The good news first: according to the current situation, there is little to suggest that boat holidaymakers will no longer be able to travel to the Mediterranean or be stranded there in the summer. The bad news: individual flight cancellations, rebookings, changes to flight times and higher ticket prices are realistic risks. For charter customers, this can be enough to make them miss the start of their holiday.
The situation is particularly tricky for charters that book the flight, boat, transfer and hotel separately. If the flight is cancelled, the ticket price is usually not the biggest problem. More critical is the question of what happens to the charter that has already been paid for.
No travel stop, but more uncertainty
The paraffin situation is putting a strain on European air traffic. Airlines are responding with austerity programmes, cancelled connections and adjusted flight schedules. This does not mean that Mediterranean holidays will automatically be cancelled. Short-term changes to individual routes are more likely.
This is still relevant for boat holidaymakers. If you fly on a Saturday morning and want to take over the boat in the afternoon, there is hardly any room for manoeuvre. A cancelled flight, a later alternative connection or a missed connection can be enough for the crew to be at the marina a day later.
If you are planning a cruise anyway, the BOOTE-Charter Special provides a good overview of the most important points relating to the boat, sailing area, handover, costs and insurance.
Which areas are particularly important?
For the classic charter destinations in the Mediterranean, there is currently no indication that return journeys to Germany are fundamentally at risk. However, the situation varies depending on the country and airport.
- Spain is comparatively stable. Majorca, the Balearic Islands and the Spanish Mediterranean coast remain highly sought-after destinations. This reduces the risk of important tourist connections being cancelled first.
- France is not so much an issue because of the lack of paraffin, but rather because of high fuel costs and possible operational burdens on the airlines.
- Italy remains the most important warning case. There have already been temporary restrictions at individual airports. Even if operations continued in the end, the case shows that local bottlenecks are possible.
- Croatia is particularly relevant for motorboat charterers, such as Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar or Pula. There are currently no reliable indications of a general risk of return travel. However, individual flight schedule changes may be particularly noticeable due to the high seasonality.
- Greece is prone to delays due to the many island and regional airports. Athens, Corfu, Kos, Rhodes, Preveza and Lefkas remain accessible, but for island departures the return journey should not be planned too tightly. A BOOTE impression of the Ionian Sea can be found here: Greece: The Ionian Sea from Corfu to Zakynthos.
- Turkey is not currently considered an acute fuel supply problem. Nevertheless, airlines can adjust individual connections due to airspace changes, circulation problems or costs.
- Albania plays a smaller but growing role for Adriatic cruises. There are currently no indications of any fundamental disruption to flight operations in Tirana.
If the outbound flight is cancelled
In the event of a cancellation, the airline must generally refund the ticket price or offer alternative transport. For flights from the EU and for many flights to the EU, EU passenger rights also apply. Depending on the time and cause of the cancellation, a compensation payment may also be possible.
There is no general answer as to whether an airline has to pay additional compensation for paraffin problems. In the case of genuinely exceptional circumstances, a compensation payment may not be necessary. In the case of pure planning or cost decisions by the airline, the situation may be different.
For charterers, however, it is crucial that the airline is not automatically liable for the entire boat holiday.
The charter often runs anyway
If you have booked a flight and a boat separately, you usually have two separate contracts. The airline owes the flight. The charter company owes the boat.
If the boat is ready in the marina as agreed, the charter company has basically offered its services. The fact that the crew does not arrive on time due to a cancelled flight is usually at the risk of the charter customer. As a rule, the charter costs are only refunded if the contract, goodwill or insurance allows this.
That's why it's worth taking a look at the documents before you leave. BOOTE has summarised why Charter contracts can quickly become a cost trap for customers. Although it mainly deals with classic contractual traps, deposits and liability, the basic rule is the same: what is written in the contract often decides a lot of money in the event of a dispute.
The situation may be different for a package holiday. If the flight and charter were booked as a complete package through a tour operator, the tour operator is responsible for the trip as a package. This protection is often lacking for individual bookings.
Return journey: Are you coming back to Germany?
According to the current situation, yes. There is no reliable evidence that charter guests from Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey or Albania generally do not return.
The risk lies more in the details: the actual return flight can be cancelled, postponed or rebooked to another connection. Anyone who flies back on Sunday evening and has to work on Monday morning should therefore plan with particular care.
For return flights from EU countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Croatia and Greece, EU passenger rights apply more clearly. For return flights from Turkey or Albania, protection depends more on which airline is operating the flight.
Which insurance helps?
Normal travel cancellation insurance does not automatically protect against all the consequences of a flight cancellation. The decisive factor is which reasons are stated in the contract and whether travel to and from the destination, return journey, hotel costs and charter costs are also insured.
Special charter insurance is therefore of interest to boat holidaymakers. Depending on the provider, travel cancellation, trip interruption, security deposit, skipper liability, international health insurance and accident insurance can be combined. BOOTE provides a basic overview in the guide "The right insurance for your boating holiday".
Pantaenius has also revised its charter insurance range. Modules can be flexibly combined, including skipper liability, travel cancellation and interruption insurance, deposit insurance, foreign travel health insurance and accident insurance. In the current case, it is particularly important to know whether arrival and departure as well as neighbouring hotel stays can also be included in the cover. You can read more about this in the BOOTE article "Pantaenius revises its charter insurance offer".
Also clarify within the crew who bears which risk
If there are several fellow travellers, there is a second point: Who is organising the flight? Who has booked the charter? Who pays if part of the crew does not arrive on time? And who decides whether an expensive replacement flight is booked?
Such questions seem unpleasant before the holiday, but quickly become important in an emergency. A simple crew contract can help to clarify costs, responsibilities and decision-making channels in advance. BOOTE explains here why a Crew contract legal security when chartering can create.
Checklist: What charterers should check now
- Plan a buffer day
Travelling on the day of the boat handover is risky. It is better to fly the day before. - Prefer direct flights
Every change increases the risk. Particularly tightly timed connections should be avoided. - Critically examine regional airports
Smaller airports and island connections can react more sensitively to flight schedule changes. - Read charter contract
Cancellation deadlines, rules for late arrival, force majeure and goodwill options are important. - Enquire about specific insurance cover
Check not only "trip cancellation", but explicitly charter costs, flight, hotel, transfer and trip interruption. - Document flight changes
Back up screenshots, emails, app messages and hotline attempts. This will help with claims later on. - Do not rush to book a replacement flight yourself
The airline should first offer a rebooking. Otherwise there may be a dispute about the costs. - Do not plan your return flight on the edge
A late Sunday flight without a buffer can be expensive if you miss the start of the working week. - Inform base and charter company early
If a delay becomes apparent, the charter base can sometimes adjust the handover, check-in or first port night. - Do a thorough handover anyway
If you arrive late, you should not rush through the briefing. BOOTE- shows what should be checked before casting off.Charter checklist.
The paraffin shortage does not make boating holidays impossible. But it does make it more susceptible to disruption. For charter customers, the financial risk is particularly high if the flight and boat have been booked separately. The airline has to take care of the flight. However, this does not automatically save the paid charter week.
Anyone flying to the Mediterranean now should therefore not only keep an eye on the flight price, but also on the entire process: Arrival, handover, contract, insurance and return flight. An extra day's buffer this summer can be worth more than the cheapest flight.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
