European transport politicians are rejoicing over their victory. "If, for example, a flight from Berlin to Majorca has been canceled, the passenger will now receive not only a ticket for another flight, but also compensation of 400 euros," explained Ulrich Stockmann, a German member of the European Parliament and a representative of the SPD party. According to him, every year in Europe more than 250,000 air passengers suffer from various kinds of misunderstandings.
The new rules may lead to higher ticket prices for discount airlines and charter flights. And in the future, airlines will have to pay for changes to flights and schedules.
The head of the small Dutch airline Martinair, Ari Verbek, openly expresses his dissatisfaction with the actions of the International Air Carrier Association (IACA) and the European Commission, because some provisions of the new regulations are still unclear. "This will only stir up excitement among passengers who will think that airlines have money to pay for delays," says the manager.
It also remains unclear whether these rules will apply to passenger transportation from the territory of the European Union to outside its borders. For example, the airline Germania Express operates inexpensive flights from Berlin and Düsseldorf to Moscow and back. Erich Seibt, its representative responsible for this route, advised a Deutsche Welle correspondent to contact the German Ministry of Transport for clarification. There, they also found it difficult to answer, cautiously noting only that "apparently, these changes also apply to transportation abroad, and the nuances will become known later."
At the same time, a Lufthansa representative, Bernd Hoffman, stated that they will unquestioningly comply with all European Commission regulations, guaranteeing the observance of all passenger rights – regardless of where the company's aircraft takes off and lands.
The secretariat of Aeroflot's German branch explained that the new EU rules are valid only for companies registered on its territory. Aeroflot does not belong to them, but it operates in the European Union, so here it must also comply with all regulations of this organization. In other words, if a passenger boarded an Aeroflot aircraft in Europe, they are guaranteed all the rights that are currently in effect here. But this rule does not work outside the EU.
Airlines would prefer to work under the old rules for resolving disputes. As would European railway workers, for whom European Commissioner Jacques Barrot is developing new mandatory conditions. The Association of European Railways accepted the European Commission's new proposals without much enthusiasm. "It is important that passenger rights protection develops within simple and clearly defined frameworks," the commissioner recently stated in Brussels. However, it is still not entirely clear whether the amount of compensation should depend on the ticket price and the type of train.
On December 12, 2004, amended compensation rules came into force on most European railways. They provide for payment of compensation in the amount of 20% of the ticket price if a passenger train crossing the borders of EU countries arrives with a delay of more than an hour. Consumer rights advocates, however, doubt that this innovation will actually improve service.