On cancelled travel bookings due to COVID-19 and handling the cancellation compensations 

The petitioner is of the view that the current practice to provide travellers, who find their trips cancelled due to COVID-19, with a voucher, allowing to re-use the value of their initial booking within 18 months, is in violation with EU-law. He believes that this practise, obliging the client to book with the same organiser, is questionable, as this company might go bankruptcy, or, the organiser may, on purpose, not offer competitive prices. The client loses his free choice of service provider. The client can only get his money back, after 18 months have passed. The petitioner believes that a more suitable solution would be that the client, after withdrawal of a cost percentage of 10 percent for the administrative expenses of the organiser, should get back his money. The petitioner is also of the view that it is not the customers’ responsibility to finance travel companies in these circumstances, but rather the responsibility of Member States.