2018 was an eventful year for Agency for Passenger Rights (apf).

Sample letters for complaints to airlines are available on the homepage of Agency for Passenger Rights . The sample letters were created on the basis of the EU Passenger Rights Regulation (Regulation (EC) 261/2004) and inform the airline of your rights in the following cases:

• Flight delay
• Flight cancellation
• Flight overbooking / denied boarding
• Downgrade/downgrading

In any case, the apf recommends rail travelers: Contact the rail company before you take any unauthorized action or incur additional expenses. In today's blog post, we explain what rights and obligations passengers have.

Various ACA reports were discussed at the National Council meeting on November 21, 2018 - including the report on Agency for Passenger Rights (apf).

In the shipping sector, apf receives a relatively high number of inquiries and complaints regarding transportation services between Greece and Italy. As a rule, this concerns a transportation contract with a specific shipping company. It is clear from the complaints and inquiries that there are regularly deficiencies in the booking or transportation, such as late departure, late arrival, cancellation of the trip, change of port of destination. As it is often not possible to reach an agreement or solve the problem with the company in these cases or no adequate offer is made, it is primarily Austrian citizens who turn to the apf for help.

A passenger who is a wheelchair user asked apf for help as booking a flight through a travel agency was problematic.

If, for example, a flight reaches its final destination with a delay of 3 hours and there are no extraordinary circumstances, there is a claim to a so-called compensation payment. The amount is between 250 and 600 euros...

Since the end of May 2015, Agency for Passenger Rights (apf for short) has been helping passengers and passengers on rail, bus, ship and air transport to assert their rights - always free of charge and commission-free...

According to the EU Passenger Rights Regulation (EC) 261/2004, airlines must give passengers the choice between alternative transportation and reimbursement of ticket costs in the event of a cancellation. Until now, there has been disagreement as to whether the airline must also reimburse the intermediary's fees when booking through a travel agent. The ECJ has now ruled: Yes - but only if the airline was aware of the fee (Ref. C-601/17)...

It happens time and again that passengers are downgraded from their booked higher (and therefore more expensive) class, such as Business Class, to Economy Class. In such a case, passengers have clear rights which we would like to inform you about in today's article...

A family wanted to travel from Vienna to Berlin and booked couchette seats on an overnight train so that they could arrive at their destination feeling rested. However, the journey turned out differently than expected due to the breakdown of the couchette car...

As the apf has been informed, passengers who want to check in at the airport counter often experience an unpleasant surprise...

Whether it's a long summer vacation, a short city break or a business trip - passengers should keep this in mind!

Unfortunately, things can always go wrong when traveling. Compensation for lost or damaged wheelchairs, other mobility aids and assistive devices is governed by the PRM Passenger Rights Regulation.

A traveler wanted to travel by bus from Vienna to Berlin and bought a ticket from a renowned[nbsp] company. In the end, the journey turned out differently than expected...

At the end of June 2018, the Agung volcano on the Indonesian vacation island of Bali erupted. As a result, numerous flights had to be canceled and several airports temporarily closed. Find out what rights passengers have in such a situation here.

Sample letters for complaints to airlines are available on the homepage of Agency for Passenger Rights . The sample letters were created on the basis of the EU Passenger Rights Regulation (Regulation (EC) 261/2004) and inform the airline of your rights in the following cases:

• Flight delay
• Flight cancellation
• Flight overbooking / denied boarding
• Downgrade/downgrading

In addition to problems with cancellation, delays, etc., apf also supports passengers with disabilities if something goes wrong. This is because passengers with disabilities are entitled to free assistance from the respective train, bus, ship or flight company or infrastructure operator. This includes assistance with transportation to the means of transport, boarding and alighting, luggage transport and getting to the seat and toilets. In principle, the company must be notified of the need 48 hours in advance.

Among other things, apf secured improvements for passengers in the rail company's fare regulations with regard to the Vorteilscard discount, the redemption of vouchers, the use of pdf online tickets and name changes for online tickets.

Since May 28, 2015, Agency for Passenger Rights (apf for short) has been the central service point for rail, bus, ship and air travel. It deals with claims to which passengers are entitled in accordance with the relevant EU regulation and, in the case of rail travel, also deals with all problems that arise in connection with transportation. This means that the apf reclaims all costs incurred by passengers as a result of delays, cancellations, etc.

A passenger booked a flight with Royal Air Maroc from Berlin to Agadir in Morocco, with a stopover in Casablanca. As she was denied boarding on the connecting flight from Casablanca to Agadir, she reached her destination around four hours later than planned. However, the airline refused to pay compensation as it took the view that the Passenger Rights Regulation did not apply to the flight from Casablanca to Agadir (outside the EU).

The original flight home of a group of students from London to Linz, on which 14 students of the HAK/HTL from Freistadt were booked, was canceled by the airline at short notice. As the airline offered the group neither an alternative flight nor support services (such as meals, hotel and transfer between hotel and airport), the responsible teacher (who was not available locally but in Freistadt as a contact person) organized the rebooking to the earliest possible flight via chat with the airline.

