Do European airlines show bad will when it comes to compensating their passengers? Remember that the consumer can be compensated thanks to Regulation 261/2004 adopted more than 20 years ago by the European Union “by any traveler of a country of the European Union that sees its flight canceled by non -extrathyral conditions, or delayed for more than three hours.” The latter provides compensation of 250 euros for flights of less than 1,500 kilometers, 400 euros for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers and 600 euros for flights of more than 3,500 kilometers. All for delays of more than three hours.
Last year, France’s air passengers have accumulated more than 7 million minutes behind their flights, according to the Flighthal site. 20% of the exits were delayed more than 15 minutes and 1% of the flights were canceled. This means the importance of such protection, even if only a French passenger referred to two average formulas of such request. Some are not aware of the existence of these regulations, others believe that the procedures are too complex.
Rejections without explanation in 8% of cases
Worse, according to Airhelp figures, a place specializing in passenger compensation, companies are trying to discourage their customers: 52% of eligible applications were rejected at the beginning without any valid reason. “This means that even if the 2.5 million travelers who have traveled from or to France and eligible for compensation in 2024 due to delays or cancellations had applied, around 1.3 million of them could not obtain the compensation that returned to them,” it was said to read in a press release.
Also according to Airhelp, companies play first on the clock to discourage their injured customers. 26% of the applications did not receive an answer. In 21% of cases, they reject compensation for alleged unfavorable climatic conditions without providing evidence. In 13% of cases, non -valid documents or attributes delay in air traffic control stand out (9%). Sometimes there is not even an explanation that motivates a negative (8%) and in 3% of the files, dispute the real duration of the delay. Even more dishonest, 2% of them justify their rejection for their general sales conditions, while European law prevails in all cases. Faced with this wear strategy, many give up.
It should be said that this compensation represents an evaluated financial burden (by companies) to 8.1 billion euros per year.
Towards a new less protective scale
This avoidance strategy could also gain impulse since the 27 countries of the European Union agreed in June to modify these assignments. Because the new scale is not frankly to obtain the advantage of consumers, even if it has not yet acted, since it must now be discussed in the European Parliament. This is how activation thresholds and quantities would be reorganized:
- 300 euros for flights of less than 3,500 kilometers, as well as for all intra -European flights, from four hours late.
- 500 euros for longer trips, since six hours late.
Consumer associations have punished this measure. “The new eligibility thresholds will deprive most passengers in their compensation rights, given that most delays are between 2h and 4 hours,” denounces the European Office of Consumer Unions. 75% of passengers would be excluded from the right to compensation.
Source: BFM TV
