British tourists are issued warning over new EU rules that will reduce compensation for delayed flights
British tourists have been warned that new EU rules may reduce compensation offered for delayed flights.
Revised rules would see fewer protections for holiday-makers after EU transport ministers have agreed that the new rules would cut the compensation due for flight delays and increase the length of the delay before compensation applies.
The new rules, agreed on earlier this week, will affect short and medium haul flights under 3,500km Travel Weekly reports.
Proposals include reducing compensation for delays from €400 to €300 for flights up to 3,500 km, and from €600 to €500 for longer flights.
Compensation can also now only be granted if the delay is six or more hours, up from from just four hours.
Airlines can only deny claims for 'extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances' if they make every effort to mitigate a delay or cancellation.
The changes come after airlines lobbied for compensation on short-haul, European flights to only apply for delays of five hours or more and for nine hours for long-haul flights.
They argued that airlines were cancelling more flights than they would otherwise in response to delays because of traffic or technical problems.
New rules would also see passengers re-routed in the event of delays or cancellations and passengers could be asked to travel with other airlines or via a suitable alternative mode of transport to reach their destination.
If re-routing is not provided within three hours, passengers can then make their own arrangements and claim a refund up to the value of 400 per cent of the original ticket price.
The rule changes would also see clarifications on passengers's right to assistance with greater transparency on help available, what they are entitled to including food, drink and accommodation as well as being allowed to disembark during long delays even if they have already boarded.
Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of Brussels-based Airlines for Europe (A4E) which represents Europe's major carriers, said: 'Europe has been waiting for transparent and workable passenger rights for 12 years and member states have fallen at the final hurdle.
'Rather than providing delay thresholds of five and nine hours that would save up to 70% of rescuable cancelled flights, member states have diluted the EC's original proposal and introduced even more complexity.'
The changes would be the first to EU Regulation 261 since its introduction in 2004 and follow 12 years of stalled negotiations on revisions first introduced in 2013, according to the publication.
A statement on behalf of the Council of ministers following the agreement said: 'The revision answers a need for simpler and clearer rules while aiming at striking a better balance between a high level of protection for passengers and preserving connectivity and a level playing field for the aviation sector.
'The new rules aim to strengthen and clarify several existing air passenger rights, together with the introduction of some new rights.
'Key rights that were strengthened include the rights to be rerouted, the right to assistance and the right to information.'
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