Sample letters for complaints to airlines are available on the homepage of Agency for Passenger Rights . The sample letters were created on the basis of the EU Passenger Rights Regulation (Regulation (EC) 261/2004) and inform the airline of your rights in the following cases:

• Flight delay
• Flight cancellation
• Flight overbooking / denied boarding
• Downgrade/downgrading

A complainant booked a journey from Warsaw to Vienna on an overnight train with an Austrian railroad company; the train used was from the Polish partner railroad, which, among other things, does not have a dining car. However, this was not apparent to the complainant in advance.

The Passenger Rights Regulation governs the rights of passengers in the event of delays and cancellations. However, claims can only be made if a single contract of carriage has been concluded. For a multi-segment flight (flight with connecting flight or connecting flights), there must be a consistent reservation number or booking code. This is guaranteed when booking directly with an airline or via a travel agency, but not always when booking via an online portal.

Passengers are generally entitled to a compensation payment in the event of a flight cancellation - a so-called compensation payment - if they are not informed at least two weeks before the scheduled departure. This also applies if passengers buy flight tickets via an online booking portal or a travel agency, for example. This was established by the European Court of Justice in a ruling in 2017.

Ms. K. slipped when boarding the S-Bahn because the doors closed too early. She sustained injuries which she did not have to seek medical treatment for due to the minor pain. Ms. K.'s husband immediately reported the incident to the train company by telephone.

Due to bad weather, a car train from Düsseldorf to Vienna had to be canceled. After telephone consultation, the person concerned started the journey by car, as recommended by the rail company. She was also assured by telephone that any hotel costs would be reimbursed if she wanted to interrupt the journey.

In the event of a dispute with the company, apf ensures that solutions are found quickly. Unlike other providers, apf's service is free of charge and commission-free for you as a passenger. This means that passengers always receive the full amount of compensation back and do not have to pay any commission even if their claim is successful.

In today's case, we provide information about the services that an airline must provide in the event of cancellations.

A complainant missed his flight due to incorrect information from the rail company. As the rail company refused to reimburse the additional costs for the rebooked flight, Mr. H. filed a complaint with the apf.

Sometimes things go wrong when traveling. The first flight is canceled or severely delayed and the connecting flight is missed. In these cases, the EU Passenger Rights Regulation regulates the rights of passengers - but only if a single contract of carriage has been concluded. A single contract of carriage is deemed to exist if there is a single reservation number for a multi-segment flight, i.e. a flight with one or more connecting flights.

Sample letters for complaints to[nbsp]airlines are available on the homepage of Agency for Passenger Rights .[nbsp]The sample letters were created on the basis of the EU Passenger Rights Regulation (Regulation (EC) 261/2004) and inform the airline of your rights in the following cases:[nbsp]

• Flight delay 
• Flight cancellation 
• Flight overbooking/denied boarding
• Downgrade/downgrading

In principle, any passenger can contact the apf if the affected flight[nbsp]

• flies out of Austria,
• is departing from an EU member state and lands in Austria,
• is carried out by an Austrian airline within EU member states,
• departs from a third country and lands in an EU Member State and is carried out with an Austrian airline or[nbsp]
• departs from a third country and lands in Austria and is carried out with an airline that has its principal place of business in an EU member state.

In principle, airlines must carry disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2006 concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when traveling by air. Carriage may only be denied by the company in exceptional cases if it would contravene applicable safety regulations or is not possible for technical reasons (e.g. due to the aircraft design or equipment).

If the bus is canceled or the departure is delayed by more than 120 minutes, passengers have the right to either

1. to forego the onward journey, to take the return journey free of charge and to apply for a (pro rata) refund of the fare. OR

2. to continue the journey at the earliest possible time at no additional cost and under comparable conditions. If the bus company does not offer a choice between continuing the journey and refunding the fare, passengers are entitled to an additional refund of 50 percent of the original ticket price.

Airlines are obliged to actively inform passengers of their rights. At check-in, a clearly legible notice must be displayed with the text specified in the EU Passenger Rights Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004: "If you are denied boarding or if your flight is canceled or delayed by at least two hours, ask at the check-in counter or at the boarding gate for written information about your rights, in particular about compensation and assistance."

According to apf, passengers are always entitled to compensation of an additional 50 percent of the ticket price if the bus company does not offer a choice between onward travel and reimbursement of the ticket price. We know from experience that this choice is often not mentioned to passengers by bus companies.

Weekly and monthly tickets are so-called season tickets. These entitle the holder to use a connection an unlimited number of times within the period of validity of the ticket. Weekly and monthly tickets are usually valid on a specific route or for a specific number of zones within a transport association.

How do I register my claims for compensation or reimbursement?

With regard to the NIKI insolvency, it is important to distinguish between ticket refunds and compensation payments/compensation. Claims in connection with ticket refunds are dealt with in the insolvency proceedings in Germany. Claims in connection with compensation payments or compensation in accordance with the EU Passenger Rights Regulation - flight delays, flight cancellations, etc. - as well as problems with baggage, incorrect debits and failed rebookings are handled in Austria.

Due to the insolvency application, it is currently not possible for the apf to initiate new arbitration procedure against NIKI.

In Austria, Hungarian bus companies mainly operate on the Budapest-Vienna city center and Budapest-Vienna airport routes. The apf received a number of complaints about a Hungarian bus company that had canceled bus trips from Budapest to Vienna at short notice and without providing sufficient information to the passengers concerned. As the passengers had to book alternative transportation and were therefore faced with additional costs, they turned to the apf.