CYPRUS: Airlines step-in with rescue fares while banks offer Cobalt refunds

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Airlines and local banks have rushed in to ensure travellers can get another flight or have tickets refunded after the sudden collapse of Cobalt Air.


Rescue fares have been announced by rival airlines flying out of Larnaca and Paphos.

While Hellenic Bank and Bank of Cyprus said customers using their credit cards to buy Cobalt tickets online will be reimbursed for flights booked after October 17.

Ryanair, Aegean, Blue Air, Cyprus Airways and Wizz Air have all come forward to fill the void and offer special fares.

Aegean is arranging additional flights from Larnaca to Athens for passengers holding Cobalt tickets at €80 plus taxes and direct flights from Larnaca to Thessaloniki at €80 plus taxes.

Cobalt passengers who had bought tickets for Tel Aviv can travel to that destination for €100 plus taxes.

Special arrangements have been made for flights from Larnaca to Geneva, Frankfurt and Zurich, all with a stopover in Athens for €260 plus taxes.

Ryanair is also offering rescue fares for stranded Cobalt passengers.

Cypriot customers and visitors can fly from Paphos to/from Chania, London Stansted, Tel Aviv and Thessaloniki at fares starting from €14.99 for travel from November 2018 to March 2019, and from only €26.99 for travel in October.

These low rescue fares must be booked by midnight Friday, the airline said.

Wizz Air said Cobalt customers whose flights to or from Athens or London were cancelled can book rescue fares starting from £79.

Romania’s Blue Air said: “Passengers in possession of a cancelled Cobalt flight reservation can book a new flight by calling the Blue Air Call Centre in Cyprus or UK.”

The airline is offering a selection of reduced fares for a limited period to customers who are travelling between October and March and who have a cancelled flight reservation.

Prices including taxes start at €69, one way, to/ from Athens and Thessaloniki and from €99 , one way, to/from Luton.

Cyprus Airways, seeking to minimise passenger discomfort, is offering up to 20 free one-way tickets (excluding airport taxes), on each flight, for the repatriation of passengers from/to Larnaca, Athens, Beirut and Tel Aviv.

The offer is valid for all flights to these destinations for trips to be completed by December 15, 2018. This offer is valid for reservations made until October 31, on a first come, first served basis.