Passengers will stand to lose the most if the EU chooses political symbolism over practical reform today, with higher fares, less choice, and greater confusion likely to result – the exact opposite of what reform should deliver for passengers.
Sticking to existing rules on delay and compensation thresholds will continue to penalise airlines for factors they cannot control and do not address the real causes of delay, for both short- and long-haul. These delay thresholds were set out by a judge 13 years ago, yet delays have increased by 114%. A potential compromise to reduce compensation amounts only for longer flights that are delayed less than 4 hours completely disregards the importance of intra-EU connectivity, especially routes with low volumes and thin margins that connect regions.
By making the hand-baggage-inclusive fare the default offer, consumers may be presented with higher headline prices including the second bag, rather than the most affordable option. Around half of passengers flying, particularly those travelling for short periods or on business trips, prefer to travel with only a small personal item in exchange for a lower fare.
Compromises that are driven by giving each negotiating party something they can claim a victory, rather than creating a framework that reduces delays and cancellations and keeps the cost manageable, will benefit neither the passenger nor connectivity. Today, EU 261 costs passengers 8 billion euros per year, and last year we collectively suffered 26 million minutes of delays – that’s equivalent to 49.5 years. No deal is better than a bad deal that fails to deliver genuine reform and to tackle the real causes of most delays.
