Europe's travellers just won 14-day refunds, one simple claim form — and a free seat for a companion

Cancelled flight, endless forms, refund that never comes: European travellers know the script. This week the European Parliament voted 652 to 2 to rewrite it. Under the adopted rules, a cancelled flight booked through an agent or platform must be refunded in full — including the agent's fee — within 14 days. One standard claim form, in every EU language, will replace today's maze, and regulators gain the power to audit airlines proactively instead of waiting for complaints. Passengers with disabilities may bring a necessary companion free on flights, as trains and buses already allow. Rapporteur Matteo Ricci put it plainly: 'We are prioritising the rights of our citizens over the profits of airlines.' The rules are set to apply from October 2027, across some 13 billion journeys a year.

Mechanism: policy reform