About: Passenger rights

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).

MEPs reject EU passenger data storage scheme

The European Parliament's civil liberties committee voted today (24 April) to reject a proposed EU system of storing the private data of airline passengers along the lines of an equivalent US scheme.

Commission moves to limit claims under aviation bill of rights

Stranded airline passengers should not be able to claim for more than three nights of accommodation under European Commission proposals that would protect airlines from potentially huge compensation bills.

The fourth railway package: A sense of unfinished business

As the European Commission finalises proposals for a fourth overhaul of the railway sector since 2001, the resistance of major stakeholders against the draft reform suggest it may not be the last, argues Dan Wolff.

Court backs passengers in airline compensation case

The European Court of Justice has rejected attempts by airlines - including Lufthansa and British Airways - to avoid paying compensation for delayed flights, making it harder for carriers to side-step payments in future.

Europe’s rails: A bumpy ride to a single market

Two decades into the European single market, getting people or goods from one part of the European Union to another on trains remains a challenge – despite rail's potential in reducing traffic pollution and congestion. The European Commission is considering new ways to reach the end station of a common railway market.

Pilots say cost-cutting may put passengers at risk

Airlines' efforts to lighten their aircraft by taking on less fuel could be putting passengers at risk, European pilots and labour organisations say following several incidents where flight crews made emergency landings because of low fuel reserves.

EU rubber-stamps airline passenger data transfers to the US

European Union lawmakers approved an agreement on Thursday (19 April) allowing US authorities to obtain and store data on passengers flying to the United States from Europe, ending years of resistance to a deal on handing over such information.

Parliament votes to boost airline travellers’ rights, privacy

The European Parliament voted today (29 March) over the objections of the airline industry to strengthen rights of passengers who face flight cancellations or other travel interruptions.