[Anonymous]

[greyhawkgeoff]

Ryanair today 27 Jan is offering a Spanair rescue fare of 49Euro following the ‘bankruptcy’ of the airline. Separately reported is the failure of a Qatar Airways led refinancing.

Spanair is or rather was a Star Alliance member centered on Barcelona, a recent new base to Ryanair, with Easyjet and Vueling the Iberia part owned low cost operator.already ewell stablished there. With Spanish unemployment at over 20% will Iberia’s pilots continue with their strikes? Spanair’s 25 minibuses must have employed at least 200 pilots.

[ChrisBuda82]

Not seeing any of this on the news, must be they class it as news any more.

Hope all them people get home ok, but did see the a guy on the news from Qatar telling UK to build more airports.

[Matinée-Allstars]

Full information is here (in Spanish):

http://www.spanair.com/es_pos/es_ES/portal/Error/Page404

and translated below (via Google Translate)

Air Europa and Spanair codeshare extensively so Air Europa passengers should check if their flight is actually a codeshare with Spanair and affected

In the meantime, flights on services where passengers are being re-accomodated are shooting up in price.

————————————————————————

Spanair Press customers

– Spanair reports that today on January 27, 2012, the airline has ceased operations and, therefore, under these exceptional circumstances from all flights are canceled today.

– If you purchased a ticket with Spanair for the coming days or weeks, you have several alternatives:

a-If you paid the bill with a credit card, inquire at your financial institution about the possibility of reimbursement.

b-If you purchased cancellation insurance, contact your insurer to find out your coverage.

c-If you bought your ticket at a travel agency, find in it.

d-If you have purchased a ticket on Spanair but operated by another airline, in principle, their flight is guaranteed. Please confirm your flight with the airline.

e-Spanair, in coordination with the Government, has reached an agreement with Vueling, Iberia and Air Europa for passengers who buy a ticket and fly over the next three days have a special rate.

The price of tickets, depending on the destination will be:

– Domestic flights and Balearic Islands: 60 euros.
– Flights to the Canary Islands: 90 euros
– International flights: $ 100

f-In any other case, to claim the refund of your ticket, you can file the claim for any of the following channels:

· Offices Spanair sales
· Desks located in the corresponding AENA airports.
· Offices Tourism corresponding airports.
· Agencies Catalana de Consum

– Spanair is in constant contact with Spanish aviation authorities and airports where the company operates its flights to cope with this situation.

– Both the Spanair Center (900.13.14.15 – from outside Spain +34 971 916 047) as our sales office at the airports will remain open to serve you.

– For updated information, please consult our website http://www.spanair.com

– Spanair public apology to all those people who have been affected.

Barcelona January 27, 2012

[Tete_de_cuvee]

Malev, the state owned Hungarian Airline, looks to be next as it has declared its finances inviable, followed by SAS.

In the end only 5 European Airlines are reckoned to survive, AF-KLM, BA/IAG; Luftie-Swiss; Easyjet and Ryan Air – so predicts Howard Millar the FD at Ryanair.

[LPPSKrisflyer]

Is Finnair on the list for IAG? I don’t think they are the basket case that SK are so may be a viable buy out whereas SK should be allowed to die quietly and then others will move in, probably the LH group but maybe AY are well placed.

[RichHI1]

I thought SAS was jointly owned by LH?

[Senator]

RichHI1, there has been numerous discussions over the years regarding SAS Group being acquired by the LH Group but nothing has happened. SAS Group did hold 20% of BD after the introduction of the disastrous BD/SK/LH JV in 1999 which culminated with LH buying the SK stake as well as Sir Michael Bishop forcing the sale of his call option.

SAS Group will be aversely impacted by this as they still hold around 10% of Spanair, having sold the rest to a local Barcelona investment group. The impact is estimated to 1b SEK (£100m) impacting liquidity around 150m SEK.

SAS Group will announce 2011 results next week, but have flagged that they expect a positive operational result but obviously have some non-recurring posts bringing the net results below expectations.

They are generating positive cash flow, and is believed to have around 10b SEK (£1b) in cash and cash equivalent assets. The strategy challenge is coming from too few long-haul routes, entrenched competition from Norwegian (DY) in core home markets, as well as (still) bloated cost structure.

[Ricjackal]

Air Malta almost went middle / end of 2011 although they are restructuring they are very much still on the edge.

[ChrisBuda82]

Malev, the state owned Hungarian Airline, was ballied out but its working all ok it down to the EU saying that they could not bail it out but what about all the banks that been bailed out and other firms EU seems to be picking some country’s not others.

Malev is very good airline better than BA i would say just shame that they fly from gatwick.

Finnair have some deal with Flybe (Flybe around 10% or more owned by IAG).

[Tete_de_cuvee]

I prefer Malev when travelling to Bud, its a good airline. However Reuters, FT and others are reporting things differently Chris wrt Malev’s financial viability though fair point wrt Bank bail-outs, certainly a case of double standards again by the EU.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/31/uk-hungary-malev-idUSLNE80U03620120131

[ChrisBuda82]

Malev was run in to the ground after privatisation, the axeing of there long haul killed them, the long haul to the US has be restarted by AA boy you dont want to be on a flight on that time of the day the airport is packed in Budapest.

Malev’s financial viability should be ok as the goverment won’t let it go down like you said Tête_de_cuvée “double standards again by the EU” hold they dont fall to the EU!

Malev would make a good hub for long haul at Budapest as it in the centre of Europe, BA use Malev as a Hub lot people fly to Budapest from London fly on from there.

Dont want the topic to get off Topic so wont say any more.

[ballzi81]

Sorry, again off topic – but my concern is Malev.

I have tickets booked to fly to Budapest in just under 2 weeks.

Should I be worried? What’s likely to happen if they aren’t bailed out & have to stop flying?

Chris, you sound like an expert – any thoughts? Also, if anyone else has experience of a situation like this (or are in the same boat/plane) please share your thoughts too.

Thanks!!

[RichHI1]

The simple way to protect yourself is to purchase all travel tickets on credit cards. This means your refund is the responsibility of the card firm not the carrier.

[ballzi81]

How about debit cards?

[Author]

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