Delays and Cancellations - Complaints 19,500 at travel ombudsman
At conflicts with travel companies, consumers can turn to the Dispute Resolution Office Travel and Transport. In the first six months of this year, around 19,500 corresponding complaints were filed there, according to the semi-annual report of the Office. That was about four percent more cases than in the same period last year.
More Complaints in Rail Transport
The increase was mainly due to more complaints in rail transport. Due to train failures and delays, around 3,400 dispute resolution cases went to the Office in the first half of the year. That was about 1,000 more cases than in the first six months of the previous year. Almost every fifth application concerned rail transport.
The majority of complaints came again from the aviation sector. Almost 81 percent of the cases related to cancelled flights or flight delays. The absolute number remained roughly stable with around 16,000 applications compared to the previous year.
The most applications were recorded in January. This was seasonally determined, as travel activity is particularly high around the turn of the year. Since consumers must first register their claims with the respective company, it usually takes several weeks for cases to reach the Dispute Resolution Office.
The Office expects around 42,000 complaints for the entire year 2024, which would be about three percent more than in the previous year. In four out of five cases, a mutually acceptable solution can be found for all parties.
The Dispute Resolution Office Travel and Transport has renamed itself this year. Its previous name was Dispute Resolution Office for Public Transport (SOÉP). Since 2010, it has dealt with problems related to air, bus, rail, and shipping travel.
Companies finance the Dispute Resolution Office
Mostly it is about compensation for delays or cancellations of flights and train journeys. Around 400 transport companies participate in the dispute resolution procedure, which they finance themselves. Conflict cases around bus and shipping travel make up the regular smallest share of all cases at the Dispute Resolution Office.
- Consumers experiencing issues with flight disruptions can seek resolution through the Arbitration office, now known as the Dispute Resolution Office Travel and Transport in Germany.
- In the first half of this year, the Office dealt with over 19,500 complaints, a four percent increase from the same period last year, primarily due to flight delays and failures.
- Around 3,400 dispute resolution cases in the first half of 202X were related to train failures and delays, accounting for almost every fifth application at the Office.
- The aviation sector was the primary source of complaints, with 81% of cases involving cancelled flights or flight delays, contributing to roughly 16,000 applications in the first half of 202X.
- The majority of complaints were filed in January, attributed to the high travel activity around the turn of the year, and it takes several weeks for cases to reach the Dispute Resolution Office after consumers register their claims with travel companies.
- Over 400 travel companies in Germany finance the Dispute Resolution Office, providing a solution for conflict cases concerning flight disruptions, train delays, or cancellations of bus and shipping journeys.
