The vote

The European Parliament approved the revised passenger rights regulation on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, in a plenary session in Strasbourg. Members voted 652 in favour, 2 against and 8 abstentions. The text covers passengers travelling by plane, train, bus and ferry, and it updates rules that govern refunds and compensation after travel disruption.

In favour652

Against2

Abstentions8

In favour

652 votes

Against

2 votes

Abstentions

8 votes

Data from the article text

According to estimates published on the Parliament's website, the rules could apply to up to 13 billion trips a year, rising to 20 billion by 2050. The reform took a long route to this point: the European Commission presented its package of changes in 2023, and the Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a deal in June 2026.

Refunds for bookings made through intermediaries

Passengers who bought a ticket through a travel agency or an online booking platform will receive a full refund if their flight is cancelled, including any intermediary fees, within 14 days. The airline must transfer the money to the intermediary within seven days, and the intermediary then has another seven days to pay the passenger. Where the intermediary has already paid the airline from its own funds, the refund must be made within 14 days. Agencies and platforms must show the refund conditions at the moment of booking. Microenterprises that act as intermediaries receive an exception, but passengers must be told about it at the start of the booking process.

One claim form and help for passengers with disabilities

A standardised claim form will be published on the European Commission website in all official EU languages, and it can be used for refunds and compensation across every transport mode. Carriers may offer equivalent forms of their own. The CDU MEP Jens Gieseke praised the single form as a simplification for travellers, telling the Parliament that "You do not have a bureaucratic jungle, you have one form for all modes of transport."

Passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility gain extra protection. A companion may fly free of charge when the passenger needs one, a rule that already applies to bus, train and ferry travel. The rules also give national authorities more power. They can launch audits, inspections and interviews with carriers on their own initiative, rather than waiting for passenger complaints. The rapporteur, Matteo Ricci of the Socialists and Democrats group (S&D), said the changes would raise passenger protection and make rights easier to enforce without going to court.

What comes next

The Council of the EU, which represents the member states, still has to give formal approval, and the text must then be published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Bayerischer Rundfunk described the Council step as a formality. Travel agencies, airlines, rail, bus and shipping companies have one year to adapt their portals and systems. The new rules are scheduled to take effect on 23 October 2027.