clickair launches 50€ (£40) rescue rate for stranded XL and Futura passengers in Spain and t

Monday 15th September, 2008

Barcelona/London Spanish low fares carrier clickair today announced a 50€ (£40) flat fee, per sector fare to help XL and Futura passengers stranded in Spain – primarily in the Balearic and Canary Islands – get home. The offer, announced today, follows the cancellation of flights by the British tour operator and Spanish charter airline and also applies to European originating passengers looking to get back to Spain from the UK.

The special rate will be available until next Friday, September 19, and can only be purchased through clickair’s Telephone Sales Centre dialing 902 254 252 within Spain or 0800 254 252 47 from the UK.

In order to complete the reservation, passengers must produce evidence that they possess a valid, albeit now cancelled, ticket either on an XL or Futura flight. The 50€ flat-rate does not include excess luggage or other extras. “The events of recent days are a reflection of the difficult situation that the airline industry is facing owing to the devastating combination of high fuel prices and plummeting demand,” said clickair CEO Alex Cruz , announcing the rescue package today.

“Our goal is to help provide a quick return for the stranded passengers because we know the stress they’re going through. We don’t expect to profit from this initiative as we’ll just about cover our costs,” he added. “We hope the embattled carriers will overcome their problems. Anything that further erodes consumer confidence in our industry, and in Spain as a prime destination, is bad for all of us. That’s our main concern.”

clickair has made its offer available as of 12.00 noon today, local time (10.00 GMT). Company executives also held conversations with the Spanish and British Civil Aviation Authorities (DGAC and CAA, respectively), the Spanish Airports Authority AENA and the Regional Governments of the Canary and Balearic Islands, all of which are involved in handling the situation caused by the cancellation of XL and Futura flights to and from Spanish destinations.