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Your rights as an air passenger in Europe could be about to get significantly weaker
Consumer groups across Europe are pushing back against proposed EU reforms that would cut compensation for delays and cancellations and make it easier for airlines to avoid paying out
If you travel by air regularly, this is worth paying attention to. The European Commission is proposing changes to the rules that currently protect air passengers, and consumer organisations across Europe are warning that the reforms would leave travellers considerably worse off.Under the current rules, if your flight is cancelled without at least 14 days' notice, or delayed by more than three hours, you are entitled to automatic financial compensation of between €250 and €600. Those protections apply to any flight departing from an EU airport, or any flight operated by a European airline departing from outside the EU.
If the proposed reforms to Regulation 261 are approved, much of that would change. Thirty-four consumer organisations across Europe, including the Spanish groups CECU and Asufin, have written a joint letter to government ministers and members of the European Parliament warning of the impact.
The key changes they are concerned about are stark. On delays, the threshold for compensation would rise from three hours to four or even six hours, which consumer groups say would leave more than 60% of passengers who currently receive compensation with nothing. The amounts would also be cut dramatically, with the minimum payment dropping from €250 to €83, a reduction of 67%.
On cancellations, airlines would be allowed to notify passengers just 48 hours in advance rather than the current 14 days. The definition of "extraordinary circumstances," which airlines can use to avoid paying compensation entirely, would also be broadened, meaning carriers could escape liability in situations that stem from their own operational failures.
avid Sánchez, director of the CECU Federation of Consumers and Users, did not mince his words. "What's being proposed is a direct cut to already established rights. Passengers are being reduced in what they receive, the exceptions allowing airlines to avoid paying are being expanded, and it's becoming more difficult to file claims. This is a change in the rules that clearly unbalances the system against consumers, and we cannot accept it."
Patricia Suárez, president of the Association of Financial Users Asufin, went further, warning that "accepting this regulatory setback would set a very dangerous precedent for consumer rights, consolidating a contractual imbalance between airlines and consumers." She argued that the focus should instead be on automating compensation for passengers affected by disruption, not on finding ways to shield airlines from the consequences of their own failures.
Notably, the proposed reforms do not add any new rights either. Passengers would still have to pay extra for carry-on luggage, seat reservations next to children or dependants, and boarding pass printing. The controversial no-show policy, which allows airlines to cancel your return flight if you miss the outbound leg, would also remain in place.
The letter has been sent to ministers of EU member states and to the relevant European Parliament committees. Whether the reforms proceed in their current form remains to be seen.
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