Stranded airline passengers to receive compensation
Members of the European Parliament are set to vote on laws that would give airline passengers left stranded because of overbooking the right to compensation payouts.
MEPs are set to pass a law that will require airline companies to pay compensation to passengers who are denied their booked seat because of overbooking or cancellations.
At present passengers who are not able to take their seats on a plane because of overbooking are entitled to choose between an alternative flight on another airline or a full refund, as well as compensation.
The new rules will are expected to significantly increase the current level of compensation. For short-haul flights, the compensation figure will be 250 euros (£173), rising in stages to 600 euros (£415) for long-haul flights.
Airlines have been known to overbook flights as they do not expect all the people who have booked seats on the plane to take them up.
The new rules will also see compensation given to passengers who experience delays. Passengers on short-haul flights who experience two hours of delays, and long-haul passengers who are delayed for over four hours will be entitled to claim their money back.
The new rules are expected to be heavily criticised by the low-cost airlines who argue that the levels of compensation are significantly more than the cost of their tickets. The low-cost airlines have warned that they will have to raise the cost of their tickets to pay for the new compensation rules.
If the laws are passed by the European Parliament, they are expected to be put in place in a little over a year’s time.
