EU plan to restrict travel delay compensation met with backlash

The European Union is planning to restrict air passengers' entitlement to delay compensation. A Citizens’ Initiative has now been launched in opposition to the draft law.

EU to limit air passengers’ delay compensation rights

In early June, EU countries agreed to increase the delay time that air passengers have to wait before they are entitled to compensation for delays. Until now, short- and long-haul air passengers have been entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed by three hours or more.

Under the new rules, short-haul passengers will only be entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed by four hours or more, and long-haul passengers will be entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed by six hours or more. A flight is considered long-haul if the journey is 3,500 kilometres or more.

Certain revisions to the law are changing in favour of air passengers. Compensation payments for passengers delayed on short-haul flights will increase from 250 euros to 300 euros, but compensation for those on long-haul flights will be cut from 600 euros to 500 euros.

Also in passengers’ favour, compensation forms will be automated to simplify the compensation claim process, the grounds on which airlines can deny compensation will be limited, and greater responsibility will rest with airlines to provide delayed passengers with alternative routes or accommodation.

EU Citizens’ Initiative opposes compensation changes

Now, an EU Citizens’ Initiative has been launched in opposition to what organisers call a “passenger-hostile” plan.

"EU governments are worsening the rights of EU passengers, and we intend to enable Europeans to speak out and against this," petition organiser and professor of European Law, Alberto Alemanno, told Euronews.

A successful petition cannot force the EU to scrap its plan. However, the Commission must formally respond to objections within six months, and if the bloc chooses to go ahead with the plan, the decision must be further explained.

Since most delays fall between two and four hours, the European Consumer Association (BEUC) has warned that the majority of delayed passengers will miss out on compensation if the draft law is passed. Airlines argue the change will benefit passengers, claiming that companies cancel flights unnecessarily under the current system to avoid paying out delay compensation.

Alongside the Citizens’ Initiative, MEPs from across the political spectrum have voiced opposition to the draft law. "People are not asking air companies for a favour – they pay good money for the services and when these services are not delivered, people deserve proper treatment and reasonable compensation,” Dutch S&D MEP Mohammed Chahim explained, “People must always come first before profit, and this is no exception.”