Overview
- The Zentrum für Europäischen Verbraucherschutz (ZEV) issued formal warnings to Ryanair, TAP Air Portugal and Wizz Air on September 28–29 for telling cancelled‑flight customers to claim refunds from intermediaries instead of the operating airline.
- Under the EU air passenger rights regulation, passengers whose flights are cancelled may choose a full refund and the operating airline must return the ticket price within seven days when refund is chosen.
- ZEV found many of the referrals were automatic chatbot replies that gave blanket instructions to contact the ticket seller, a practice the group calls misleading because it delays refunds and can create extra fees for travellers.
- If a cancellation occurs at short notice and was within the airline’s control, passengers may also be entitled to compensation of €250–€600 per person in addition to the refund.
- Consumers should first contact the operating airline using its complaint portal, and if that fails may use paid claims platforms or national dispute bodies such as the Schlichtungsstelle Reise und Verkehr, while ZEV’s warnings could lead to enforcement or court action if carriers do not change their procedures.