Europe Wants Airlines to Stop Making You Chase Your Refund

The European Parliament voted 652 to 2, with 8 abstentions, on October 20 to approve an updated passenger rights regulation covering air, rail, maritime and road travel. Lawmakers say the rules touch about 13 billion passenger journeys a year. The headline change is aimed at one of travelers’ oldest complaints: being bounced between the airline and the website that sold the ticket when a flight is cancelled.

Under the new refund rules, a passenger is entitled to a full refund after a cancellation, including any intermediary service fees. The airline must pay the intermediary within seven days, and the intermediary must then repay the passenger within another seven, a 14-day maximum. Booking intermediaries will also have to explain refund arrangements at the time of purchase, though microenterprises are exempt subject to information requirements.

Other changes are practical. The European Commission will provide common claim forms in every official EU language for aviation, rail, maritime and bus travel, though passengers may still use an operator’s own equivalent. Airlines must carry a required accompanying person free of charge when aviation safety requires one. National authorities gain power to investigate suspected infringements without waiting for a formal complaint, including proactive inspections and interviews with operators.

Nothing changes yet. The Council of the EU must still formally adopt the regulation, and it must be published in the Official Journal. The rules would then apply from October 23, 2027, and the existing framework stays in force until then. For now, travelers booking through online agencies should keep confirmation emails and cancellation notices, since the refund clock under current rules can still depend on who you paid.

Sources: Travel Daily News