Passengers from the European Union could more easily get their money back when flights, trains, or trips are canceled.

The negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council have reached a preliminary agreement to strengthen passenger rights in air, rail, maritime, inland waterway, and bus transport. The new rules should make refunds and compensations easier to request, clarify the responsibility of intermediaries selling plane tickets, introduce a common form for requests, and provide better protection for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.

Passengers in the European Union could receive refunds and compensations more easily when journeys are canceled, delayed, or affected by major issues, after the negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council reached a preliminary agreement to strengthen passenger rights in several modes of transport. The new rules cover air, rail, maritime, inland waterway, and bus transport, focusing on the concrete enforcement of rights, not just their existence in legislation.

In short

1. The agreement clarifies the responsibility of intermediaries selling plane tickets when passengers need to be refunded after cancellations, major delays, or denied boarding.

2. The full ticket price refund and the intermediary's fee, if charged, should reach the passenger within 14 days.

3. Passengers in air, maritime, and bus transport will have a common form for refund or compensation requests, based on the already existing model for trains.

4. Persons with disabilities or reduced mobility will be able to travel free of charge with an accompanying person when the presence of an assistant is necessary, as is already the case for bus, train, or ferry transport.

The agreement aims to address one of the major frustrations of European passengers: rights exist, but they are often difficult to use. In theory, passengers have the right to information, to the execution of the transport contract, to refunds, to compensation, and to the prompt handling of complaints. In practice, many travelers do not know where to submit their request, who is responsible when the ticket was purchased through an intermediary, and what deadlines apply when the carrier or seller shifts responsibility.

One of the most important changes concerns plane tickets purchased through intermediaries, such as ticket sellers or online retailers. The agreement clarifies the role of these intermediaries in refunding passengers for the full ticket price in case of cancellation, major delay, or denied boarding. Intermediaries will have to inform passengers from the moment of booking about any additional intermediary, administration, service, or cancellation fees and about the refund process.

For the passenger, this clarification matters because many conflicts arise exactly in the area between the airline and the platform through which the ticket was purchased. The traveler pays a single price, but when the flight is canceled, they can be sent from the intermediary to the airline and vice versa. The new rules aim to establish clearer deadlines and responsibilities, so that the passenger does not remain stuck in an exchange of explanations between two entities.

The full ticket price refund and the intermediary's fee, if charged, should reach the passenger within 14 days. If the intermediary does not meet the deadline, the airline will have to process the refund within the next seven days after receiving the necessary payment details. This rule introduces a safety net: if the intermediary does not act in time, the responsibility falls on the airline.

The agreement also introduces a common form for refund or compensation requests. Passengers traveling by sea, by plane, or by bus will be able to use it to submit requests, based on the already existing model for rail transport. The European Commission will make the form available in all EU languages on its website.

The common form will not be the only way to request. Carriers will still be able to direct passengers to their own electronic form, paper form, or mobile application. However, the existence of a common form can reduce confusion for travelers who do not know exactly what information they need to provide or which rights they can invoke when the journey is disrupted.

For air passengers, the negotiators of the Parliament and the Council have already previously agreed on a more precise system. Airlines should send affected passengers clear electronic instructions on how to submit a compensation request within four days of the journey's completion.

This obligation can change the relationship between passenger and carrier. Instead of the passenger having to search for the rules, the form, and the correct address, the company will have to send them instructions after the incident. For occasional travelers, for elderly people, or for those who are not well-versed in EU rules, the difference can be significant.

The agreement also improves the protection of passengers with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility. If the presence of an assistant is necessary, they will be able to travel free of charge by plane alongside the assisted person. The rule already exists for bus, train, or ferry transport, and the agreement extends this protection to air transport.

For vulnerable passengers, the issue is not just the additional cost. Without an assistant, some people cannot travel in real safety or autonomy conditions. The free travel of the assistant when their presence is necessary can make the difference between a formal right to travel and the real possibility of using transport.

Enforcement of the rules is another central point. Negotiators have agreed to strengthen national enforcement and complaint handling bodies. These authorities will not have to wait for individual complaints to investigate possible violations. They will be able to initiate audits, inspections, or interviews with carriers on their own initiative.

This change is important because many violations of passenger rights never reach formal complaints. Some travelers give up, do not know the procedure, or consider that the amount is not worth the effort. If authorities can act proactively, systemic issues can be identified before hundreds or thousands of passengers file separate complaints.

Passengers traveling by sea or by bus will have three months from the incident to file a complaint with the carrier, a deadline already applicable for trains. If they do not receive a response or if the complaint is rejected, they will be able to refer to an official complaints body. The rule creates a clearer path from incident to resolution, with deadlines that are easier to understand.

The European Parliament's rapporteur, Matteo Ricci, from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, stated that rights cannot exist without effective enforcement. He asserted that the agreement complements the passenger rights package with a clear framework of rules for protecting and enforcing rights across all modes of transport, including through transparent and effective complaint and remedy mechanisms.

The agreement still needs to be formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council. It is part of a broader reform of EU rules on passenger rights proposed by the European Commission in 2023. The Parliament and the Council have already reached a provisional agreement on air passenger rights, which is set to be voted on in plenary in July.

For citizens, the stakes are simple: when a journey is affected, the passenger should not have to become an investigator, lawyer, and file administrator to receive what they are entitled to. The new rules aim to make rights easier to use, reduce the shifting of responsibility between carriers and intermediaries, and give authorities more power to intervene when the system does not work.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/stiri/pasagerii-din-uniunea-europeana-ar-putea-primi-mai-usor-banii-inapoi-cand-zborurile-trenurile-sau-cursele-sunt-anulate