Travel agencies and online booking platforms will have to refund the full amount of an airline ticket, including intermediation fees, when a flight is cancelled and a refund is due.
This is established by the new Regulation on passengers' rights, approved this Tuesday by the Plenary of the European Parliament by a resounding majority of 652 votes in favour, 2 against and 8 abstentions. The measure, which covers approximately 13 billion journeys per year in the European Union, will unify procedures and strengthen the protection of travellers in the event of any type of incident.
The text agreed by the European Parliament clarifies the procedure for transactions carried out through intermediaries. In these cases, the payment to the passenger must be completed within a maximum period of fourteen days: the airline will have seven days to transfer the money to the intermediary, and the latter will have another seven days to pay it to the end consumer.
Likewise, agencies will be obliged to inform clearly about these conditions from the moment the booking is made.
Single European form and more facilities for people with reduced mobility
The reform also introduces a standardised European form to speed up the processing of compensation and refunds. This document will be available on the European Commission's website in all official languages and will be valid for any mode of transport, without prejudice to users being able to use equivalent forms provided by the companies themselves.
As for travellers with disabilities or reduced mobility, the text equates air transport to other modes (bus, train or ship). From the entry into force of the regulation, companions whose assistance is indispensable will be able to travel completely free of charge by plane.
The Regulation substantially expands the powers of national supervisory bodies. State authorities will be able to initiate investigations, audits and inspections of transport companies on their own initiative, without the need for a prior complaint from affected users.
"We are giving priority to the rights of our citizens over the profits of airlines," highlighted after the vote the rapporteur of the proposal, MEP Matteo Ricci. The parliamentarian stressed that the law will ensure the fulfillment of responsibilities "without the need to resort to the courts" and will ensure that those who use intermediaries retain their rights intact.
The regulation, which is part of the passenger mobility package presented by the European Commission in 2023, awaits formal approval from the Council of the European Union before its publication in the Official Journal. Its application in all Member States is set for October 23, 2027.
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