Latest news with #passengerrights
CNN
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
Stand up on the plane too early? You could be risking a fine
This week in travel news: A park that's home to the real Batcave, Asia's underrated adventure destination, and a Canadian-American romance that happened in Mexico. We all want to get off the plane as soon as it lands, but that can become a disorderly scramble, even before the aircraft has come to halt. Now the Turkish government has decided enough is enough. A memo from the country's Directorate General of Civil Aviation says that passengers can be fined if they 'stand up, go to the corridor, open the overhead bins and proceed along the aisles … despite the announcements about the rules during taxi after landing, when the aircraft has not yet reached the parking position and the seat belt warning lights have not turned off.' The amount of the fine was not mentioned, and it's unclear if anyone has actually been given one. But considering that IGA Istanbul Airport is the best connected airport in the world and this rule applies to all commercial flights entering the country, there are a lot of travelers who could potentially come under scrutiny. Besides the people who stand up before the plane is safely at the gate, fines can also be issued to 'passengers who use or attempt to use smoke-producing devices or products (aka vapes) on the aircraft.' Even if you live in an urban area, there are still ways to get out and enjoy the great outdoors this summer. CNN's Sara Sidner finds happiness on horseback in LA's Griffith Park, which might just be the greatest city park in the US. Among the highlights: a Merry-Go-Round that inspired a guy named Walt Disney to think about building a theme park, various hiking and biking trails, Griffith Observatory, the Los Angeles Zoo, and any number of spots where your favorite movies and TV shows were filmed — including the real Batcave from the original '60s TV show. If your summer travel dreams take you farther afield, one Asian destination is becoming a major hub for wellness and outdoor pursuits. Taiwan is home to an inviting mix of different landscapes. Locals flock to Sun Moon Lake and Taroko Gorge, but there are also 260 peaks over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet), plus beaches, campsites, hiking trails and scenic train rides to choose from. Planning to get in the water this summer? Our friends at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have tried and tested the best one-piece swimsuits for women of all body types. It sounds like the plot of a romcom: a Canadian librarian ran off with an American yacht captain during the heady summer of 1968. But it's all true. Beverly Carriveau and Bob Parsons met in Mazatlan, Mexico. She says that it was like 'a thunderbolt' when she first glimpsed Parsons through a window in the hotel gift shop. Later, he sent a bottle of white wine over to the table where she was dining with her friend. From there, it was history. The couple were married for 52 years until Parsons' death five years ago. This is just one of the many stories of how travel can build lifelong connections. Check out Chance Encounters for more — or to submit one of your own. A man lost an AirPod under his train seat. It took 11 firefighters to rescue him — and the AirPod. This Japanese airport got a Sanrio makeover. Now landing at Hello Kitty International. Southwest will start charging for checked bags. Prices begin at $35. New Zealand has named its 'bug of the year.' It's an ancient worm that spits poison goo.
Travel Daily News
23-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
ERA calls for balanced EU261 revision
ERA urges EU261 revision to support regional airlines, calling for flexible rules on compensation, delay thresholds, re-routing, and extraordinary circumstances. The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) continues to call for a proportionate and flexible approach in the long-awaited revision of the Passenger Rights Regulation, EU261. While the regulation is intended to protect passengers and improve the reliability of air travel, its current form places an unsustainable burden on regional airlines that deliver essential connectivity across Europe. ERA is therefore calling to ensure that the revision of the regulation does not hinder European regional connectivity. The revised regulation should include the following elements: Compensation levels must reflect regional realities: Raising compensation would disproportionately impact carriers operating only short-haul routes, many of which are smaller airlines, in particular but not limited to PSO routes, where low fares leave no margin for added costs. These vital services must remain economically viable. Extended delay thresholds from 3 to 5 hours for short-haul flights: Many regional airlines operate essential services to remote or insular areas, often without immediate access to maintenance facilities. Extending compensation thresholds reflects these operational realities and helps carriers manage multiple daily rotations safely. Airlines must be able to prioritise the safety tasks without the pressure of being penalised by inflexible rules. An increase of the threshold will also significantly reduce the cancellation of flights and hence will ultimately benefit the consumer. Limited conditions for re-routing: Regional carriers must retain the operational flexibility to manage disruption in line with their available resources. Overly permissive re-routing options – such as immediate rebooking on any available carrier or alternative transport mode – would place an unsustainable burden on smaller airlines. A binding, non-exhaustive list of extraordinary circumstances: Greater legal clarity is essential for both passengers and carriers. A detailed and flexible list will reduce administrative costs and litigation while ensuring fairness. Jesper Rungholm, ERA President and CEO of Danish carrier DAT, commented: 'The majority of regional operations connect remote islands and regions of Europe to the mainland, providing vital connectivity. These services can be challenging – weather, maintenance, crew availability – with almost every aspect of airline operations at its most extreme. Passengers are accustomed to delays and disruptions across all modes of transport, yet it is only airlines that face extreme compensation payments, along with hotel and meal costs. With regional fares kept deliberately low, we often see compensation amounts that are four to five times the ticket price. 