EU Flight Delay Compensation: A New Era?
Cautionary voices raised over proposed alterations in EU compensation for flight disruptions
Air travelers beware! Changes in EU regulations for compensation in flight delays may impact your rights if they go through as planned. According to consumer advocates, these modifications could leave some travelers out in the cold.
André Duderstaedt, the air passenger rights representative at the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv), vocalized his concerns in an interview with news agency AFP. "Those with genuine grievances may find themselves empty-handed in the future," he cautioned on Tuesday[1].
The proposed changes, originally presented by the European Commission in 2013, aim to raise the threshold for compensation. Presently, this threshold stands at three hours, but with the amendments, compensation would only be provided, on principle, after five hours of delay, and even up to twelve hours for long-haul flights[1].
Despite the controversy, an agreement on the changes has yet to be reached. The 27 EU countries couldn't agree on the proposals at a recent meeting. Poland, currently presiding over the Council of the 27 states, is spearheading the negotiations, hoping for a resolution at an upcoming meeting of EU transport ministers on Thursday in Luxembourg[1][2]. A compromise may differ from the Commission's original proposals[3]. Reports indicate that Germany has submitted an alternative proposal. This proposal maintains the three-hour threshold but would lower the average compensation to €300[1].
Duderstaedt generally approved of Germany's counter-proposal, stating, "This would ensure that anyone with a claim to compensation today will continue to have this claim"[1]. Still, the vzbv advocates for higher compensation, with Duderstaedt adding, "The final decision has not been made yet." If 27 countries agree on Thursday, negotiations with the European Parliament will ensue, likely to resume in the fall[1].
[1] ntv.de, AFP
[2] European Commission, Aviation Strategy for Europe
[3] Reuters
[4] The Guardian
[5] CNN Travel
- The proposed changes in EU regulations for flight delay compensation could potentially impact the employment policy of air travel industry, as the revised threshold for compensation may affect the number of compensation claims.
- In the realm of politics, the 27 EU countries are currently negotiating the proposed changes in flight delay compensation regulations, with Poland leading the discussions.3.While the current finance policy associated with flight delay compensation stands at €250-€600, the recent proposal from Germany suggests reducing the average compensation to €300, which may further influence the employment policy of the air travel industry.
