EU lawmakers in the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee have backed changes to air passenger rights rules first introduced in 2004, after voting to resist proposals by EU governments that would reduce when travellers can claim compensation.
The committee voted on Monday to keep passengers’ right to reimbursement or re-routing, and to retain the right to compensation for flights delayed by more than three hours, cancelled, or where boarding is denied, the European Parliament said in a statement.
EU governments have argued compensation should apply only after a four to six hour delay depending on flight distance.
The MEPs in the committee also rejected lowering compensation levels and proposed amounts of between €300 and €600 depending on flight distance.
The draft position limits airlines’ obligation to pay compensation to disruption within their control, and sets out an “exhaustive” list of extraordinary circumstances that would exempt carriers, including natural disasters, war, weather conditions or unforeseen labour disputes affecting the air operator, airport or air navigation service provider.
Under the committee’s proposals, airlines would still have to provide stranded passengers with refreshments every two hours after the scheduled departure time, a meal after three hours, and accommodation for up to three nights in the event of long delays.
Hand luggage, fees and support for vulnerable travellers
The MEPs called for passengers to be allowed to bring on board, at no extra cost, one personal item such as a handbag, backpack or laptop, plus one small piece of hand luggage with maximum dimensions of 100 cm (length + width + height) and a weight limit of 7 kg, the European Parliament said.
The committee also backed scrapping some additional fees, including charges for correcting passenger name spelling errors or for checking in, and said travellers should be able to choose between digital and paper boarding passes.
Passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, as well as children, would have rights to compensation, re-routing and assistance if they miss a flight because an airport fails to help them reach the gate on time.
The draft rules also include priority boarding for passengers with reduced mobility, pregnant women, infants and children in a pram with an accompanying person, and would require accompanying persons to be seated next to them without paying extra.
To speed up claims, airlines would have to send passengers affected by cancellations or delays a pre-filled compensation and reimbursement form within 48 hours, and passengers would have one year to submit a claim.
Rapporteur Andrey Novakov said the committee would not “step back from existing passengers’ rights”, according to a statement published by the European Parliament.
The Parliament’s draft position was backed by 36 votes in favour and two abstentions, and is due to go to the January plenary session for a vote by the full chamber.