'Options for cost recovery are extremely limited, making this an excessive and unsustainable burden. Nevertheless, our commitment to serving passengers remains strong. The revision of EU261 should not put the economic viability of these essential routes at risk and threatens regional connectivity.' Montserrat Barriga, Director General, ERA added: 'If the financial burden on regional airlines continues to rise unchecked, the consequence will be the closure of routes that many communities depend on and make regional airlines less competitive hence reducing choice and increasing prices for passengers. Regulation must strike a balance between protecting passengers and ensuring that the airlines serving remote and underserved regions can continue to operate sustainably. 'ERA urges policymakers to move away from a rigid, one-size-fits-all model and towards a collaborative, realistic and passenger-focused framework. Only then can the regulation continue to protect travellers while safeguarding the regional air services that are Europe's lifeline.'
Times
21-05-2025
- Times
Compensation for cancelled and delayed flights: everything you need to know
Delays and cancellations can happen when you least expect it but in the case of air travel, there's fairly robust legislation around passenger rights in the UK. Regardless of the cause, an airline has a duty of care when a flight to or from the UK has been delayed for three hours or more, or if it has been cancelled at the last minute for example. In some cases you might also be eligible for compensation. Often you'll need to collect certain information from the airline in order to make a claim, such as the cause of the delay or cancellation, as well as any receipts from expenses you might have incurred. Here's what you should know. All flights that depart from the UK, or are operated by a UK or EU airline with a UK destination or a UK airline with an EU destination, are covered by UK law regarding refunds and compensation for delays and cancellations. The legislation was adopted from EU Regulation 261/2004, with any compensation paid out in pounds rather than euros. If your flight is in one of the three categories listed above and is cancelled, then regardless of the reason for the cancellation the airline needs to provide two options for you: a full refund (including any affected return journeys) reimbursed within seven days, or an alternative flight, including with a rival airline. The replacement flight can be the next available one, or one on a future date. You are within your rights to request a full refund if the alternative flight isn't suitable for you. And if you have a connecting flight and you decide not to travel, the airline must take you back to your original departure point. If you choose a refund, the airline's duty of care obligations end. If you choose a replacement flight, they are obliged to provide you with a reasonable amount of food and drink, phone calls and accommodation (including any transfers) if necessary until they are able to fly you to your destination. • The best and cheapest travel money providers• Best travel debit and credit cards to use abroad Compensation is possible if the cancellation was announced within two weeks of departure and the cause was something within the airline's control, such as staffing issues. Causes such as extreme weather conditions, strikes by air traffic controllers, border control staff or other airport staff not employed by the airline, including baggage handlers, are considered outside the airline's control. Security incidents are also considered outside of the airline's control. In cases where you are eligible for compensation, the amount you can claim depends on how far you're travelling, when you're told about the cancellation, and how different the proposed replacement flights are from the original schedule. For cancellations that take place between seven and 14 days before travel, you won't get any compensation if your new flight departs within two hours of the scheduled time of your original flight and arrives less than four hours after the scheduled time of your original flight. Otherwise each passenger is entitled to: • £220 for short-haul flights that arrive two or more hours later than your original flight• £110 for short-haul flights that arrive less than two hours later than your original flight• £350 for medium-haul flights that take off more than two hours earlier, or arrive three or more hours later than your original flight• £175 for medium-haul flights that take off two hours earlier, or arrive less than three hours later than your original flight• £520 for long-haul flights that arrive four or more hours later than your original flight• £260 for long-haul flights that take off less than an hour earlier, or arrive less than four hours later than your original flight For cancellations that take place within seven days of travel, you won't get any compensation if your new flight departs within an hour of your original scheduled flight and it arrives less than two hours after your original scheduled flight. If your flight is cancelled overnight or rescheduled for the following