if you use the 49-euro ticket to travel to smaller airports in your area or to cities where saver tickets for your holiday destination would be possible.
In both cases, you book the cheaper route. However, you should allow more travel time for the outward and return journey.