Ist es möglich, die Interessen von Fluggästen und Fluggesellschaften in Einklang zu bringen?
Die Gesetzesreform der Fluggastrechte in der EU sorgt für Kontroversen. Mit den geänderten Vorschriften werden neue Maßnahmen eingeführt, wie z. B. die Möglichkeit für die Fluggesellschaften, Gebühren für Handgepäck zu erheben.
LESEN SIE MEHR : http://de.euronews.com/2025/06/24/ist-es-moglich-die-interessen-von-fluggasten-und-fluggesellschaften-in-einklang-zu-bringen
00:30One of the updates concerns compensation for flight delays.
00:40Delay is currently defined as 3 hours for short-haul flights, with passengers receiving 250 euros.
00:47The revision sets 4 hours as the threshold for both short-haul and medium-haul flights, with passengers receiving 300 euros.
00:54The revision increases the current delay from 3 to 6 hours for long-haul flights, and reduces the current compensation of 600 euros to 500 euros.
01:06In addition, airliners will be able to charge passengers for luggage placed in the cabin, with only small bags that fit under the seats being free.
01:15The European Parliament will now examine the proposed update and decide to amend it or reject it.
01:23Let's hear what Europeans think of the possible changes.
01:26I don't think it's so important. 3 hours, 4 hours, my God, 1 hour or more.
01:32I would put more in my big bag and I wouldn't take small bags.
01:37It doesn't bother me more than that, no more.
01:39I don't want to make a lot of progress, but I should be able to repay.
01:42If we decide to continue like this, we will soon have to pay for our own price.
01:48It's bad, but it's more about transparency.
01:51Because when we are doing reserves, there are immense options and we never know how much price will be.
02:00Euro News reporter Greg Arlori has covered this process.
02:03What can we expect from the European Parliament regarding the review of passengers' rights, notably the right to compensation for delays?
02:13It's going to be tough.
02:15The first group in the Chamber, the EPP, warns that there is no way they should water down passengers' rights.
02:22So for the centre-right party, extending the delay to get compensation is a step in the wrong direction.
02:29The second group in the Chamber, the S&D, is on the same direction.
02:35The group feels that the new rules favour airliners and they ask also for automatic compensation,
02:44which means that passengers would get reimbursed within days and not within months.
02:49There are other amendments that are less controversial.
02:53The right to assistance, to information.
02:57What else could change?
02:58So the right of assistance is the right to get refreshment, food accommodation, in case of delay or consolation.
03:06Airlines should provide this.
03:08If airlines fail to provide this, then passengers can make their own arrangement and get reimbursed afterwards.
03:15There's also the rerouting right.
03:18Airlines should provide the earliest opportunity for a rerouting for passengers,
03:23which means that maybe this rerouting will happen through another courier or even another transport mode.
03:31Furthermore, airlines should act as swiftly as possible within three hours of a disruption.
03:38Otherwise, a passenger could make its own arrangement and ask for compensation which could be up to 400% of the original cost.
03:49There was not enough to block these amendments during the vote at the EU Council of Ministers,
03:56but four countries refused them.
03:59It's Germany, Slovenia, Portugal and Spain.
04:03What were the main arguments?
04:05So Spain is asking for legal, precise wording to avoid, you know, technical issues that would allow airliners to avoid compensating passengers.
04:15And Madrid is particularly vocal on that question.
04:18The government fined in November five companies for abusive practices, not linked with compensation, but with charging and luggage in cabins, for instance.
04:29Germany also considers that it's going to reduce the level of protection of consumers,
04:33so we can expect Germany to be frontrunner during the negotiation that is going to take place.
04:39The review also addresses abusive practices, notably the so-called no-show policy.
04:44Passengers cannot be denied boarding on a return flight simply because they did not use the outbound flight.
04:51In the event of cancellation less than 14 days before departure,
04:55airlines must provide prefilled forms for payment of compensation.
04:59Our guest is Agustin Reiner, Director General of the European Consumer Organization,
05:05an entity that has produced a position paper on this review.
05:09Your immediate reaction to the ministerial agreement was to say, and I quote,
05:16there's been a substantial reversal of fundamental rights.
05:20Let's start with the financial compensation for delays.
05:24What is the impact of changing from three to four hours in order to get that compensation?
05:29So, member states' agreement to go from three hours to four hours in compensation would imply that roughly 50% of people
05:40that today are entitled to get compensation in case of a delay, they will not have this right anymore.
05:46Three hours have been identified also by the Court of Justice as the appropriate threshold.
05:51And consumers are used to this parameter in order to assess whether they can claim compensation or not.
06:00So, therefore, increasing that threshold gives more flexibility to the airlines,
06:06but also means that consumers will end up waiting for much longer in order not only to get their flight eventually,
06:12but also to claim compensation.
06:13Regarding the payment for cabin luggage, your organization has issued several warnings
06:20that decisions by the European Court of Justice are being disregarded. How so?
06:26The practice of charging consumers for their carry-on luggage on board,
06:31especially by low-cost carriers, is illegal.
06:33It's illegal under EU law and it's also illegal under the case law of the European Court of Justice.
06:40So, one of the problems that we have identified in the texts that have been agreed by the member states
06:46is that now they're legitimizing that practice.
06:49And bringing a carry-on luggage doesn't have an extra cost for the airline.
06:52In this case, there is no additional cost for an airline.
06:56So, basically, the practice of charging consumers is just basically to extract more money from their customers.
07:02Do you think this review could encourage airlines to go even further in charging for other services,
07:09especially the flagship airlines that tend to be less restrictive than the low-cost ones?
07:16We don't have a crystal ball, but the reality is that now this position of the member states leaves the door open.
07:23So, we could see these business models evolving in the future.
07:27So, there is a matter of ensuring that there is a minimum level of quality when European consumers take a flight.
07:33Airlines for Europe welcomed the government's position.
07:37This organization, which represents 80% of European air traffic,
07:42said that the review will allow for companies to offer the best possible package for consumers.
07:49However, depending on the European Parliament,
07:52the decade-long review may take some more time to reach conclusion.
