New EU Passenger Rights Deal: Easier Refunds and Complaint Handling for Travelers

The European Union has taken another important step toward reforming passenger rights: the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on June 25 regarding the more effective enforcement of passenger rights. For Hungarian travelers, this is primarily important because refunds may become more transparent in the future, filing complaints may become simpler, and those who purchased flight tickets through an intermediary or need assistance during their trip may receive stronger protection.

This news does not mean that the rules have changed overnight at every airport and for every booking. The agreement is provisional; the text must still be approved by the Council and the European Parliament, followed by legal-linguistic review and formal adoption. Therefore, for current summer travels, the currently applicable rules, the specific airline's terms, and the booking channel's procedures must still be followed. Nevertheless, this represents a significant turning point, as the EU is attempting to make its more than two-decade-old aviation law system and the practical enforcement of passenger rights more understandable simultaneously.

What exactly happened?

According to the Council of the European Union, the June 25 agreement would strengthen the enforcement of passenger rights across all modes of transport: air, rail, sea, inland waterway, bus, and long-distance coach travel. The goal is not merely for rights to exist on paper, but for passengers to more easily find out what they are entitled to, submit complaints through clearer channels, and more effectively obtain refunds or assistance if the provider makes a mistake.

The fresh agreement is closely linked to the separate aviation passenger rights deal announced on June 15. The latter would maintain the three-hour delay threshold for compensation and largely leave the 250, 400, and 600 euro compensation brackets unchanged. The current enforcement agreement focuses more on how these rights can actually be enforced: what information the passenger must receive, how refunds work for bookings through an intermediary, and what tools national authorities should have.

Tickets bought through intermediaries: this could be the most tangible change

Many Hungarian travelers book not directly on the airline's website, but through online travel agencies, price comparison sites, or other intermediaries. This can be convenient, but in the event of flight cancellations, schedule changes, or refunds, uncertainty often begins here: should the passenger turn to the airline, the intermediary, or both? Who owes the money, and within what deadline?

The new EU agreement attempts to provide a clearer answer to this. According to the plans, if a flight is cancelled, the passenger may be entitled to a full refund, including certain intermediary fees. Intermediaries would have to clearly indicate at the time of booking which refund policy applies to the given ticket, and airlines would have to publicly state whether they cooperate with the given intermediaries in handling refunds.

This is particularly important during the peak summer season, when many search for cheap or multi-airline routes from Budapest, Vienna, or other regional airports. Flights departing from Budapest Airport, departure options from Vienna, and major EU transfer points, such as Brussels Airport, often appear on different booking channels. If the rules eventually come into force, it may become more important when purchasing tickets to check how transparently the intermediary handles money movements and complaints.

Seven or fourteen days: what could change regarding refund deadlines?

According to the Council's communication, refunds due to the passenger should generally be completed within seven days. However, if the intermediary paid the airline from its own account, the refund deadline may be fourteen days. This difference may seem like a technical detail at first, but from the passenger's perspective, it is a very practical issue: for a family trip or a more expensive summer ticket, sums of several hundred thousand forints could be stuck if the repayment is slow or difficult to track.

The rules aim to ensure that the passenger does not get lost between the airline, the online agency, and the payment provider. At the same time, the system will not be automatic or dispute-free in every situation. The range of intermediaries is very wide: a large international booking platform operates with different capacity than a smaller local travel agency. Therefore, the agreement may allow exceptions for certain micro-enterprises, but only if the passenger receives clear information about this at the beginning of the booking.

More uniform complaint forms and stronger authority action

One of the most important elements of the reform is a more uniform complaint and compensation procedure. According to the plans, standardized forms in the EU would help in submitting refund and compensation claims. The passenger could submit their claim electronically, through other available channels, or even by mail, which is important because not all passengers are comfortable with digital administration.

The role of national enforcement bodies could also be strengthened. According to the agreement, authorities should not only react to individual complaints but also investigate whether providers comply with passenger rights rules through inspections, audits, and requests for information. This is essential because in the current system, many passengers only encounter their rights after the trouble has already happened: the flight was cancelled, they missed the connection, they have been waiting in the terminal for hours, or they receive no clear answer from the airline.

For Hungarian travelers, this could be particularly useful if the trip involves multiple countries and providers. During a Budapest-Brussels business trip, a holiday departing from Vienna, or a family flight with a transfer, it is not always clear which country's authority, which airline, and which intermediary is responsible. More harmonized complaint handling could reduce this uncertainty, although the quality of practice will depend on the implementation.

What does this mean for delays and flight cancellations?

Based on the aviation reform, the three-hour delay threshold for compensation would remain. This is a key issue for Hungarian passengers, as several proposals had previously emerged that would have linked compensation to longer delay thresholds. Based on the current political compromise, the 250 euro bracket would remain applicable for flights up to 1500 kilometers, the 400 euro bracket for trips within the EU and between 1500-3500 kilometers, and the 600 euro bracket for longer trips.

However, it is important to phrase this cautiously: this is not yet the final, applicable new regulatory system. Only after formal adoption, publication, and the application deadline can it be said exactly when and with what details the new framework will operate. For current travels, the passenger must still keep the boarding pass, the booking confirmation, notifications received from the airline, and any invoices spent on meals, accommodation, or transfers due to the disruption.

