The relevant Commission of the European Union has taken to adopt a new package to boost passenger rights.
This move comes shortly after the commission announced its plan to strengthen their rights and offer easier access to visitors where travel information is concerned.
On the 29th of November, the proposals presented by the Commission were accepted and announcements will soon be made regarding it.
According to a spokesperson, the Commission will be disclosing the rules of reinstatement and strive to offer smoother journeys.
New framework
After the acceptance of the proposal, Maros Sefcovic, the Executive Vice President for European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations, and Foresight, shared the good news.
In his words, the new framework focuses mainly on facilitating the passengers in case they face any disruptions on their journeys.
Moreover, he explained that it has been designed to boost the travel experience, especially for people using different transport modes or travel services.
As of now, the union has an already established rights framework for passengers, which covers rail, ship, bus, and air travel.
However, it is no secret that passengers have to face challenges often due to various gaps in the rules, as well as shortcomings in terms of implementation.
The proposed revision of this framework, specifically the Regulations on Passenger Rights, hopes to strengthen various enforcement mechanisms.
Consequently, it will also reveal new rules for travelers who have booked flights by using intermediaries.
This group of people is now believed to have greater clarity on who will be reimbursing them in the event of a flight cancelation.
Additional details
The proposal goes on to offer protection to passengers who tend to take multimodal journeys and integrate a couple of different transport modes in one single trip.
Passengers who fall in this group will have a boosted information right that will apply before and during journeys of this kind.
In addition, there will be an emphasized focus on ensuring that the time to connect between various transport services is reduced to a minimum.
Where passengers with disabilities are concerned, the rights package has made several changes to accommodate an enhanced travel experience for them as well.
As a result, they will be receiving assistance at all connecting points if they are traveling within a single contract of carriage or using multimodal passenger hubs.
Airlines have further been instructed to transport passengers accompanying those with disabilities without any charge and seat them beside those who require assistance.
Other rules
As per the new rules added to the passenger rights package, travelers will be able to ask for a refund within 14 days of making bookings.
Furthermore, down payments for packages will be capped at 25% of the total price to alleviate financial burdens on travelers.
It has also been revealed that passengers will be granted access to any and all information they want, with respect to vouchers and their varying characteristics.
On this note, automatic refunds will also be offered if these vouchers are not used within the specified timeframe.
