The FINANCIAL -- oneworld airlines are
outlining the steps they are taking to assist customers affected by
Malév Hungarian Airlines' suspension of all services today.
According to oneworld, two other oneworld members serve its Hungary home, with British Airways and Finnair both operating to Budapest, from their London Heathrow and Helsinki hubs respectively, with airberlin launching flights to the Hungarian capital from its Berlin base from Monday.
Passengers booked before today on code-share flights carrying the BA, AY (Finnair), JL (Japan Airlines) or AB codes but which were to be operated by Malév are being offered alternative travel arrangements, or refunds in line with their regular fare rules.
Passengers booked before today to fly on Malév code-share flights (ie, with an MA code) operated by British Airways, Finnair or airberlin to Budapest are being offered assistance for travel on British Airways, Finnair or airberlin, subject to availability.
British Airways is also offering Malév passengers stranded away from home by the airline's suspension of services special repatriation fares. airberlin is also offering Malév passengers special fares on its new Berlin-Budapest route.Most oneworld member airlines are also offering to rebook customers with a connecting sector on Malév onto alternative carriers for that connecting sector, where possible. For details, see each individual airline's website or contact their reservations centres.
Malév suspended its operations with effect from 0500 GMT on Friday, 3 February,until further notice.
The company said it took this step with its financial position "untenable" following the recent decision by the European Commission requiring it to repay government loans ruled as contravening state aid regulations and after being placed yesterday under special government supervision, which is similar to court protected restructuring procedures in various other countries.
All but five of the 53 destinations on Malév's network are served by other airlines in oneworld. The exceptions are Bosnia-Herzegovina's Sarajevo, Montenegro's Podgorica, Romania's Cluj-Napoca and Tirgu Mures and Ukraine 's Odessa.
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