Major German travel agencies, including Tui, Alltours, and Dertour, have issued consistent statements assuring customers that they will not retroactively increase the prices of trips that have already been booked, despite the rising cost of kerosene.
However, the situation for future bookings may be different given the escalation in fuel prices. Christoph Debus, the head of Dertour Group’s tourism division, told the “Tagesspiegel” that while kerosene prices are currently rising, cost increases for upcoming holidays cannot be excluded.
Travel operators are generally permitted to raise trip prices later on if factors like higher fuel costs necessitate it. Nonetheless, any such price surcharge must be communicated to customers at least 20 days before the start of the travel period. Furthermore, customers are granted a special right to cancel if the price increase exceeds eight percent.
Customers currently do not need to worry about the complete cancellation of their holidays. Aage Dünhaupt, a spokesperson for Tui, assured the “Tagesspiegel” that “nothing is being cancelled” on their end. Similarly, Jens Völmicke, a representative for Alltours, emphasized that they anticipate guests enjoying their booked summer vacations as planned.
Looking ahead, Christoph Debus added that they currently foresee stable capacity for the summer and autumn vacation periods. He stressed that should changes in the flight schedules arise due to kerosene shortages, the guests would be informed immediately, and alternative flights would be sought, citing this immediate communication as a key advantage of package holidays.