day, then the airline must make necessary arrangements for you — including booking and paying for a hotel, and providing refreshments. In reality, this may depend on the availability of hotels, which could mean you have to organise your own reasonable accommodation and then claim back the costs. This doesn't, however, include any guarantee or stipulation as to the quality of that accommodation. If you have pre-booked a hotel, experiences and car hire on the ground in your destination, you won't be able to get any compensation for this. You may, however, be able to claim these costs through your travel insurance. • Best travel insurance providers In the UK, the sale of package holidays — where accommodation is booked at the same time as flights, trains or car rental — is governed by the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, giving consumers certain rights when things go wrong. As part of the legislation, companies in the UK that sell package holidays must take out financial protection for each package they sell, which is usually done through either Atol (packages with flights) or Abta (packages without flights). This means that if the company you booked with goes out of business, your booked holiday could either still go ahead or be cancelled with a full refund offered. There are also certain legal protections in place. For example, if the package you've been sold is not as described, or if one part of your booking has been cancelled, you're entitled to redress — the company that sold you the package will either need to correct the issue or offer you a partial or full refund. These same protections cover you when your package holiday has been cancelled by the operator. You should receive a full refund within 14 days of the cancellation. If you booked your flight through a third party, such as a travel agent or a website like or Expedia, you'll need to contact them instead of your airline for a refund. This is because the contract the airline has is with the agent or website, rather than with you, and your contract is with the agent or website rather than with the airline. Depending on the terms and conditions of your booking, however, you may not be eligible for a cash refund. Instead, you may have to take a voucher for future travel, or pay an admin fee to get a cash refund. For compensation related to delays and cancellations, you should still contact the airline you travelled with. For flights to and from the UK, there are two pieces of legislation that govern delay compensation. In both cases, your flight needs to have been delayed by at least three hours before you're entitled to anything, and the delay must have been caused by something within the airline's control, such as a faulty aircraft or strikes by the airline's own staff. Causes such as strikes by non-airline staff, including air traffic control and border control, and bad weather are considered extraordinary circumstances and delays caused by these are not eligible for compensation. However, whatever the reason for the delay, the airline still has a duty of care. This means providing reasonable amounts of food and drink (usually in the form of vouchers), means for you to communicate (such as internet data or phone minutes), and overnight accommodation if they're not able to fly you out until the following day. This duty of care kicks in when your flight is delayed for more than two hours on short-haul flights (under 1,500km), more than three hours on medium-haul flights (1,500km to 3,500km) and more than four hours on long-haul flights (over 3,500km). EU regulation 261/2004 is the original legislation you can claim under. It covers any flights that departed from anywhere within the EU, or EU airline-operated flights with an EU destination. You can get: • €250 on short-haul flights after a three-hour delay• €400 on medium-haul flights after a three-hour delay• €300 on long-haul flights that have been delayed by three to four hours• €600 on long-haul flights if the delay is over four hours After Brexit, the UK adopted the EU regulation into its own law. It covers all flights departing from the UK, UK or EU airline-operated flights with a UK destination, and UK airline-operated flights with an EU destination. The compensation is paid in pounds rather than euros. You can get: • £210 on short-haul flights after a three-hour delay• £336 on medium-haul flights after a three-hour delay• £252 on long-haul flights that have been delayed by three to four hours• £505 on long-haul flights if the delay is over four hours You can only make a claim under one of the rules; it is likely to be the UK version if you're based in the UK and booked with a UK airline. If you miss a connecting flight due to delays or cancellations of a previous leg of the journey, the rules around compensation and duty of care will still apply — but only if all of the segments of the journey were booked on a single ticket. Specifically, the responsible airline is required to offer you reasonable food and drink, as well as accommodation if necessary, until your next flight. You should also be automatically booked onto the next available flight to your next destination. In terms of compensation, you're only eligible if the delay or cancellation was within the airline's control and you're departing from or travelling to the UK or an EU country. However, the amount you get will depend on the total distance of your journey rather than just the leg that was delayed or cancelled. And as for the length of the delay, it's determined by the delay to arrival rather than the delay at departure. If the two or more segments were booked separately, even if they're operated by the same airline, then the airline responsible for the delay or cancellation is not obliged to offer duty of care during your layover, or required to pay compensation for the delay. The