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From October 1, all airlines must refund the price of an airline ticket within 7 days if a flight is cancelled. That is the term that the European Regulation also prescribes.
This is the result of an investigation by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) into the aviation sector and intervention interviews that the ILT subsequently conducted with five companies: KLM, Transavia, Vueling, Corendon and TUI. Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Cora van Nieuwenhuizen has informed the House of Representatives about this.
The reason for the ILT investigation is the frequent reports and complaints from passengers who believe that their rights have been violated. From March to September, more than 1300 travelers submit a complaint to the ILT. They often complain about receiving a voucher without the possibility to request a refund and about the long refund period. The European Commission also believes that airlines should once again comply with European rules.
Corona
From March 18, 2020, the Netherlands, and Europe as a whole, closed its borders with the aim of preventing the spread of the corona virus. Airlines and passengers were faced with a special situation: all passenger flights within and outside Europe were cancelled. The Netherlands supported the possibility to issue vouchers instead of a refund within 7 days. The ILT was asked to temporarily refrain from issuing vouchers instead of choosing between refund or flight at a later time.
To enforce
On May 14, the ILT resumed regular enforcement. This was followed by an investigation and intervention interviews with a number of airlines. The investigation and the intervention interviews have now resulted in concrete agreements with the airlines. The following matters must be arranged by airlines:
- Ensure good accessibility for their customers, including clear, transparent communication;
- If their ticket is cancelled, passengers will be presented with the choice of accepting a voucher, requesting a refund or rebooking the ticket. This option remains intact;
- KLM, Transavia, TUI and Corendon will have until October 1 at the latest to have their systems in order so that they can meet the legal requirements;
- For flights that have been or will be canceled before October 1, the ILT requires that a maximum refund period of 60 days applies. The condition is that the airlines can submit a sufficiently substantiated action plan in advance. Transavia, TUI and Corendon have indicated that they do not need these 60 days, but KLM does.
- For flights canceled after October 1, the usual refund period of 7 days applies;
- At the insistence of the ILT, Vueling has now put a Dutch number on the website, making it easier for Dutch passengers to make their choice known. Vueling has been instructed to make the online choice (money back or another flight) available on the website.
The ILT also continues to monitor the repayment term for airlines other than those mentioned above. Airlines that do not sufficiently comply with the above agreements may be placed under stricter supervision by the ILT or receive an order subject to periodic penalty payments or a fine.
Role of the ILT
The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) supervises airlines in the Netherlands. The ILT checks whether they comply with European rules in the field of passenger rights. The ILT is not about individual reports or complaints from passengers; in the Netherlands, this competence lies with the courts.
The ILT investigates passenger reports and, as a regulator, can impose sanctions on airlines that systematically violate the rules. This is the case, for example, when a company regularly fails to comply with the rights of passengers over a longer period of time.
It is a pity that I assume this does not apply to domestic flights in Thailand.
I still have money from Bangkok Airways and have been waiting for it for almost 3 months.
They do respond with apologies, but do not indicate when payment will be made, so that is not much use to you.
Do any of you have experience with refunds from Bangkok Airways?
Dear,
Fortunately, we were reimbursed everything by Qatar Airways and also by Thai Smile!
During our holiday period, planned from the end of May to July 7, we also made some European bookings. We don't hear about that! They are also unavailable.
We will keep it in mind if we can ever go back on holiday.
Dear Rob Vinke, I can comfort you I have been waiting for a credit from Bangkok Airways since March 2020 (6 months)
I was the first to receive a neat e-mail with an excuse that the refund process can take about 60 working days, and on my last e-mail, because the 60 days were already a long time ago, I received an e-mail that I can now expect the money within 30 days.
If it took a little longer, I did not have to respond anymore, because the return order has now been automatically initiated.
The amount, although it is only 2400 Baht, I should now expect at the end of this month, so I wait politely again.555
The next e-mail where I threaten to announce something else about their good reputation, will certainly become a bit more unfriendly.
My niece and family had bought a ticket Bkk – Koh Samui – Bkk about 1000 euros return for 3 people. However, Thailand was locked and they could not come. Bangkok airways refuses to refund because the flight has not been canceled. Anyone else with this problem?
regards
YES
I fear that in such a situation the actions of Bangkok Airways are legally correct. Unless cancellation – free of charge or for a fee – is permitted in the ticket conditions, it seems to me that not being able to use a booked flight is 'deductible'.
