EU Strengthens Passenger Rights: What Changes During Delays, Cancellations, and Bookings via Intermediaries

The European Union has agreed on a new stage of passenger rights reform: following a political agreement on air transport, the parties have also agreed on rules intended to make compensation, refunds, and complaints clearer for passengers across all modes of transport. For tourists, this is important not because every regulation has already come into effect today, but because the EU is moving toward a more predictable system: carriers, online platforms, and national authorities will have clearer obligations, and travelers will find it easier to understand where to turn after a trip disruption.

The latest news emerged on June 25-26, 2026, when the Council of the EU, the European Parliament, and the European Commission announced a preliminary agreement on the more effective enforcement of passenger rights. It complements a broader agreement from June 15 regarding the update of rules for air passengers, which had been discussed for over ten years. In practical terms, this means the EU is trying to close one of the most painful gaps in summer travel: passengers often formally have the right to assistance or compensation, but do not know the procedure, face various application forms, wait for responses from the airline or online agent, and do not understand which authority can actually review the complaint.

For Ukrainian travelers, this topic is also relevant. Even if a journey begins outside an EU country, EU rules may apply to flights departing from EU airports, as well as to some flights to the EU if they are operated by an EU carrier. Therefore, passengers planning routes through Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Athens, or Vienna should monitor not only schedules and prices but also which rights apply to the specific segment of their trip.

What Exactly Was Agreed in the EU

The new agreement on the enforcement of passenger rights concerns not only aviation but all modes of transport for which separate regulations already exist in the EU. Its logic is simple: rights should not be a declaration, but a procedure that can actually be used. According to reports from the European Commission and the Council of the EU, passengers should be better informed about their rights in case of trip disruption, have access to common or equivalent forms for refund or compensation requests, and have a clear path for further appeal if money is not returned or the claim is rejected.

A separate block concerns tickets purchased through intermediaries: travel agencies, online travel platforms, or other booking services. This is where passengers often experience confusion. An airline may transfer funds to an agent, the agent may wait for confirmation from the carrier, and meanwhile, the passenger sees neither the money nor a clear answer. The agreed rules are intended to make the process more transparent: the intermediary must explain the refund scheme in advance, and after receiving funds from the airline, will have a limited timeframe to transfer the money to the passenger. The European Commission's announcement mentions a maximum of seven days after receiving the refund from the airline; the Council of the EU also describes refined timelines for cases where the intermediary paid the carrier from its own account.

It is also important that refunds cover not only the fare but also intermediary fees, if they were part of the cost of the cancelled or unperformed flight. For tourists, this is a significant detail: when buying through an aggregator, the final price often consists of several components, and additional fees often become the subject of disputes.

Compensation for Delays and Cancellations: Basic Level Maintained

The parallel agreement on air passengers maintains the key principle familiar to travelers under the current EU regime: compensation is possible if the flight arrived with a delay of more than three hours or was cancelled less than 14 days before departure, provided there are no exceptional circumstances that exempt the carrier from payment. The agreed compensation levels remain close to the current system: 250 euros for flights up to 1500 km, 400 euros for intra-European flights or flights from 1500 to 3500 km, and 600 euros for other longer flights.

For the passenger, the procedure is as important as the amount. According to the agreement, airlines must more actively inform people about their rights after a disruption. European Commission and Council of the EU materials mention the obligation to notify passengers within 96 hours about the possibility of compensation and the procedure for submitting a claim. The Council of the EU also notes that the carrier must confirm receipt of the application and respond within 30 days: either by paying the compensation or providing a reasoned refusal.

This could change market behavior more than it seems. Today, many passengers do not apply because they are unsure if they are entitled to payment or do not want to spend time on correspondence. If the airline is obliged to clearly explain rights and the procedure for action, the barrier to applying is lowered. For carriers, this means more process discipline, and for tourists, fewer situations where the right exists only on paper.

Hand Luggage, Fare Transparency, and the No-Show Rule

Another important part of the reform concerns fare transparency. The EU aims for passengers to see the real price structure before starting the booking, including information about hand luggage. Official announcements phrase this carefully: it is about better comparability of fares, clear display of conditions regarding hand luggage, and the passenger's ability to understand exactly what is included in the ticket. Consumer organizations welcome this step but emphasize that the main thing is not to lose transparency in fine print and additional booking stages.

For tourists, this is especially noticeable on short European routes, where a low base price often competes with payments for luggage, seat selection, boarding pass printing, or booking changes. If the rules are finally adopted in the agreed form, comparing offers will become easier: passengers will be able to see more quickly whether a cheap ticket is truly cheap after adding the necessary hand luggage.

