{"id":146869,"date":"2023-11-30T11:17:46","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T10:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/?p=146869"},"modified":"2023-11-30T11:17:46","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T10:17:46","slug":"european-commission-adopts-proposals-to-improve-the-passenger-and-traveller-experience-by-strengthening-passenger-and-traveller-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/en\/european-commission-adopts-proposals-to-improve-the-passenger-and-traveller-experience-by-strengthening-passenger-and-traveller-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"European Commission adopts proposals to improve the passenger and traveller experience by strengthening passenger and traveller rights"},"content":{"rendered":"

The new rules will build on lessons learned, including the recent experiences of the COVID-19 crisis and the bankruptcy of the travel group Thomas Cook in 2019, which had a major impact both on travellers and on the travel market.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In particular, they will clarify rules on reimbursement when flights or multimodal journeys are booked via an intermediary, so that passengers are better protected against cancellations. They will also provide for smoother journeys, especially those involving different travel services or transport modes, ensuring that passengers have access to direct support, and enhanced real-time information, for example on delays and cancellations. Special attention is paid to the needs of passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility to address and facilitate the switch between transport modes and improve quality assistance where needed.<\/p>\n

The proposals adopted today focus on 3 aspects:<\/p>\n

1. Stronger passenger rights<\/strong><\/p>\n

Passengers travelling by air, rail, ship or bus already enjoy world-renowned protection by EU passenger rights. They are, for example, entitled to rerouting, reimbursement, compensation and\/or assistance (depending on the circumstances) if travel is disrupted. Nevertheless, some gaps in today’s rules still remain while shortcomings in implementation and enforcement are preventing passengers from fully benefiting from these rights. The proposal for a\u00a0revision of the Regulations on Passenger\u00a0<\/strong>Rights<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0addresses these problem areas by strengthening the enforcement mechanisms and introducing rules for air passengers who booked their flights via an intermediary, including on reimbursement. The\u00a0proposal\u00a0<\/strong>on passenger rights in the context of multimodal journeys<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0also sets out for the first time, new rules to protect passengers using different types of transport, like buses, trains, and planes, all in one trip. Passengers will enjoy better information rights before and during such travels, including on minimum connecting times between different transport services. In addition, where they bought the multimodal journey under one transport contract, they will be entitled to assistance by the carrier in the event of missed connections.\u00a0Special attention is paid to the needs of passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility.<\/strong>\u00a0Persons with reduced mobility who switch from one transport mode to another during their journey will be assisted at connecting points by carriers and terminal operators when they travel under a single contract of carriage or when they travel through multimodal passenger hubs. If an airline obliges a passenger with disabilities or a person with reduced mobility to travel accompanied by someone because the passenger needs assistance to comply with aviation safety requirements (e.g. to fasten the seatbelt), the airline will be obliged to transport the accompanying person free of charge, and when practical, seat this person next to the passenger they are assisting. This right already exists when travelling by rail, ship or bus\/coach.<\/p>\n

2. Protection of package travellers<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the\u00a0revision of the 2015 Package Travel Directive<\/strong><\/a>, the protection of package travellers will in the future be more effective, in particular, during crisis situations, learning the lessons from the Covid19 pandemic. The proposed amendments will provide stronger and clearer rights for travellers and clarify the obligations and responsibilities of package organisers.<\/p>\n

Some of the new rules relate to:<\/p>\n