Policymakers, consumer advocates and airline lobbies have been fighting for more than a decade over what protections passengers should have, and Brussels hopes to end the fight this week, writes Politico.
At the center of the debate is the question of whether passengers will continue to be entitled to compensation of 250 to 600 euros if their flight is delayed by at least three hours, and a series of new rights for travelers and obligations for airlines are also being discussed. Many consider the current rules to be flawed. Passengers complain that they often do not receive the compensation they are entitled to, while airlines complain about the huge costs that compensation requires. However, if the talks on the 2nd of June fail to achieve the desired result, the current system will remain in force.
The European Commission initiated the reform of the system back in 2013, recommending extending the period after which compensation is due to five hours. It was part of a broader reform package that would allow airlines to charge less while strengthening passenger rights in other areas. At the time, the reforms did not generate widespread enthusiasm. Former EU transport commissioner Siim Kallas, who proposed the reforms in 2013, said that those pushing for the changes faced accusations from all sides: “Some people considered that this was too pro-airlines … others that it was not good for airlines.”
After almost a decade of stagnation, the reform was revived last year. The countries managed to reach an agreement, and a decision was also made to shorten the negotiation period and set a deadline for reaching an agreement to prevent the reforms from collapsing.
However, this has caused conflict with the European Parliament.
The countries decided to extend the period after which compensation is due to four hours (instead of the current three hours) for flights of up to 3,500 kilometres or within the European Union, and to six hours for flights longer than that. The text of the new rules obliges airlines to create an automatic form for requesting compensation, which means that more passengers will claim compensation.
Consumer advocates, citing an EC study, have pointed out that only 38% of passengers who could be entitled to it apply for compensation. Consumer representatives added that most travellers do not even complain because they do not know their rights and the procedures for receiving compensation are cumbersome. Meanwhile, airlines are concerned that more complaints will increase costs.
EU countries have indicated that the reforms will provide a better balance between a high level of protection for passengers’ rights and fair and equal conditions for the aviation sector. The EP has responded by supporting its own reform proposal, which sees maintaining current rights as a red line it will not cross. MEPs want to keep the current system, which allows passengers to claim compensation after a three-hour delay, and also want to allow passengers to take larger hand luggage in addition to small bags that must be placed at their feet.
Low-cost airlines have said they will change their business model and increase ticket prices.
After years of demanding reforms, airlines are now fearful of the outcome. They first called on politicians to stop the discussions and conduct an impact assessment, and in recent weeks have stressed that no deal is better than a bad deal.
The official deadline for reaching an agreement is the 15th of June, but sources close to the talks told Politico that, given the technicalities involved, such as document translation, the deadline for agreement is actually the 2nd of June.
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