Assistance, care, and accommodation: rights are not just about money

The reform is not exclusively about compensation. According to the Council's June 15 communication, the agreement would also clarify the passengers' right to care. In the event of longer waits, refreshments, meals, internet access, and telephone call options may be provided, and for overnight waits, accommodation and airport transfers may become necessary. If the airline does not provide the prescribed assistance, the passenger may, under certain conditions, arrange it themselves and then request a refund.

This is particularly important for Hungarian families and summer tourists, as an evening cancellation or a flight pushed to the next day can easily disrupt the entire trip. In such cases, it matters whether the passenger knows which documents to keep, when they are entitled to accommodation, and what costs are worth undertaking within realistic limits. Those planning a late evening arrival or early departure should still check the practical options of the given airport in advance, such as Budapest live flight information, the Vienna flight status, or if necessary, accommodation around Vienna Airport.

Stronger protection for passengers with reduced mobility and those needing assistance

One of the most important social elements of the new agreement is the strengthening of the protection of passengers living with disabilities and those with reduced mobility. According to the rules, free assistance would still be provided during the trip, but the system would become more precise at several points. If the airline requires a companion for security reasons and cannot provide the necessary assistance itself, the companion chosen by the passenger could travel for free and would have to sit next to the affected passenger.

The aviation deal specifically highlights that passengers with reduced mobility, pregnant passengers, children traveling with a companion, and those needing assistance would receive stronger protection at several points. This could include free adjacent seating in certain cases, protection of mobility devices, and the possibility that if a passenger misses a flight due to a lack of airport assistance, they would have clearer rights to assistance, rebooking, or compensation.

Hand luggage and price transparency: what to watch for when booking?

According to the Commission's June 15 summary, the new aviation rules would also improve the transparency of prices and hand luggage. The goal is for the passenger to be better able to compare what the price includes at the beginning of the booking process: only a personal item, larger hand luggage as well, or a package that must be added separately. Airlines could still develop their own price structures, but the consumer should see more clearly what they are buying.

This is a particularly sensitive topic for low-cost flights. Many Hungarian travelers no longer decide based on the advertised base price, but look at how much the final basket costs: seat, hand luggage, checked bag, priority boarding, payment fee, possible intermediary fee. If the EU rules truly bring more uniform information, there may be fewer misunderstandings, but conscious booking still begins with the passenger: before departure, it is advisable to take a screenshot of the purchased package and review the airline's current luggage terms.

The ban on no-show: why does this matter?

One passenger-friendly element of the planned reform is the limitation of the no-show practice. According to the Commission, boarding should not be denied for the return flight simply because the passenger did not take the outbound leg. According to the Council's communication, for certain protected groups, such as passengers with reduced mobility, pregnant passengers, and unaccompanied minors, a total ban on no-show would appear.

This is not an everyday problem for every traveler, but when it occurs, it can cause serious costs. Imagine a situation where someone cannot make it to the outbound flight due to illness, train delay, or other unexpected reason, but would still use their return ticket. Current market practice is often complicated and depends heavily on fare conditions. The new rules aim to ensure that there are fewer automatic and disproportionate consequences in such situations.

Why is this important for Hungarian travelers?

From Hungary, a significant portion of passengers choose between multiple airports and booking models. A family might depart from Budapest, but may also look at Vienna or Bratislava options. A business traveler might book directly with the airline, through a corporate travel agency, or on an international platform. A holiday might be a simple round trip, but could include transfers, separate accommodation bookings, and multiple airlines. The more complex the trip, the greater the value of transparent complaint handling and refund rules.

The reform does not replace practical planning around airports. If a flight is delayed, the passenger must still monitor real-time information, airport transport, and possible accommodation options. For transfers in Vienna or Brussels, for example, it can be useful to know in advance what transfer options there are at Vienna Airport, or where accommodation is located near Brussels Airport. Rights help, but they do not replace a good itinerary and the preservation of documents.

What should the passenger do now?

Since the rules have not yet come into force, the most important advice is that Hungarian travelers should not treat the current agreement as automatically applicable new rights. When booking, it is still necessary to check who the seller is, who the actual airline is, what luggage is included in the price, and what customer service channel is available in case of a problem. For bookings through an intermediary, it is particularly important to see whether the refund is handled by the intermediary or the airline and what deadlines they commit to.

In the event of a disruption, the passenger should immediately request written information about the cause of the delay or cancellation, keep all notifications, invoices, and boarding passes, and then submit the claim through the official interface of the airline or intermediary. If no answer arrives, or the answer is not clear, the relevant national authority and alternative dispute resolution options can also be pursued. The new EU system aims to make this process more organized and traceable later.

Cautious but important progress

The new EU passenger rights agreement is not a magic solution for flight delays, strikes, weather disruptions, or overloaded customer services. According to airline organizations, the reform does not fully address the structural causes behind delays, such as air traffic control capacity or the fragmentation of European airspace. The consumer side, however, welcomes that the three-hour compensation threshold would remain and that complaint handling, hand luggage transparency, and the protection of more vulnerable passengers could be strengthened.

The most important message for Hungarian travelers is simple: the EU is not only promising new rights, but is trying to make existing ones more usable. If the agreement passes through the formal legislative steps, in the future it may be easier to find out who must pay, where to file a complaint, and what deadline applies, and what assistance is provided for a disrupted trip. Until then, the conscious booking, preservation of documents, and following of official flight information remains the best protection.