Parliament backs refunds for airline delays

Date: 31/10/02

By Martin Banks

PASSENGERS whose flights are delayed or cancelled will be in line for a refund under plans put forward by the European Commission.

A sliding scale of compensation means passengers would receive:

• €600 for flights of 3,500 km or more;
• €400 for flights between 1,000 and 3,500 km, and;
• €200 for flights of less than 1,000 kilometres.

Travellers on delayed flights will also have a legal right to refreshments, meals or hotel accommodation.

The Commission proposals were fiercely opposed by low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet who fear it will push up prices. But the move, which has been broadly backed by the European Parliament's transport committee, was greeted as a 'significant advance' in passengers' rights by Socialist MEP Mark Watts: 'For too long, passengers have paid the price for airline incompetence but the days of waiting helplessly while airlines cancelled, delayed and overbooked flights will soon be over.

'After years of letting airlines make the rules, passengers will finally have a legal right to the standard of customer service they deserve.

'For the first time, passengers will have a legal right to a cash pay-out if their plane doesn't leave the runway,' said Watts, transport spokesman for the UK Labour group. However, MEPs were sharply criticised by consumer groups for 'watering down' the Commission's plans.

The Brussels-based European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC) said the compensation package approved by the committee at last week's Strasbourg plenary would 'substantially' reduce protection offered to travellers.

Its director, Jim Murray, accused members of capitulating to pressure from budget airlines and said: 'This is very disappointing and we are asking our members to protest to their MEPs.

'The Commission was proposing €1,500 for long-distance flights and €750 for shorter flights but passengers will receive much less under the figures approved by the committee. Airlines may try to avoid overbooking MEPs or other important people but they are not so careful with other passengers.'

A final decision on the refunds scheme depends on EU transport ministers giving the proposal the go-ahead when they next meet on 25 November.

Passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled will be in line for a refund under plans put forward by the European Commission.