apf: Annual report 2018
from Armin Trojer
Agency for Passenger Rights (apf for short) is the central service point for rail, bus, ship and air travel. It deals with all claims to which passengers are entitled. This means that the apf reclaims all reasonable costs incurred by passengers as a result of a delay, cancellation, etc. within the scope of its responsibility. In addition to the compensation payment, this often includes ticket refunds in the event of cancellation or the reimbursement of costs for care services (such as meals, necessary hotel accommodation or transfers between the hotel and airport/railway station) if these were not provided by the company. The apf service is always free of charge and commission-free for passengers.
2018 was a particularly challenging year for the apf. A total of 6,248 written complaints were submitted to the apf, which represents a massive increase of over 61% compared to the previous year. The apf concluded 3,279 proceedings, an increase of 40% compared to the previous year. With 2,770 proceedings concluded, which corresponds to an increase of around 61% compared to the previous year, the majority of these were in the air transport sector, followed by rail transport with 472 proceedings and bus transport with 37 proceedings. A positive outcome for passengers was achieved in 81 percent of the completed procedures. The average duration of proceedings was around 35 days. In 2018, the apf was able to obtain a total of 1,177,017 euros for passengers[nbsp].