Flights Delays Compensation: A Contentious Shift in EU Policies
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Diverse opinions among EU countries concerning proposed changes to air travel compensation regulations - Dispute over Flight Delay Compensation Revisions: EU Nations Face Differences in Reform Strategies
Brussels is stirring up a storm with its recent proposals for flight delay compensation. The EU Commission's 2013 reform plans suggest a major overhaul, including a significant increase in the compensation threshold, currently at a mere three hours. If these changes materialize, compensation would only be granted after delays of five hours for domestic flights and even longer for long-haul trips.
But harmony within the 27 member states remains elusive. A unified front seems far-fetched, with no clear majority supporting this shift. In the fray, Germany has reportedly presented a counter-proposal, keeping the threshold at three hours but offering a flat rate compensation of €300, an average drop compared to the current system.
Advocates for consumers are staunch critics of these reform plans. According to André Duderstadt, the flight passenger rights representative for the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv), these changes could leave many passengers high and dry. As Duderstadt told the news agency AFP, "With a three-hour threshold maintained, that would be a success."
Poland, currently holding the presidency of the Council of the 27 EU countries, aims to broker a new compromise proposal by the end of this week. If a consensus is reached among transport ministers at their meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday, negotiations with the European Parliament would follow. However, these discussions are unlikely to gain traction until autumn.
- EU
- flight delay compensation
- reform plans
- air passenger rights
- EU Commission
- flight delay threshold
- consumer protection
A looming restructuring in the EU's flight delay compensation policies has stirred up debate. Major changes proposed by the EU Commission in 2013 include:
Proposed Adjustments to Compensation Thresholds
- Revised Delay Thresholds: The proposed reforms suggest increasing the delay threshold for flight compensation from the current three hours to either 4 hours for intra-EU flights or flights under 3,500 km, and to 6 hours for flights over 3,500 km. This could result in fewer passengers receiving compensation under these revised thresholds[1][5].
- Adjusted Compensation Amounts: The new compensation amounts for flights under 3,500 km would be reduced from a range of €250 to €400 to a fixed €300. For long-haul flights (over 3,500 km), compensation would drop from €600 to €500[2][4][5].
These modifications are anticipated to affect millions of passengers across Europe, potentially diminishing the effectiveness of air passenger rights[5].
- The proposed changes to EU flight delay compensation policies, as outlined in the EU Commission's 2013 reform plans, could lead to fewer passengers receiving compensation due to increased delay thresholds and reduced compensation amounts.
- The potential diminishment of air passenger rights as a result of these changes has sparked criticism from consumer advocates, with some calling for the delay threshold to remain at the current three hours to protect passengers' rights.
