In a widely covered effort to protect businesses in the tourism sector, some EU countries have sided with airlines and tour operators with an aim to disregard passengers’ right to a monetary refund for canceled flights and postponed tours. However, such attempts have attracted the attention of the European Commission, which stepped in to defend consumer rights across the region.
The European Commission has announced that it is launching the first phase of infringement proceedings against states that violate travelers’ rights, namely the right to get a timely refund for canceled trips.
After the massive wave of flight cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, some EU countries tried to ease losses for airlines and tour operators by offering travel vouchers instead of cash refunds.
In addition, in late April 2020, 16 EU countries even asked the European Commission to suspend EU rules obliging businesses to monetary returns for unused services.
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EC stance on refunds during the pandemic
However, from the very first days of the pandemic, the European Commission has taken a firm position that, even in this case, passengers’ right to a refund will remain. Nevertheless, some states have tried to change the rules on their own, in violation of basic consumer rights. Such attempts were also made in Lithuania, when the Parliament adopted an amendment to the Civil Code, introducing temporary voucher schemes and extended refund timelines (later aligned with EU law). Later, realizing that such amendments violated the law of the European Union, the MPs themselves asked the President to veto such amendments.
The EU has already established strict measures to protect the passengers
Under Regulation 261/2004, the full price of a ticket must be reimbursed within seven days of the request, and under Directive 2015/2302, tour operators must refund travellers in full no later than 14 days after contract termination. In both cases, coupons can only be offered if the passenger agrees.
What’s changed since then?
Since 2020, voucher use has been tightly regulated and must always come with a clear option for a cash refund. Airlines have agreed to improve standards for refund times and communication with passengers. In addition, new EU-wide rules on compensation and delays are being developed to make payments more transparent and faster. These rules are already in the approval phase.
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The EU is also working on ways to make sure we never see a repeat of the chaos of 2020. Back then, the European Commission made it clear: vouchers can be offered instead of a cash refund, but only as a genuine choice, never something passengers are forced to take. And if travellers do choose a voucher, it should come with a safety net, so their money isn’t lost if the airline or tour operator goes under.
As lawyer Nerijus Zaleckas explained, this approach makes sense, but travellers also need their money, especially in hard times, so forcing vouchers is illegal.
The Commission sent formal notices to countries failing to ensure consumer protection, marking the first stage of an infringement investigation. If these problems were not addressed, countries would face fines.
2025: compliance and ongoing oversight
But by 2025, most EU countries had already brought their practices into line with the rules. The Commission is still closely monitoring the situation and is ready to intervene if airlines or governments try to skimp on passenger rights.
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Check Eligibility and Claim Compensation
At Skycop, we stay on top of evolving EU regulations and airline practices to help travelers claim compensation and get compensation for disrupted trips – including cancelled flights, long delays, or missed connections, even if the incident happened years ago (subject to national time limits). If you think you might be eligible, check your flight and claim now with Skycop , especially with the improvements introduced in our new claim platform feature.
