EU Parliament Backs Passenger Rights on Delays! But Missed Trips Still Go Unprotected

The European Parliament’s latest reforms to air passenger rights have pushed flight delays and compensation back into public focus.

At a headline level, the message sounds reassuring.

Passenger protections remain intact. Delay thresholds haven’t been weakened. Airlines are still responsible for refunds, rebooking, and duty of care when flights go wrong, under frameworks such as EU261 (European Commission overview).

But for anyone who actually travels, or sells travel, events, or experiences, there’s a growing disconnect between what regulation covers and what disruption really costs.

Getting compensation for a delayed flight rarely comes close to covering what passengers actually lose.

Passenger Rights Solve One Problem, Not the Whole Trip

Under EU air passenger rights, travellers may be entitled to:

• -  A refund or rebooking if a flight is delayed or cancelled
• -  Fixed compensation based on delay length and distance
• -  Duty of care, including meals, accommodation, and communication
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These protections matter. They address fairness in air transport.

What they don’t address is everything built around the flight.

In modern travel, the flight is just the trigger.

The Hidden Cost of a Delayed Flight

When a flight doesn’t depart on time, or doesn’t depart at all, the knock-on effects are immediate and expensive.

Common losses include:

• -  Pre-booked airport transfers that can’t be used
• -  Non-refundable hotel nights never checked into
• -  Prepaid events, concerts, tours, or attractions missed entirely
• -  Shortened stays that devalue the entire trip
• -  Missed conferences, exhibitions, or corporate events that can’t simply be rescheduled
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Even when airline compensation is paid, it is:

• -  Fixed
• -  Often delayed
• -  Detached from the passenger’s real financial loss
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A £250–£600 payout offers little comfort if the traveller has missed:

• -  The first two nights of a hotel stay
• -  A sold-out concert or sporting event
• -  A paid airport transfer
• -  A once-only experience or business-critical event
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• Passenger rights protect the journey, not the reason for the journey.
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Why This Gap Matters More Than Ever

Travel today is no longer a single transaction. It’s an interconnected ecosystem of bookings:

• -  Flights
• -  Accommodation
• -  Events and attractions
• -  Ground transport
• -  Experiences, memberships, and loyalty benefits
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• Customer expectations have evolved alongside that complexity.
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• Travellers increasingly assume that:

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• -  Flexibility is standard
• -  Refunds are fast and fair
• -  Someone will make them whole when disruption occurs
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In reality, responsibility is fragmented across airlines, hotels, event organisers, insurers, and platforms. When disruption happens, customers are left navigating that fragmentation themselves.

That’s when frustration spikes, and so do chargebacks, disputes, and support tickets.

What Airline Compensation Covers vs. What Customers Actually Lose

The gap is structural, not accidental. Regulation was designed to govern transport, not attendance.

The Next Generation of Protection Goes Beyond Compensation

This is where the conversation needs to move, particularly for:

• -  Insurers
• -  Online travel agencies (OTAs)
• -  Event ticketing platforms
• -  Hospitality and accommodation SaaS providers
• -  Conference, festival, and experience organisers
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The real question is no longer: Will the airline refund the flight?

It’s: What happens when a customer can’t attend what they booked?

How Simple Refunds Fills the Gap Passenger Rights Don’t Cover

Simple Refunds is designed specifically for the part of disruption that regulation doesn’t touch.

It doesn’t replace airline compensation. It complements it. If a customer can’t attend a booking because their flight is delayed or fails to depart, Simple Refunds covers the inability to attend, not just the transport, but the experience that depended on it.

That includes protection for:

• -  Missed prepaid events and concerts
• -  Unused hotel nights
• -  Transfers and experiences tied to arrival
• -  Bookings that become worthless due to delay, not cancellation
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Even if a customer later receives airline compensation, they’re no longer left absorbing the real loss themselves.

Why This Matters for Platforms, Not Just Passengers

For businesses selling travel, events, or experiences, attendance-based protection delivers tangible value:

• -  Fewer refund disputes and chargebacks
• -  Stronger brand trust when disruption is outside your control
• -  A meaningful protection layer at checkout
• -  Alignment with customer expectations without forcing full flexibility
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Passenger Rights Are Catching Up, But They’re Not the Finish Line

The EU’s reforms are a step forward. They reinforce fairness in air travel. But regulation alone can’t reflect how people travel or buy today.

The future of protection sits at the intersection of:

• -  Regulation
• -  Insurance
• -  Embedded refund technology
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And it starts by protecting attendance, not just transport.