EU wants to cut passenger compensation
A majority of member states voted to change the rules, despite opposition from Germany.
The subject of tough negotiations, the agreement reached Thursday evening between member states, must now be discussed in the European Parliament. Passengers can currently claim up to €600 for a delay of more than three hours, a rule adopted more than twenty years ago. But airlines regularly complain of an excessive financial burden—estimated at €8.1 billion per year by the European Commission.
To give them some breathing room, a majority of member states voted to change the rules, despite opposition from Germany. For flights up to 3,500 kilometers, as well as for all intra-European flights, passengers would be entitled to a refund of €300, starting from four hours of delay. For longer journeys, passengers would receive €500 starting from six hours of delay.
"The new eligibility thresholds will deprive the majority of passengers of their compensation rights."
Consumer associations have criticized this measure. "The new eligibility thresholds will deprive the majority of passengers of their compensation rights, given that most delays are between 2 and 4 hours," denounced the European Consumer Organisation.
However, the compromise did not satisfy the airlines. The Airlines for Europe (A4E) association, which includes Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair, and easyJet, criticized the text for introducing "even more complexity" compared to the European Commission's initial proposal.
European leaders, for their part, highlighted "more than 30 new rights" for passengers, applicable between the time they buy their ticket and the time they arrive at their destination, Polish Minister Dariusz Klimczak welcomed.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said he was "pleased with the compromise" reached by the EU in a message on the X network. He cited several concrete advances, including enhanced rights for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility and an automatic compensation mechanism in the event of flight cancellation.
"This text could have been more ambitious, but it is an important step in continuing to improve the quality of service offered to air transport users," added Mr. Tabarot.
(the/mc)
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