Ethics Newsline®

BRUSSELS
Under new air passenger rights instituted last week by the European Union, European fliers left stranded by delayed flights or bounced from overbooked ones have the right to demand increased compensation from airlines.

The new rules, which have elicited outrage and at least two pending lawsuits from travel associations and airlines, are designed to crack down on industry practices that critics say put customers at the mercy of airlines.

Under the new rules, passengers refused boarding because of overbooking can demand compensation of $325 to nearly $780 depending on the length of flight, reported Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcasting service.

Passengers whose flights are delayed significantly or cancelled without sufficient notice also have the right to compensation, in some cases including meals, accommodation, and free travel back to their point of origin. Such passengers were mostly out of luck under the old rules, according to Deutsche Welle.

Airlines say the new rules will increase costs that will be passed on to passengers, making the profit-starved airlines even weaker while simultaneously angering fliers facing higher ticket prices, reported the BBC.

Airlines also charge that the new rules are unfair because they may make them liable for cancellations and delays brought on by bad weather or other disruptions out of their control.

But EU officials last week said that airlines are exempted for problems caused by “extraordinary circumstances,” such as strikes, security threats, and terrorism, noted the Associated Press.

Industry lawsuits challenging the new rules will not be heard until September or October.