Travel agencies have warned of an unprecedented increase in cases of overbooking of airline tickets, especially at airports with a high volume of resident discount travel.
The president of the Balearic employers’ association Aviba, Pedro Fiol, urges passengers to get their boarding pass as soon as possible to avoid being left without a seat. “There has always been overbooking, but never as many as now. There is a real flood,” he told Última Hora.
Fiol attributes the situation to the debt of some 300 million euros that the government maintains with the airlines and the operation of the resident discount, since the companies only charge the state part if the passenger finally flies. “To avoid losses, many sell more seats than they have available,” he explains.
According to Fiol, Ryanair is the only airline that hardly records any overbooking, as it forces travelers to take out their boarding pass before the flight.
The president of Aviba reminds that overbooking “is not illegal”, but it puts at risk the connectivity of the Islands and the rights of passengers. Airlines must offer reimbursement, alternative transport or change of dates, with a financial compensation of up to 250 euros on flights to the Peninsula.
In this regard, he explains that the consequences can be serious, especially for those who travel for work or have connections.
