Eureka! Institutional Repository

The European Union regulation about passenger rights in air transports ensures, more or less, that passengers can enjoy reliable, safe and high quality air passenger services. A matter of first priority is the protection, under the EU legislation, of disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility as passengers. The legislation guarantees that the disabled person shall be accompanied by someone who can provide him/her with assistance. The person must inform the airport of his/her needs (e.g. a guide dog needs to travel with him/her) at least 48 hours before departure. But at any rate, assistants, towards the plane, should make all reasonable efforts to provide the requested assistance. In general, all passengers have to enjoy information rights that concern the air transport firms’ obligation to inform well, promptly and with accuracy about flights departing from EU airports, the applicable terms and condition about the rights both on departure and at appropriate stages of your journey, and for sure about the identity of the airline is operating the flight. Another matter is about the assistance in the case of denied boarding, delay or cancellation where the passenger must be assisted with meals, refreshments, access to communication, accommodation (if necessary) and transport to and from the place of accommodation in case of a denied boarding or a cancelled flight. Other passenger’s right is the choice of rerouting or reimbursement in the case of denied boarding or cancellation. The passenger has the choice between re-routing and a refund of the ticket price. Generally, the compensation shall be between €125 and €600 depending on the distance of the flight and the delay in arrival to the destination. Furthermore the EU legislation guarantees that airlines can be held liable for injury or death resulting from an accident (loss, delay or damage to luggage.