Your Play flight canceled? This airline is offering rescue fares

At the start of the week, Reykjavik-based budget carrier Play Airlines shocked travelers with the announcement that any flights that it was supposed to run were abruptly canceled.

The airline started flying in 2021 and built out a business model of both shuttling passengers between nearby European cities and selling rock-bottom fares to several capitals from Eastern U.S. cities such as Washington, Baltimore and Boston.

In an apology to its passengers, the airline's leadership blamed multiple quarters of financial losses and falling traffic while also telling anyone with booked travel to seek out "rescue fares" with other airlines as it would not be able to provide compensation for disrupted travel.

Play Airlines shuts down suddenly, leaving stranded travelers with few options

"If you purchased your ticket with a payment card, please contact your card issuer regarding a refund," the statement put out on Sept. 29 reads. "[...] Some rights may also apply under EU Air Passenger regulations. In case of bankruptcy, claims should be directed to the appointed administrator."

With over 1,750 travelers with flights booked in the days after the shutdown was announced suddenly left stranded, one airline did step in to announce rescue fares — the term is used in the industry in situations where an airline sees a rush of travelers with no other choice but to take it and slashes the cost of its tickets.

Related: Popular low-cost airline canceled all flights, no bankruptcy

German budget airline Condor Airlines has been the first to step up with a rescue fare offer. While it serves more Western cities in the U.S. like Denver and San Francisco, the Frankfurt-based airline also runs routes to many of the same airports as Play: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) and Vaclav Havel Airport (PRG) in Prague.

"Condor Airlines is saddened about the demise of the Icelandic airline PLAY and the disruption this has caused for both passengers and their employees," the airline said in a statement. "Condor is stepping in to assist travelers affected by this sudden event. Many passengers relied on connections via Iceland to fly between the United States and Berlin, Paris and Prague, and have now been left stranded on both sides of the Atlantic."

Had your Play flight canceled? Here are your rebooking options

Those booked on a Play flight to Berlin, Paris or Prague can book the same route on Condor for €300 plus taxes in one direction up until November 30. The extended period can also be used to secure another discounted flight on the same route at a later time by those who overpaid to get home in the rush immediately after the airline's shutdown.

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Those who want to take advantage of the promotion can email proof of their original Play fare and contacts details to [email protected] to receive a rebooked ticket.

At the moment, Condor is the only European airline to publicly promise rescue fares but as its network focuses on different hubs travelers who used Play to fly between Europe and the U.S. will need to transfer through Condor's base at Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) for flights to other destinations in the United States.

"By extending this helping hand, we hope to ease the inconvenience faced by PLAY’s customers during this period of disruption," Daniel de Carvalho, the airline's interim marketing and communications director, said in a statement.

Related: Another airline to cut all flights to US city, refunds available