apf draws first summer balance in the air and rail sector

As the travel summer of 2022 draws to a close, it is time for our conciliation body to take stock. Due to operational hurdles and a sharp rise in passenger numbers, the number of proceedings in the air and rail sectors is also increasing and is currently back to pre-crisis levels.

The summer of 2022 was very turbulent from the point of view of the apf Flight Arbitration Board. Various problems led to flight irregularities throughout Europe. In addition, passenger numbers soared in the summer. This year, the number of passengers almost reached pre-crisis levels.
This created major personnel and operational hurdles at the start of the travel season. In the context of our arbitration activity , this can be seen on the one hand in the large number of complaints received, and on the other hand in the fact that we have received an unusually high number of complaints on issues outside our area of responsibility.

These include baggage problems of all kinds and problems with booking platforms. In the period between July and August, we received a total of 1,070 complaints, which led to 670 proceedings being opened. As in 2019, the actual arbitration procedure often relate to delays due to capacity bottlenecks in various airspaces or, as frequently reported in the media, problems with handling and security checks. The latter two are characteristic of this year's summer, with hardly any passengers unaffected, especially at the start of the season. As at 31. 8. 2022, apf was able to arrange a total of EUR 144,000 in refunds, compensation and penalty reductions in the flight sector.

In the rail sector, apf has been observing a significantly longer response time at Austria's largest rail company, ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG, for several months. In accordance with the EU Rail Passenger Rights Regulation, the company must respond within one month or, in the case of delay compensation, pay out the compensation; ticket refunds at the passenger's request must be paid out within two months at the latest in accordance with the EisbBFG. In July and August, apf recorded a total of 235 complaints and inquiries in the rail sector. This represents a significant increase in inquiries of more than 60% compared to summer 2021. In the 162 proceedings opened, a total of EUR 12,500 was obtained for rail travelers in the form of refunds, penalty reductions or compensation.

The apf is also critical of the changes to the contact form used by ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG. In the event of a complaint, passengers receive an automated confirmation of receipt without any reference to the content of the submission, such as a processing number, or a confirmation including the submitted complaint text. From apf's point of view, this represents a deterioration in service, as these services were already offered by ÖBB in the past.

However, it is also not (or no longer) possible to contact the company directly by e-mail. In many cases, telephone calls are referred to the contact form mentioned above. This means that those affected currently have to fill out a new form, for example, in order to urge an entry that has already been made. After apf pointed out these problems, the suggested changes were rejected by ÖBB Personenverkehrs AG with reference to data protection concerns.