Flixbus leaves a German retired couple abroad

When the Flixbus bus did not arrive as promised, the retirees did not know what to do. The staff on site was no help either.

Prague – It's every traveler's nightmare: tickets are bought, you get to the bus station in time to go home and then things go wrong. Four retirees from Dresden recently had this experience. The group, consisting of a couple and two of their friends, wanted to take a short day trip from Dresden to Prague. In the morning we were supposed to take a Flixbus to the capital of the Czech Republic. In the evening the group wanted to go home. However, when the time came, there was no sign of their bus.

Like the four retirees on the online portal picture I mentioned that the Flixbus to Dresden was supposed to leave at 8:40pm. Two hours later they would return home again. Ticket prices from Prague to Dresden start from 13 euros per trip. The group arrived at the bus station on time: “We stood at the bus station from 8:15 p.m. and waited,” says Volker Neuhauser. So they were more than punctual, because on Flixbus trips it is common for those who book those trips to be there 15 minutes before departure.

Alone in Prague at night: Another Flixbus takes the four pensioners away

The time to leave came and went again. What didn't come was the bus. The Dresden couple asked the driver of another Flixbus bus, which was also traveling via Dresden, if there were still seats for them on his bus – to no avail. I was refused a ride. Another retiree with Flixbus was also not so lucky. He simply left her behind.

Upon request, Flixbus press secretary Isabella Domke confirmed IPPEN.MEDIAAll the four of them had to do was buy a ticket for the other bus. “This is also necessary for safety reasons, among other things, so that we can make sure that every passenger has a seat with us.”

The service office was closed: pensioners from Germany were left alone with their problem

The press secretary can't explain exactly what went wrong that evening in Prague. It is not known whether there was any misunderstanding or whether the other Flixbus bus was already fully booked. The only thing that is certain is that if the four retirees had bought the other bus tickets, they would have received their money back, of course.

The small travel group ran out of alternatives: “No Flixbus employee took care of us. The on-site service desk closed at 9 p.m.,” Neuhauser said in an interview with a newspaper. picture. At 9:09pm, the first certainty came in the form of a message: Your Flixbus has been cancelled. You will receive your bus tickets the next day. The problem was that the four of them were standing alone at night at a bus station in a foreign country. Your condition wasn't that bad A tour group left at a motorway service stationbut still very different from what they had previously imagined.

Shock for pensioners: they had to find another way to return to Dresden

The pensioners from Dresden were shocked: “The last train had gone to Dresden. The rental car was not currently available,” Neuhauser said. The four really wanted to go home that evening and quickly took a taxi. They had to pay 200 euros themselves. However , Neuhauser Group did not want to be stuck with the costs and sent the receipt to Flixbus.

as picture She stated that the company did not respond initially. This is also among Passenger rights The website states that in the event of a cancellation or delay in departure from the bus station, the transport company will cover meals, soft drinks and accommodation for each passenger at a value of €80 per night. Finally, the company paid the taxi costs of 200 euros.

At the request of IPPEN.MEDIAA Flixbus press spokeswoman confirms that the four pensioners' Flixbus tickets were refunded “on 8 December 2023” and on “27 December”. The process of paying the additional taxi costs was initiated after a phone call. “The reason for the delay is that the company does not usually accept taxi flights. Domke explains again: “We regret the inconvenience caused to Mr. Neuhauser and his companions by the canceled flight.” (nhf)