airline responsible for the next leg of your journey can book you on the next available flight, but they may charge you for it. All claims for delay compensation must be submitted to the airline you flew with, rather than the one you booked with. For example, if you were travelling to the US on a flight booked with British Airways, and your carrier was actually its code share partner American Airlines, the claim should be submitted to American Airlines. To make a claim, you'll need the scheduled and actual arrival times (and that of alternative flights if applicable), and the reason for the delay or cancellation, plus proof of any flights you've travelled on, such as a boarding pass. If you incur any reasonable costs — for example, for food and drink because a voucher wasn't provided — you should keep your receipt and make a claim for these too. These should be submitted online or by post, and airlines should have the contact information you need on their websites. • Travel insurance guide: everything you need to know It may take several days or even weeks for an airline to get back to you once you've submitted your claim for compensation. If they don't get back to you after repeated contact, or you're not happy with the decision that they've made and feel you should be entitled to compensation, you can escalate your complaint. You have a few options. If your airline is registered with an ombudsman body such as AviationADR or CEDR, you can try going through them. You could also escalate the issue with the UK's Civil Aviation Authority. There's also the small claims court, but you'll need to pay a fee to use this service; the fee will only be returned if the court decides in your favour or if the airline pays of its own accord. Your airline should inform you when your flight is delayed and the reason why. It should also inform you of your rights to compensation, if you are eligible. Alternatively, you can check the live departure information at the airport you're travelling from, or on flight-tracking websites such as FlightRadar24. Even if you know your flight is delayed, you should still travel to the airport and check in for the scheduled time. Otherwise you may not be eligible for compensation and any associated return flights may be cancelled. When your flight has been delayed for five hours or more, regardless of the reason, you can choose not to travel. You'd then be eligible for a full refund. After you accept the refund, the airline's duty of care ends and you'll have to make your own onward travel plans. If you miss your flight because of a train or bus strike, the transport provider doesn't have to offer you any compensation — they must only refund the cost of the train or bus ticket you bought. Your only means of redress is to go through your travel insurance, and even then you must prove that you left in good time to arrive at the airport in time. Evidence for this might include ticket stubs showing when your journey started. Even if you do miss your original flight, it's still worth getting to the airport at the earliest opportunity. Your airline may be able to book you onto an alternative flight for free or at a discount.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ryanair ordered to make hand luggage change in 'huge win for passengers'
Ryanair has been ordered to refund a passenger £124 after a court ruled hand luggage is essential and should not incur extra fees. The passenger will be reimbursed for hand luggage costs charged on five flights between 2019 and 2024 following the judgement at a Salamanca court that their bags should not have incurred additional fees. The judge based her decision on a 2014 decision by a top European Union court which stated that hand luggage 'must, in principle, be considered an indispensable element of passenger transport and that its carriage cannot, therefore, be subject to a price supplement.' The passenger's claim was backed by Spanish consumer rights organisation Facua. Spanish lawyer Isaac Guijarro, who represented passengers, said of the ruling at the time that it was a 'huge win for travellers everywhere.' READ MORE: HMRC issues warning to 'everyone' in a UK household over five-minute form READ MORE: Aldi issues important statement over food safety concerns READ MORE Met Office warns drastic UK weather shift is coming 'if you were wondering' Guijarro said: "It shows Ryanair can't get away with treating passengers like walking ATMs." Article 97 of Spain's Air Navigation law explains airlines are "obliged to transport not only the passenger, but also, and without charging anything for it, the objects and hand luggage that they carry" with them. "They can only deny boarding of these items for security reasons, linked to the weight or size of the object, but in this case they were typical cabin suitcases' that did not exceed 55x35x25cm," he explained. One passenger reacted on social media: "Good. Ryanair destroyed UK local airline Flybe during Covid when our then government refused to support Flybe because Ryanair complained. Ryanair is a horrid airline in every sense. I will never fly with them." A second said: "I can never forgive Ryanair who abandoned its passengers in Gran canaria when the Icelandic volcano erupted 2010. No help, nothing just smirks from staff. It took a court case to get our money back." "Easy to get round the charge at check-in and then cancel the transaction at the lounge just before you about to board the flight., you might have to to phone your bank if you don't have an online account by the way," another said. Another typed: "That's exactly what I did, and they didn't have any bands for the bag and therefore couldn't give me a receipt, I politely said I'll wait, and the plane missed its take off window, and I know the costs of that, the juice in my case, wasn't worth the squeezing for them."