Separately, the EU agreed to ban the no-show practice for return flights. This refers to a situation where a passenger does not use the first segment of the route, and the airline because of this does not allow them on the return flight or requires an additional payment. For travelers, this is important during complex routes when plans change while on the road. The new framework is intended to remove one of the most unpleasant traps in round-trip and multi-segment bookings.

What Will Change for Passengers with Disabilities and Limited Mobility

The reform also strengthens the protection of passengers with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility. According to the agreement, such passengers retain the right to free assistance during travel. If, for aviation security reasons, the airline requires an escort and cannot provide the necessary support itself, the accompanying person must travel for free and sit next to the passenger who needs assistance.

This is not a minor technical rule. For people who require an escort, the additional cost of a second ticket or uncertainty regarding seats can effectively make a trip inaccessible. Clearer rules provide more predictability when planning a flight, especially if the route includes transfers at large hubs and requires coordination between the airline, airport, and ground services.

When the Rules Will Begin to Apply

The most important caveat: this is not an instantaneous entry into force of all norms. The agreements must be formally approved by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament, undergo legal-linguistic refinement, and be published in the Official Journal of the EU. For the updated air passenger rules, the European Commission indicates that after adoption and publication, they will apply after 12 months. The regulation on the enforcement of passenger rights should apply from the date the updated aviation rules enter into force.

Therefore, travelers should not demand from airlines the fulfillment of norms that have not yet entered into force. But it is already worth understanding the direction of changes. First, the EU maintains a high level of protection in aviation. Second, the focus is shifting from an abstract right to compensation to a practical mechanism: notifications, forms, timelines for responses, rules for intermediaries, and clear complaints. Third, fare transparency and hand luggage become one of the central issues of competition between airlines and platforms.

How Tourists Should Act During a Flight Delay or Cancellation

Even before the final launch of the new rules, passengers should behave as if every piece of evidence may be needed for a claim. First and foremost, it is necessary to save boarding passes, booking confirmations, airline notifications, receipts for food, accommodation, and transport, as well as screenshots of the flight status. If the journey goes through a large European hub, it is worth simultaneously checking official airport updates and online boards: for example, for flights through Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Frankfurt (FRA), Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), Madrid-Barajas (MAD) or Barcelona (BCN).

During a delay, it is useful to check the status not only in the airline's app but also on the pages of the specific airport. For this, one can use, for example, the CDG online board, FRA online board, AMS online board, Rome-Fiumicino online board or Vienna online board. If a delay turns into an overnight wait, it is worth immediately clarifying with the carrier whether they provide accommodation and transfer to a hotel. In case of refusal or lack of assistance, it is necessary to save receipts, as according to the agreed EU logic, the passenger may have the right to demand reimbursement of necessary expenses.

If the ticket was purchased through an intermediary, it is important to find out who exactly accepts the application for a refund: the airline, the agency, or the platform. In the future system, this information should be more transparent during booking. Until then, passengers should check the agent's terms before payment, especially for complex routes with several airlines.

What This Means for the Tourism Market

For airlines and online platforms, the reform means more responsibility for communication. It is not enough to simply hide conditions in the fare rules or in a long letter after a flight cancellation. If the EU finally adopts the agreed package, carriers will have to better explain passengers' rights to them, respond faster to claims, and more accurately show the cost of services at the booking stage.

For the tourism market, this could have a double effect. On one hand, the enforcement of rules creates costs for airlines, especially during mass disruptions due to weather, strikes, technical problems, or airport congestion. On the other hand, clear rules increase trust in air travel. A tourist more easily buys a ticket and plans a transfer when they know the minimum guarantees they have in case of a problem.

This is especially important in summer, when European airports operate under high load, and passengers often build routes through several countries. For those flying through Rome-Fiumicino (FCO), Athens (ATH) or Vienna (VIE), the reform will not replace careful planning, but can make the consequences of disruptions less chaotic. It is worth allowing extra time for transfers, carefully reading fare conditions, checking what is included in hand luggage, and not throwing away documents until the completion of the entire journey.

Conclusion

The new EU agreement on the enforcement of passenger rights is important not as an immediate change of rules in every airport, but as a signal of a future more stringent and clear system of traveler protection. Passengers should receive information about rights, simpler application forms, and more transparent refund rules through intermediaries and stronger protection during travel with special needs. For tourists, the main practical conclusion is this: monitor the final entry into force, but already now plan trips so that in case of delay or cancellation, you have all the evidence, know the route for appeal, and do not lose the right to compensation due to lack of information.