EU Launches Probe into Airline Refund Practices and Passenger Rights

This measure was decided "following an external alert from the European Bureau of Consumer Unions (BEUC) and an alert issued by the Commission for the first time under the revised CPC regulation," the joint statement from the commission and the consumer rights association said. The purpose of this investigation is to obtain additional information from airlines operating in the European Union on how they inform consumers about their rights as passengers, and how they handle refund requests.

Several organizations contributed to the success of this investigation. These include the European Bureau of Consumer Unions (BEUC), the European Federation of Consumer Associations, and the French and Belgian consumer organizations UFC-Que Choisir and Test achats / Test aankoop. These organizations had announced that "it remains difficult for passengers whose flights had been cancelled by the airline to be reimbursed in cash, if they prefer it."

In detail, the "dialogues between the airlines and the network" will be coordinated by the national consumer protection authorities of several Member States (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and Sweden), and "in most cases by the Swedish Consumer Agency." According to the same press release, companies that have "persistent difficulties" in reimbursing all consumers in a timely manner must "provide information on what they are doing to quickly remedy these difficulties."

For Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice, airlines must properly inform consumers of their rights when a flight is cancelled. They must also ensure that all passengers who wish a cash refund receive it. "This is an important step towards the proper functioning of the travel sector. Other measures are underway, such as the revision of the regulatory framework for passenger rights, as provided for in the Strategy for Sustainable and Smart Mobility," promised Adina Vălean, Commissioner for Transport.