Air Travel
As an air traveler you may already have been the victim of overbooking
of seats on certain flights.
You should know that you have certain rights if you are denied access
to an overbooked scheduled flight, provided you have duly presented
yourself for check-in within the required time limit, and have a valid
ticket and a confirmed reservation for the flight in question.
In such circumstances, the air carrier must, immediately after boarding
is denied, pay compensation in cash, or, with your agreement, in travel
vouchers and/or other services.
Moreover, you have the right to choose between:
. reimbursement, without penalty, of the cost of the ticket for the part
of the journey not made, or
. re-routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity, or
. re-routing at a later date at your convenience.
In addition, the air carrier must offer free of charge the cost of a
telephone call (or a telex or fax message) to your place of destination
and meals and refreshments depending on waiting time. If you are held up
for one or more nights, the carrier must also offer you hotel
accommodation.
In the event of boarding being denied on a flight sold as part of a
package tour, the air carrier must compensate the tour
operator who has concluded the contract with you and the tour operator
must pass on to you the sums thus received.
However, you enjoy these rights only in the case of scheduled flights
(for example, charter flights are exempted) from an airport located on the
territory of a Member State of the European Union and subject to Community
law.
The information in question must be made available to the public at the
carrier’s agencies and at check-in counters, and air carriers must provide
each passenger who has been denied boarding with a form setting out the
compensation rules concerned.
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Vehicle hire
If, when visiting another EU Member State, you decide to hire a motor
vehicle, you also have certain rights as a national of an EU country. You
need only present to the car hire firm the driving license issued to you
in your country of residence. Your driving license is as a proof of your
right to drive the same types of vehicle everywhere in the EU as those you
are entitled to drive in the country which issued your license.
Moreover, the car hire firm may not include in the hire contract unfair
clauses, e.g. waiving any liability on its part in the event of an
accident caused by an inherent defect in the vehicle or motorbike or due
to poor maintenance. Unfair clauses are unlawful throughout the Union and
cannot be invoked against you
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source: European Commission
