Consumer protection: Airlines commit to timely reimbursement after flight cancellations

Following dialogues with the Commission and national consumer protection authorities, 16 major airlines have committed to better information and timely reimbursement of passengers in case of flight cancellations. The Commission had alerted the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) enforcement authorities in December 2020 to address several airlines’ cancellation and reimbursement practices in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, said: “It is good news for consumers that airlines cooperated during the dialogues, and committed to respecting passengers’ rights and improving their communication.” Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, said: “I welcome the fact that the bulk of the reimbursement backlog has been cleared and that all airlines concerned have committed to solve remaining issues. This is crucial to restoring passengers’ confidence. The recovery of the air transport sector depends on this. This is why we are also currently assessing regulatory options to reinforce passenger protection against future crisis, as foreseen in our Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.” The CPC network will now close its dialogues with all airlines, but will continue to monitor whether commitments are correctly implemented. More information is available here.