New EU proposal: Airlines should respond to customer complaints in 14 days

Dubai: Air travellers in the European Union could soon benefit from significantly faster responses to their complaints, thanks to a new proposal agreed upon by the bloc’s transport ministers.

Under the revised regulations on air passenger rights and airline liability, airlines are mandated to pay compensation or provide a clear and substantiated response to passenger complaints within 14 days of submission.

This is a key aspect of the new framework, aimed at establishing simpler, clearer, and more passenger-friendly rules, the Council of the European Union stated in a press release.

Dariusz Klimczak, Minister of Infrastructure of Poland, said, “The position finally adopted today answers to an urgent call by air passengers and airlines for up-to-date, clearer and more straightforward rules.”

Klimczak said, “The revised rules will bring over 30 new rights to the air passengers, applicable from the moment when they buy a ticket, until they arrive at their destination, and in some cases even beyond. It is a historical milestone as an agreement couldn’t have been reached in the last 12 years.”

The European Parliament will now examine the Council's agreed position. If approved, these new rules will bring substantial improvements to the air travel experience for millions of passengers.

Following this significant change in complaint handling, one of the most anticipated updates for travellers, including those from the UAE visiting Europe, is the move towards standardised hand luggage rules.

The new proposals aim to eliminate the confusion and unexpected fees often associated with varying cabin baggage restrictions on different airlines.

Currently, low-cost carriers such as EasyJet and Ryanair allow passengers one free bag that must fit under the seat in front.

However, with no standardised dimensions across airlines, travellers have often been caught unawares with incorrectly sized bags when switching between carriers.

If approved, passengers will be guaranteed the right to bring one cabin bag measuring up to 100 centimetres and weighing up to 7 kilograms, plus a personal item such as a small backpack with maximum dimensions of 40 x 30 x 15 centimetres, all without extra charges. This standardisation would apply to all flights within the EU, as well as routes to and from the bloc.

The trade association Airlines for Europe (A4E), which represents 17 of the region’s leading airlines, announced on Wednesday that its members have started applying the guaranteed set of dimensions of 40 × 30 × 15 centimetres for under-seat bags, as reported by CNN.

In line with this move, Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, has announced that it will increase its small-item size limits from 40 x 25 x 20 centimetres to 40 x 30 x 20 centimetres in “the coming weeks, as our airport bag-sizers are adjusted.

The updated EU regulations also include several other important enhancements for air passengers. Airlines will be required to offer rerouting at the earliest opportunity, potentially utilising other carriers or modes of transportation.

Should an airline fail to provide suitable rerouting within three hours of a disruption, passengers can arrange their own and claim reimbursement up to 400 per cent of the original ticket cost.

Furthermore, the right to assistance during disruptions is more clearly defined. Airlines must provide refreshments, food, and accommodations in the event of significant delays or cancellations.

If they neglect this duty, passengers can make their arrangements and seek reimbursement. For tarmac delays, minimum assistance will be obligatory, and passengers must be allowed to disembark after three hours.

Compensation for long delays and cancellations has also been updated. For journeys under 3,500 km and intra-EU flights, compensation applies to delays of four hours or more (€300). For journeys over 3,500 km, the threshold is six hours (€500). Airlines will face stricter criteria for denying compensation due to ‘extraordinary circumstances’.