It’s a serious issue: what rights do airline passengers get when their flights have been delayed? The EU has agreed tough rules to oblige airlines to pay, and in Brussels airport there are signs (shown on the right here) that explain those rights. Low cost carriers have not really been forthcoming with making the rules clear to passengers, and are most probably in breach quite often. I wonder when these signs will also appear at Stansted, Heathrow and other UK airports? Although as the UK government bars the European Commission from spending any information money in the UK don’t bet on similar signs appearing any time soon.
Anyway, serious stuff aside for the moment… The sign shown on the left is at Copenhagen Kastrup airport – French Dog with can Soda anyone? I think I’ll order an Alsatian.
On which grounds has the UK government forbidden the Commission to spend money on information ? Public health protection ? Terrorism ? Fighting spin ?
It’s because they assume that any Commission money for information will be seen as ‘propaganda’ by the UK population. Hence it’s simply better to not spend any. Now, tell me how it’s better to NOT inform airline passengers of their rights…? And will the UK government try to do distribute the information itself? Doubtful.
I came across all of this back in 2005 when I wanted to get 5 copies of the European Constitution from the Commission Delegation office in London. I was given a grilling about what I wanted to use these Constitutions for, and that I was not going to be somehow using Commission propaganda. It’s all utterly ludicrous.
At Manchester Airport – with no signs – the SAS operators even denied knowledge of “EU rights of passengers”..