The Independent
11-05-2025
- The Independent
Stansted airport IT failure: your rights if you were caught up in the chaos
Thousands of passengers are seeking alternative flights or have given up on their holiday plans after another airport IT meltdown. At around 2.30am on Sunday 11 May, systems at London Stansted airport shut down. Eight hours later, the Essex airport said everything was working normally. But by then thousands of passengers, primarily booked on Ryanair, had missed their flights. Thousands more, mainly on Jet2, faced long delays throughout the day. What rights do passengers have? These are the key questions and answers. What went wrong? Stansted airport was affected by an 'IT issue' early on Sunday morning that rendered many of the systems useless. A problem was identified at 2.30am, but with the first wave of flights due to start just before 6am, queues began building. 'I was in queue for over two hours,' said Anne Alexander, head of politics for ITV's Good Morning Britain.' She was booked to fly to Palermo in Sicily for a short break, and had arrived at Stansted with over two hours to spare. But by the time she arrived at the gate, the flight had departed. Another passengers, Jodie, travelling to Antalya on Jet2 at 6.30am, talked of the confusion, saying: 'I was told I won't get on my flight as I was too late, and to go and book another alternative. Somebody else said the flight would go without me but with my case. I'm a solo traveller and have spent all morning in tears as it's been handled dreadfully.' In fact, she was a passenger on Jet2, which waited for customers to reach the aircraft before departing – but, with a fresh crew needed, is likely to be six hours late reaching Turkey. Why did the airlines respond differently? They have different business models. Ryanair is a flight-only enterprise. Its operation depends on aircraft and crew operating their high-intensity schedules as close to on-time as possible. The airline has already warned of severe air-traffic control problems during the summer, especially at weekends, and wanted to get its crucial first wave of around 60 flights away on time. Jet2 sells package holidays as well as flight-only tickets, and therefore waited for all passengers to reach their outbound flights. This had an impact in terms of crewing; delaying a flight to the eastern Mediterranean by several hours can mean pilots and cabin crew reach flight-time limits. What are the rights of Ryanair passengers who missed flights? They are in a tricky position. Legally, it is the passenger's responsibility to reach the gate in time, and so Europe's biggest budget airline could rely on its normal terms and conditions – charging a 'missed departure fee' of £100 for passengers who wanted to rebook on a later flight. In practice, given the circumstances, the airline is allowing at-airport rebooking free of charge for passengers. The problem is, on a typical Ryanair flight only a dozen or so seats are empty – meaning many passengers could face a long wait for an alternative departure. Many of the, like ITV's Anne Alexander, will simply have abandoned their trips. Can passengers who gave up claim on travel insurance? Possibly, as long as they can demonstrate (for example through time-stamped photographs, car-park receipts, etc) that they arrived at the airport in good time – ideally a minimum of two hours ahead. All claims will need to be supported by receipts. What about passengers on Jet2 and other airlines? Jet2 is the second operator in terms of scale at Stansted, and its entire first wave of 15 flights was delayed by anything from to six hours. For flights to most Mediterranean destination, after a delay of three hours the airline must provide refreshments free of charge. The same will apply to the thousands of passengers departing from Stansted later in the day – whose flights will inevitably be delayed – and those at destinations across Europe waiting to come home. The same applies for delayed passengers on Tui. Is any compensation payable? Not by the airlines. The IT failure was a Stansted airport issue and they do not need to pay cash compensation. Some travel insurance policies may pay a modest amount for delays of eight hours or more. Can I claim from Stansted airport? If you have financial losses that are not met elsewhere, you can try.
