More arbitration cases due to problems with flights and trains

Traffic - More arbitration cases due to problems with flights and trains

Not everything always runs smoothly when traveling - passengers and passengers can turn to the arbitration board for public transport (SÖP) in the event of a dispute over reimbursement. Around 39,700 people did so last year, according to the SÖP. This means that the body received almost a third more applications than in the previous year - and almost as many as in the previous record year of 2020 with more than 41,000 complaints. This year, the number of cases could level off at a high level.

Most applications related to air travel

As usual, the majority of applications, around 84%, related to air traffic. According to the SÖP, this mainly involved canceled or delayed trips, flight delays or lost, delayed or damaged luggage. Around 14 percent of all arbitration requests related to rail services. Here, the conflicts mainly revolved around train cancellations and delays. "There were also new arbitration requests in the context of the Deutschlandticket," the SÖP continued.

According to the SÖP, the main reason for the significant increase last year was the chaotic conditions at German airports in 2022. Staff shortages in particular led to numerous flight cancellations and delays in the summer of that year as passenger traffic picked up again.

These problems also made themselves felt at the conciliation body in the first half of 2023, as it usually takes several weeks for affected travelers to submit a claim. Particularly in the months up to and including July, the SÖP usually received twice as many conciliation requests as in the previous year. The figures also remained high in the second half of the year, but no longer reached the level of the same period in the previous year.

One in three claims recognized immediately

In around 85% of cases, an agreement was reached in the interests of the traveler. "Many companies were particularly accommodating last year," it said. "More than one in three claims were recognized immediately, meaning that disputes could often be settled within a few weeks."

Not everything went smoothly at Deutsche Bahn last year either. It is striking that the proportion of rail-related claims at the SÖP increased from 12% in 2022 to 14% last year. This means that the number of rail-related disputes has increased from around 3,600 to more than 5,500. The SÖP refers to new cases due to the Deutschlandticket. It intends to publish more detailed analyses in its annual report at the end of March.

Poor prospects for 2024

There were many problems not only in regional transport, but also in long-distance transport. In November alone, almost every second long-distance train arrived late at its destination. Almost every third passenger was affected by delays. The main reason for the high level of unreliability on the railways is the poor condition of the infrastructure. In addition, there were a total of four warning strikes in 2023 due to various wage disputes on the railroads.

This is likely to continue this year. On the one hand, the wage dispute with the German Train Drivers' Union continues. And it is likely to be years before the problems with the infrastructure are resolved. From this summer, Deutsche Bahn plans to carry out a general overhaul of dozens of busy corridors. The work will start on the so-called Riedbahn between Frankfurt and Mannheim. The routes are to be completely closed for months and then completely renewed. This means that things will initially be more stressful for passengers before they get better.

Refunds from the railroad

For some years now, passengers have been able to apply online for a refund of part of their fare in the event of delays. For delays of one hour or more, Deutsche Bahn refunds a quarter of the fare; for delays of two hours or more, it refunds half.

There are repeated calls to increase the refund amount or to compensate passengers for even shorter delays. "What is needed now is compensation that really represents a certain amount of compensation for those affected and at the same time hurts the railroads and encourages them to do better," CDU transport politician Thomas Bareiß told the Rheinische Post newspaper. Deutsche Bahn, on the other hand, defends its own regulations as the most generous of all means of transport.

Many complaints this year too

The SÖP is also expecting a high volume of applications this year. "We expect to receive more or less as many new arbitration requests in 2024 as in 2023," the office said. More and more travelers are using the SÖP and the shortage of skilled workers and infrastructure problems, particularly with the railroads, remain a challenge.

The SÖP has been dealing with problems with air, bus, rail and boat travel since 2010. For the most part, it deals with compensation for delays or cancellations of flights and train journeys. Around 400 transport companies take part in the arbitration process, which they finance themselves.