FTI is bankrupt – tips for affected travellers

Firstly, make sure that the company concerned belongs to the FTI Group and has actually filed for insolvency. It was also possible to book services with other travel providers such as TUI etc. via FTI websites. These are not affected by the insolvency!

At the FTI Group, booked services of the umbrella brand FTI Touristik GmbH are affected. This includes FTI Germany, FTI Austria and FTI Netherlands, as well as 5vorFlug, BigXtra Touristik GmbH, DriveFTI, Cars&Campers and Meeting Point Rent-a-Car.

If you have enquired/reserved there but have not yet paid anything, then you will no longer pay anything! FTI and the subsidiaries concerned have announced that they will cancel outstanding travel services on their own initiative.

FTI has announced that it will continue to carry out booked travel services that are to take place after 5 June to the best of its ability. Please ask the service provider (e.g. hotel, airline) to confirm in writing that the travel service has been promised!

Important: Customers who have booked a package tour or combined travel services should wait and not cancel themselves, but wait for a cancellation from the tour operator FTI! Otherwise, there is a risk that the insolvency insurance will not apply to them.

If parts of the booked travel services are still outstanding and unpaid by you, you should no longer make these payments. FTI is also no longer authorised to debit you.

In the case of individually booked flights, hotels, etc., you should look for an alternative and expect to file for insolvency proceedings for the services you have paid for or possibly attempt a repayment with your bank and credit card company.

If you are already travelling as part of a package holiday and have booked via FTI, 5vorFlug or BigXtra, the statutory cover provided by the German Travel Security Fund (DRSF) also applies.  Your paid travel services are covered by this insurance and your holiday should not be affected. If there are nevertheless difficulties and you have to cancel your trip for reasons that are clearly related to the FTI insolvency, the DRSF will contact you. A return journey will be organised for you.

24h emergency number for travellers: +49 (0)89 710 45 14 98

• In the case of hotel accommodation booked individually via FTI, FTI will endeavour to continue to provide the service, but this is not guaranteed.
• In the case of flights, hire cars, motorhomes and tourist services such as excursions, airport transfers and similar booked individually via FTI, FTI will also check the feasibility. Unfortunately, these services are also not insured.

Please contact the 24-hour support hotline: +49 (0)89 710 45 14 98. In the worst case scenario, you may have to take part in insolvency proceedings.

☐ If you have booked a package holiday,

then you have purchased several services such as a flight ticket and hotel accommodation at a total price.

Good news, on the basis of the EU Package Travel Directive, FTI had to insure all customer monies received for package holidays in the event of insolvency. You will find a so-called insurance certificate in your travel documents. The German Travel Security Fund (DRSF) is registered on it as FTI’s insurer.

Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds GmbH,
Adresse: Sächsische Straße 1, 10707 Berlin
E-Mail: kontakt@drsf.reise

☐ If you have booked an individual holiday,

then you have purchased an individual service from FTI, e.g. an event ticket or a hire car.

Not such good news. Insolvency insurance only covers package holidays. Some banks and credit card companies offer to refund payments already made in the event of insolvency. You can therefore contact your bank and enquire whether such a chargeback is possible for you.

Otherwise, you can register your claim for the unperformed service with the insolvency administrator. FTI has only recently filed the application with the Munich Local Court. As soon as we know more, we will update this section with contact information. In any case, Axel Bierbach has been appointed as provisional insolvency administrator. It will be decided at a later date in the insolvency proceedings whether and to what extent a quota will be paid out to creditors from the remaining funds of the bankruptcy estate.