The rights of passengers to compensation for delayed or failed flights are still not guaranteed despite an EU regulation.
The centers were set up by the EU last year, nearly 3,000 complaints from passengers, which airlines had refused any compensation, twice as many as last year, as evidenced by the on Thursday in Kehl am Rhein report by the 27 European Consumer Centres. Therefore paid in about 42 percent of the disputes, the airline companies would eventually have compensation.
Lost luggage is the biggest nuisance
According to the report of 978 complaints concerned about a third of lost baggage. 785 consumers complained because their flight had been canceled, 465 and 195 on delays, the reason is that along on the trip were denied, for example due to overbooking. The persons concerned have had in vain demanded compensation, which are provided either in the aviation Montreal Convention or the EU Regulation on passenger rights.
Imprecise wording
In February 2005 which entered into force in EU regulation requires airlines to pay about, canceled flights for compensation. These vary depending on the distance 250-600 €. The indemnity shall not, however, the Regulation requires that when a flight turned out because of “exceptional circumstances”. This vague formulation airlines use the report, especially frequently to reject applications for compensation: In a third of complaints received by the EU consumer centers, this was the case. The consumer advocates call for an improvement of the EU regulation. In Germany, wants the Federal Aviation Authority to proceed to a media report about 40 cases against airlines, which denied compensation.