Airlines meet passengers' needs

European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders explained:

"In the early stages of the pandemic, some airlines offered vouchers to passengers. They acted contrary to EU consumer protection rules. This was unacceptable. After our joint action, I am pleased that most of them have agreed to take back these vouchers."

 

Airlines and low-cost carriers Aegean Airlines, Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Easyjet, Eurowings, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Ryanair, TAP, Vueling and Wizz Air participated in the dialogue.

Among the commitments they have made:

- Providing more accurate information and reimbursing passengers in a timely manner;

 

- A clear distinction between airline cancellations and passenger cancellations.

 

- Vouchers can only be issued to passengers if they would not mind receiving them. Most airlines have agreed that unused vouchers, which passengers in the early stages of a pandemic should have accepted, can be refunded in cash if the passenger so wishes;

 

- Passengers who booked a flight through an intermediary and are having difficulty obtaining a refund from it can contact the airline and request a refund directly. Airlines are expected to inform passengers of this direct refund option on their websites.

 

The airline sector has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic because of the restrictions that led to the cancellation of thousands of flights in the EU. In February of this year, many problems were still unresolved, and a network of national consumer organizations, supported by the European Commission, requested information from 16 major airlines, which eventually led to an agreement.