“Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, many airlines have flouted passenger rights,” reports Monique Goyens, director general of the European Bureau of Consumer Unions (Beuc).
The Brussels-based organization said it had alerted the European Commission and national consumer protection authorities, calling for an investigation into "unfair" practices that constitute a "violation" of European law.
Claims by "thousands"
"Companies deprive passengers of their right to a refund in the event of a canceled flight and deceive passengers by providing them with incorrect, partial or unclear information on their rights", continued the director of Beuc. The consumer associations members of Beuc have been "inundated with thousands of complaints", she noted.
The organization notes that “if unfair practices have been observed throughout the sector, Aegean, Air France, EasyJet, KLM, Norwegian, Ryanair, TAP Portugal, Transavia are among the companies with the most complaints from of consumers ”at European level.
Proceedings against France
Le Beuc has initiated this "external alert" mechanism with the Commission and national authorities, which can lead to an investigation, with 11 of its member organizations, such as UFC-Que Choisir (France) and Test-Achats (Belgium). Le Beuc represents a total of 44 consumer organizations from 32 countries.
The European Commission launched in early July an infringement procedure against ten EU countries, including France, to defend the right of travelers to be reimbursed in the event of cancellation of their trips due to the coronavirus .
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