06/12/2007

ECC-Net report shows that complaints from air passengers have almost doubled

Press release

December 6th 2007

In its second report, launched this Thursday, December 6th in Brussels, the European Consumer Centre network (ECC-Net) announces a 96% increase in complaints in one year. This confirms that air passengers’ rights are still too often denied.

Luggage, cancellation and delays

Most complaints relate to luggage problems (33%), cancellation (26%) and delays (16%). (See table 1 & 2 in attachment)

Top 6 of countries unchanged

Most of the complaints in 2006 are against the same airline companies as in 2005: airlines from Ireland, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and France. Table 3 shows the shift in rankings between these countries in 2006 compared to 2005. It is also shown that consumers from Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Italy and Belgium make the most complaints.

Complaint resolution issues

The ECC-Net resolved 42% of complaints received. In 28% of complaints, no solution or only a partial solution could be found. The remainder of the complaints were unfounded (12%) or still open (17%) at the time of writing of the report.
Two obstacles create severe difficulties in resolving complaints against airlines. Firstly, airlines often claim ‘extraordinary circumstances’ as a reason for not offering compensation. Secondly, they simply fail to respond to complaints received, from consumers as well as from ECCs.

Recommendations

Overall: make the legislation more clear and enforce it.ECC-Net also makes 34 specific recommendations, including:

In case of luggage delay, consumers should receive guidelines on what sort of replacement items they are entitled to purchase or they should receive a payment to purchase emergency items.
If a consumer is not offered assistance within the ‘right to care’ when the flight was cancelled or delayed, he/she should be compensated for the damages suffered.
Air companies should make their contact details for complaints via telephone, email and post available easily and in the language in which the booking was made and should respond within a reasonable time limit.
The booking information should include a comprehensive breakdown of all supplementary charges, indicating what they are for and who they are payable to.
A delay should be clearly defined in legislation, in the context of both its maximum length and overnight stay.
The remit of the National Enforcement Bodies should be extended to claims under the Montreal Convention and they should sanction airlines who consequently infringe the law.

ECC-Net
The report is based on complaints received via ECC-Net from air passengers in 27 countries (25 Member States + Norway and Iceland).The network of the 27 European Consumer Centres in 25 Member States + Norway + Iceland has been established by the European Commission in cooperation with the Member States. Its objectives are to inform the European consumers about their rights and to assist with cross-border complaints.

In attachment:

- Table 1-4
- Report
- Fact sheet ECC-Net

PERSCONTACT
Edith Appelmans: 02 790 41 59 - eappelmans@eccbelgium.be