Bankruptcies are still a fact of life in the airline industry. With global airlines reportedly losing $2 billion this past year, more bankruptcies are expected. Airline analysts are still predicting “consolidation” in the U.S. airline industry. The latest airline to be grounded is SkyEurope, which has been flying from Bratislava and Prague since 2002.
Here is the message that SkyEurope passengers were faced with:
Dear Guests
Please be advised that SkyEurope has suspended its sales and operations immediately.
Those of you who have purchased flights with a credit card, please turn to your credit card issuing bank to seek refunds for unused portions of SkyEurope’s flights.
In case you have paid directly to SkyEurope in other means than credit card (e.g. bank transfer, cash), please be advised that a refund may not be possible.
If you have ordered your flight tickets via a travel agency or organizer, you should discuss the matter with them first.
If you are already at the destination or have rented a car through SkyEurope’s business partner, you may stay at the hotel and use the vehicle during the period originally agreed. You must, however, order a return flight from some other airline at your own expense.
You may also wish to contact your insurance provider to seek further guidance and support.
We regret for the inconvenience that have been caused to you.
Once again the protection afforded by credit cards is underscored.
Ryanair and EasyJet have both announced “rescue fares” for stranded SkyEurope passengers. Easyjet is offering a special rescue fee of €40 so passengers can return home on the routes where its flights overlapped with those of SkyEurope. Ryanair has launched a £25 (one way including taxes and charges) rescue fare for Bratislava flights to/from Alicante, Barcelona (Girona), Brussels (Charleroi), Rome (Ciampino), Liverpool and London Stansted.
Both Ryanair and EasyJet are expected to benefit from the bankruptcy of SkyEurope. Another low-cost carrier, Budapest-based Wizz Air, that has strong routes in central Europe should also benefit from the SkyEurope shutdown.
Low-cost carriers in Europe now offer more inter-European flights than the original country airlines. They have changed the face of travel in Europe by opening new airports and providing a money-saving alternative to rail travel, especially over long distances in Europe.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
