Airlines must refund canceled flights within 7 days starting next month

From the start of October, airlines will once again have to refund customers for canceled flights within seven days, the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate announced after discussions with KLM, Transavia, Vueling, Corendon, and TUI, NOS reports.

According to European rules, consumers have the right to a refund within a week in the event of cancellation. But this rule was not strictly enforced in air travel over the past six months, due to the unprecedented number of canceled flights when the coronavirus struck. The Inspectorate also allowed airlines to give customers vouchers, instead of cash refunds.

But with the sector recovering, it is time to get back to enforcing the rules. From October, airlines will have to give cash refunds for canceled flights within seven days.

Between March and September, the Inspectorate received over 1,300 complaints regarding late refunds, or refunds in vouchers instead of cash. Airlines were already ordered to offer customers the option of a cash refund.