Many Swiss aircraft are still on the ground due to Corona.
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The head of consumer protection, Sara Stalder, is demanding that the plane tickets be reimbursed to customers as soon as the state aid has now been released.
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It even sets a deadline of six weeks.
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It is uncertain what will happen to the travel industry.
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Many Swiss customers have been waiting for the refund of their canceled flight tickets for months. Now consumer advocates are also demanding: “Swiss has to deal with delayed repayments immediately!” This is in a media release from the Foundation for Consumer Protection in Bern. Specifically, it says: “We expect payments to be processed within six weeks.”
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The reason for the dramatic appeal: Swiss will soon receive a federal rescue package of over CHF 1.5 billion in state-guaranteed loans. Consumer protection finds reason enough that the airline pays its debts to customers. After all, state money is also tax money.
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State aid boosts consumption
“A quick reimbursement is possible with the support of taxpayers and is urgently needed for the economy,” says the director of consumer protection, Sara Stalder.
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BLICK recently reported on Swiss frequent flyer Claudio Retica. He has been waiting for the refund of canceled flights for ages. “I still haven’t received the money for my flights,” says Retica, who lives in Oberwil-Lieli AG. “With state aid, Swiss should have absolutely no excuses and should finally pay back the money for canceled flights to Swiss customers,” he says on behalf of many who are waiting for their money.
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In addition to the private individuals, travel agencies in particular should be relieved. That would then close the economic cycle again. “The blocked funds flow back to households, to consumption and, not least, back to tourism,” says Stalder.
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Uncertain future of the airlines
The Swiss mother Lufthansa received nine billion euros in state aid from the German government after a long struggle. The decision also had an impact on Swiss. The federal government had made it dependent on it whether it would also support Swiss. With the “Go” for Lufthansa, the Swiss also released the aid package for Swiss.
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The cancellation of flights is not over when the lockdown ends. BLICK readers report: Connections to countries whose borders are officially reopened will also be canceled.