The European Commission is striving to further improve air passenger rights. On Wednesday it announced a new set of proposed measures related to long delays, mishandled baggage and other areas.
"There will be better complaint procedures and enforcement measures so passengers can actually obtain the rights to which they are entitled," according to an EC statement. To be enacted as law, the proposals must be approved by the European Parliament and the European Council, a process that could take 18 months, according to an EC spokesperson.
EC noted that the air passenger rights proposal "clarifies legal grey areas" stemming from passenger protections first enacted in 2005 "and introduces new rights where necessary."
"The application of the European Union passenger rights rules has constantly improved in the eight years since its entry into force, however, today a point has been reached where the limits of non-legislative action (such as guidelines and voluntary agreements) have been reached and where a revision of the legislation itself is necessary to ensure that passenger rights work in practice as they should," according to EC.
Added EC vice president for transport Siim Kallas, "It is very important that passenger rights do not just exist on paper. We all need to be able to rely on them when it matters most—when things go wrong. We know that the real priority for stranded passengers is just to get home."
New and revised regulations would require airlines to "provide clear complaint-handling procedures" and reply to complaints within certain timeframes; better inform passengers about baggage allowances; provide assistance and compensation when a passenger misses a connection due to delays; provide increasing levels of comfort as tarmac delays are prolonged; "keep passengers informed about the situation of their delayed or cancelled flight as soon as possible"; and, in the event of long delays or cancellations, offer rerouting on its own flights within 12 hours or otherwise offer rerouting on another airline.
Meanwhile, EC, noting "complaints from passengers," proposed that an airline may not deny boarding to a passenger "on the return flight of his ticket on the grounds that he did not take the outbound part of the return ticket."
The International Air Transport Association stated "disappointment" with the proposals, claiming that "many of the proposed changes will be difficult for governments to enforce, add unnecessary costs and incentivize behaviors by industry that will be ultimately detrimental to the interest of passengers."
Source: Business Travel News