Ahead of the summer holidays, the European Consumer Centre (ECC) hosted a conference in Luxembourg on Monday and issued a series of recommendations in the event that consumers encounter problems while abroad.
Has your flight been cancelled? Has your train been delayed? Was the wrong room booked at the hotel?
The experts of the EEC recommend documenting potential issues as they arise. For instance, if your luggage fails to arrive at the airport, you should file a loss report right away.
According to Christoph Neisius, a lawyer at the ECC, passengers are entitled to compensation if they reach their destination three hours later than the originally scheduled time. The amount one receives is determined by the duration of the flight.
In the event of delays or cancellations, every passenger holds the right to compensation, even if they do not have specific international insurance.
In principle, passengers have the option to personally request compensation, as airlines commonly provide a designated form for this purpose. Informing consumers about how to handle and fill in these forms was one of the reasons why the ECC decided to host the conference on Monday.
Similar rules apply to train travel. Passengers who experience delays of over one hour are eligible to a 25% refund. If the delay exceeds two hours, passengers may request a 50% refund.
For journeys involving several modes of transport, on the other hand, consumer rights have yet to be fully determined, according to Karin Basenach, director of the EEC.
In the case of separate bookings, no refund is provided if, for example, a flight is missed owing to a train delay. In general, the EEC recommends consumers to prepare ahead of time so that nothing gets in the way of a relaxing holiday.
