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EU changes compensation rule: passengers wait longer for money!
In Luxembourg, EU transport ministers decided to only grant compensation for delays of 4 hours or more.
EU changes compensation rule: passengers wait longer for money!
A major change in the area of air passenger rights is coming: the EU plans to reform the guidelines for compensation for flight delays. In the future, passengers will only be able to claim compensation if the delay is four hours or more. Previously, passengers could expect compensation payments for just three hours. This decision was supported by a majority of EU transport ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg, as nau.ch reported.
The new rules are primarily intended for shorter flight distances of up to 3,500 kilometers. If the delay is more than four hours, passengers should receive compensation of 280 francs. For flights over 3,500 kilometers, a time limit of six hours is set, with possible compensation of 470 francs.
Current compensation regulations
Airlines have also raised their voices and are calling for longer deadlines as part of the discussions: five hours for short-haul flights and nine hours for long-haul flights. These changes have a long history, as the revision of the guidelines has been in the works since 2013 until the EU states finally reached an agreement after 12 years.
Passenger rights and their impact
Passenger rights are regulated by Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, which affects all flights from EU airports, regardless of where the airline is based. For flights from third countries to EU airports, the rights only apply if they are EU airlines. Passengers are entitled to compensation for delays of at least three hours consumerzentrale.de are staggered as follows:
- 1.500 km oder weniger: 250 Euro
- Mehr als 1.500 km innerhalb der EU oder 1.500 bis 3.500 km: 400 Euro
- Mehr als 3.500 km: 600 Euro
In addition, for departure delays of more than five hours, passengers are entitled to a full refund or assistance with longer stays at the airport.
In Switzerland there is currently no specific legal regulation regarding compensation for flight delays. Instead, such decisions are often made by civil judges. However, this could change as the new EU guidelines could also have an impact on Swiss passengers who follow EU regulations.
Whether the new compensation regulations will be finally adopted now depends on the approval of the European Parliament, which is expected to want to maintain the existing three-hour requirement.