Air passengers gain sweeping rights today under new EU rules that oblige airlines to offer compensation for delays, cancellations and overbooking, even on package tours, charter flights and low-cost flights.
The European Commission has told the Government to set up an independent body to deal with passengers' complaints against airlines. Ireland is one of just 10 EU member-states that have yet to establish such a complaints board.
The new rules almost double the compensation payments to passengers who are not allowed to board a flight due to overbooking. If a passenger does not volunteer to give up his seat for other compensation, the airline must pay €250 for short flights and €600 for long-haul flights.
If a flight is cancelled for reasons within the airline's control, passengers must be offered a refund of the ticket and a free flight back to the initial point of departure and the airline must provide meals, refreshments, and accommodation in a hotel if necessary. The Commission said yesterday that bad weather would seldom be an acceptable reason for cancelling a flight but pointed out that passengers must check in on time to qualify for compensation.
The new rules apply to all flights from airports in the EU and to flights into the EU operated by an EU airline.
Some airlines have warned that the new rules could push up ticket prices but the Transport Commissioner, Mr Jacques Barrot, insisted that there was no conflict between profitability and providing a good service.
Mr Jim Murray, director of BEUC, the European consumers' group, welcomed the new rules, although they were less than what had been sought.