About: Passenger rights

Air passenger rights ‘not protected’ during pandemic, EU auditors say

European airline passenger rights, which include carriers' legal obligation to pay refunds for cancelled flights, have not been safeguarded during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an EU report released on Tuesday (29 June).

Auditors to probe potential abuse of air passenger rights during pandemic

The European Court of Auditors (ECA), which monitors European Union spending and management, announced Wednesday (3 March) that it is launching an audit to assess whether the European Commission took sufficient steps to ensure air passenger rights were upheld during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Austria’s trains take over short-haul flight route

Austrian Airlines will cease operating its Vienna-Salzburg route, the flag-carrier announced on Thursday (2 July). Instead, the service will be replaced by more direct trains, in an effort to honour the terms of the government's recent bailout deal.

EU hits 10 countries with ‘voucher-gate’ legal action

The European Commission announced on Thursday (2 July) that it would launch an infringement procedure against ten EU member states that are in breach of the bloc’s passenger rights rules. Greece and Italy were hit with legal action twice.

Trains vital to virus recovery, passenger rights shouldn’t be left at the station

Europe's railways are due a resurgence thanks to a combination of increased climate and health awareness. But the rules governing train travel need serious review in order to convince people to ride the rail instead of choosing the car or to fly, writes Ursula Pachl.

Tweets of the Week: Hungary Debate, Summer Holidays, Brexit Talks

Orban’s dictatorship makes MEPs mad, summer holidays would make everyone glad, and resumed Brexit talks are going pretty bad.

Twelve countries demand passenger rights suspension

Twelve countries have asked the European Commission to suspend the law requiring airlines to offer passengers a full refund for cancelled flights, championing the idea of time-limited vouchers as an alternative.

EU moves to shore up passenger rights as virus plays havoc

The European Commission clarified on Wednesday (18 March) how the bloc’s passenger rights codex should work, in an attempt to alleviate the concerns of thousands of travellers and companies affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Eight EU airports among world’s ten worst

Eight of the world’s ten worst airports are located in the EU, according to a new survey released by a leading passenger rights group last week. Only three of the top ten airports are in EU countries.

Airlines must compensate for wildcat strike delays, says EU court

Airlines have to pay compensation to passengers for delays caused by wildcat strikes that result from management decisions, the European Union's top court said on Tuesday (17 April).

EU auditors to examine passenger rights

The European Court of Auditors said on Tuesday (24 October) it would look into how passenger rights are implemented in the EU to examine whether EU regulation has provided effective protection of those rights, in light of discovered grey areas and legal gaps.

Commission insists Ryanair should respect EU reimbursement rules

Ryanair said yesterday (18 September) a mass cancellation of flights was set to cost the Irish no-frills airline €25 million, as it bowed to customer anger by publishing a full list of journeys axed.

Airlines boss: ‘Passenger rights should be printed on the back of the ticket’

Negotiations over the gridlocked EU air passenger rights regulation need to be put back on track despite the UK-Spanish standoff over Gibraltar – otherwise both airlines and passengers will suffer, warns Laurent Donceel in an interview with EURACTIV.com.

Passenger rights: Equal treatment for all?

All European passengers —whether travelling by air, rail bus or boat— are entitled to compensation when their trips are cancelled or delayed. EU policymakers are now considering further measures to ensure equal treatment for travellers and fairer competition between transport...

Passenger rights: Playing by the rules harms railways

Passenger rights in Europe need to improve in order for railways to compete in inter-modal transport and deliver on the EU’s decarbonisation strategy, writes Oliver Wolff.

EU lawmakers back air passenger data deal

EU lawmakers on Thursday (10 December) backed plans to track airline passenger names as part of efforts to prevent a repeat of the Paris attacks, some of whose perpetrators travelled freely across Europe before the carnage.

Passenger name record law passes first hurdle in Parliament

The European Parliament's Civil Liberties and Justice Committee approved the first EU passenger name record (PNR) bill today (15 July), two years after that same committee rejected an earlier draft of the data sharing law for flight passenger information.

Brussels considers withdrawing draft EU law on air travellers’ rights

The European Commission is considering "all possible options" regarding a stalled proposal to bolster the rights of stranded air passengers, which could ultimately lead to the withdrawal of the package, officials say.

Berlin calls for EU-wide retention of PNR flight data

The German government is calling for EU-wide retention of flight passenger data to combat the risk of terror caused by returning Jihadists, sparking opposition in the European Parliament against what critics call a “pointless hasty decision”. EURACTIV Germany reports.

MEP: ‘A three-hour delay equals flight cancellation’

The toughest challenge in the upcoming negotiations with EU member states regarding air passengers’ rights legislation is the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” for flight cancellations, according to Georges Bach, the rapporteur on the dossier for the European Parliament. Bach spoke to EURACTIV Greece in an interview.

Parliament beefs up rights of stranded air travellers

The European Parliament has called for stricter rules to make it easier for stranded air passengers to claim compensation from their airlines.

EU set for air passenger rights tug of war

With 37 votes in favour, three against and some 600 amendments tabled, the European Parliament transport committee finally put forward a compromise text yesterday (17 December) aimed at strengthening an EU regulation on air passenger rights, a sensitive political issue ahead of next year's European elections.

Parliament floats more compensation for delayed air passengers

Air passengers should be entitled to financial compensation after three hours of delay on intra-European flights, the transport committee of the European Parliament said in a debate yesterday (17 September).