Since the beginning of the 21st century, the United States has watched at least eight commercial airline brands disappear in a series of mergers in the industry.
05.12.2023 - 08:39 / traveldailynews.com / Theodore Koumelis
The European Commission has adopted the Passenger Mobility Package which includes a set of proposals aimed at assisting passengers in their travel.
The adoption of the Passenger Mobility Package is a step forwards in updating the pertinent regulations but much more is needed to provide clarity for both airlines and consumers alike.
As a positive point, ERA welcomes improvements related to the transfer of information between airlines and intermediaries for passengers whose tickets were booked through intermediary ticket vendors, that will now need to provide passengers’ contact information to the airline; this will avoid previous issues with passengers not being informed by travel agents of cancellations or delays. A ‘single point of contact’ is required when assisting PRMs transferring between transport modes and the rules relating to a PRM accompanying person have been modified.
In addition, airlines will be required to publish reports on their handling of passenger rights (and we will need to see what this means in practice for the airlines) creating further administrative burdens for airlines in addition to those already arising from the standard implementation of the air passenger rights regulation and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) rulings. For multimodal journeys, the transport operator will have to assist passengers in the event of missed connections, if booked via a single contract of carriage, that covers the entire journey.
The Passenger Mobility Package also introduces significant changes to the PTD, in particular limiting downpayments for package organisers to 25 per cent, which risks weakening the different players in the tourism ecosystem, including airlines, to the ultimate detriment of consumers. ERA encourages greater consideration given to the airlines’ input to the recent developments at the European Parliament about this file to ensure a smooth and efficient economic circle in package travel services for the benefit of the consumer.
ERA member airlines strongly support the rights of passengers, the lifeblood of the industry, however greater clarity is needed for airlines to implement the regulations. Measures to ensure a fairer level playing field across all modes of transport are crucial, as well as granting the right of redress when delays are not within the control of the airline. This is the time to address some of the key issues with Regulation EU261 which have made it one of the least clear and most litigated regulations in the canon of European law. Consumer protection extends to encouraging connectivity, the safe operation of airlines, and that airlines are significant employers in the regions whose existence is imperilled by increasing cost burdens
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the United States has watched at least eight commercial airline brands disappear in a series of mergers in the industry.
Alaska Airlines has been in the news lately for the carrier's proposed merger with Hawaiian Airlines, a move that Alaska CEO Ben Minicucci said will "expand options for West Coast and Hawai'i travelers."
Destinations worldwide have increasingly moved to lift visa requirements as part of their strategy to increase visitor numbers — visa processing delays are a major obstacle to the industry’s full recovery.
With nearly 40 million people slated to fly during the holidays this year, airlines are preparing for what could be one of the busiest holiday travel seasons on record.
Flight attendants at Southwest Airlines overwhelmingly rejected a new contract over the weekend. The move is the latest in the mounting tensions between cabin crew and U.S. airline management that could result in the industry’s first labor action in more than a decade.
Alaska Airlines’ proposed $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, announced earlier this week, has the potential to alter the existing U.S. air travel landscape significantly. Whether that would prove to be for better or worse remains to be seen, but plenty of experts are already weighing in with predictions.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, December 5. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Expands fifth largest U.S. airline to a fleet of 365 narrow and wide body airplanes enabling guests to reach 138 destinations through our combined networks and more than 1,200 destinations through the oneworld Alliance.
EU transport ministers have approved the Council of the EU’s general approach on two key files: driving and rest time rules for coach tourism drivers and driving licence rules. This defines the Council’s position ahead of the upcoming negotiations with the European Parliament. The results are mixed.
The European Commission reveals the 2024 European Capital and Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism, recognising their outstanding achievements in accessibility, sustainability, digitalisation, and cultural heritage & creativity as exceptional tourism destinations.
SAS intends to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the Company’s shareholders, to be held in January 2024, to approve the contemplated step-up mechanism within short order.
LOT Polish Airlines is reinstating flights to Athens. LOT Polish Airlines aircraft will be flying to the capital of Greece all year round.