Eva Air paid it back to us in 3 days.
In the hope that booking sites such as Vliegwinkel will now also adhere to this, because that is where the complaints are piling up. They are unreachable and do not answer emails. In the TV broadcast of Radar on August 31, Mrs. Joyce Donal of the Consumers' Association has only one word for it: “rude”. In the future, forget about booking sites and book directly with the airline in question is the advice. Been waiting for months for a refund for a canceled BKK-AMS flight.
Those booking sites – sometimes little more than ticket hunters – sometimes turn out to have collected the refund from the airline, but not passed it on to the customer. Then the airline has fulfilled its obligations. The brokering does not seem to me to fall under the scope of EU legislation.
I have had better experiences with Eva-Air. My flight from Amsterdam to Bangkok in April was cancelled. It took a while, but the money was properly deposited back into my account. My flight of December 5 has also been cancelled. Eva-Air has canceled all flights until December 31. The company has indicated that the money will be routined again. Vouchers are not an issue. I have excellent experiences with Eva-Air.
No, but the Eu for return rules are ;
A – It must be from a European airline
B- It must start from a European airport.
I'm sure, because I wanted a lawsuit regarding the cancellation of the return flight from Bangkok > Amsterdam.
0 on the request, even though I started from Amsterdam.
And was told this by various law offices
To be clear: it is either A or B. B only applies if it concerns a non-EU carrier.
Bad experience with Austrian Airlines (= Lufthansa). No response after 6 weeks, fortunately paid with Paypal and filed a complaint there. My money back from Paypal after 14 days.
AirAsia does not refund anything, but gives the amount as a credit on a subsequent booking (within 24 months). NB: The flight was not cancelled, so in itself you are not entitled to a refund or compensation. So in that respect it's a bit of luck
I have been waiting since the beginning of March for a refund from Air Asia for a domestic flight they canceled. They have promised to refund the money to my credit card, but so far nothing.
I have been waiting since the end of March for a refund from Air Malta for a return flight for 10 people from Brussels to Malta. Unreachable by phone for this matter! Only via an email address. After months of waiting, we received a message with a recommendation to accept a voucher, which is no longer useful to us; or wait another “up to 6 months” for a refund. Where is Europe then with the regulations for European companies? How do you enforce that? Are you going to start a lawsuit for this amount with an expensive lawyer?
Booked through D-Reizen.
Etihad outward journey from Ams, return from BKK Etihad ceased flying on 9 April.
So I have an unused return flight.
Etihad does not issue a voucher or refund.
However, you can still use the return journey later.
Received a call from D-Reizen that I have to decide before September 28,
if and when I want to use the return flight.
However, there is no indication of when Thailand will allow scheduled flights again.
I said that.
According to D-travel, I can put the return flight way ahead of July.
If Thailand does not yet allow holidaymakers, we can still see…
I doubt that Etihad is also bound by European rules.
After all, they would have to return money.
Etihad, as a non-EU carrier, is only subject to the relevant EU regulation for the flight departing from the EU. The return flight from Thailand is not covered by the Regulation.
I would try to find out if Etihad has not already returned the money to D-trips and you are being led astray. Such a case has already been reported here on this blog.
@Cornelis
Etihad has not transferred funds to D-trips.
Before September 30 I had to decide if and when to use the flight from BKK and you must fly before the end of July 2021.
Otherwise the ticket is gone.
D- Reizen now sets the return flight to the end of July, the deadline.
Then we'll see.
Made a booking with Expedia at the end of last year for a return flight to Brussels with Etihad Airways. Due to a canceled flight from Brussels to Abu Dhabi and the corona epidemic, I canceled my ticket and asked for a refund mid-April. Expedia informed me that it would be fine. Until now and after several reminders, nothing more to hear or see of a refund.
Unfortunately, our trip to Thailand was canceled on Sept 17. No surprise of course. After an SMS and Email from Eva Air today I received the entire amount back on my visa account. Transavia needed 7 months,
I would like to point out to everyone that they are obliged to also refund booking costs according to EU rules. Both KLM and Expedia refuse to pay. Waiting for KLM to return suitcases and more now received an email that I get priority because we are over the hundred days, two weeks have passed so go report me again.