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German courts rule airlines must reimburse costs from false call‑center advice
Recent German court rulings have reinforced passenger rights under EU law. The Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt (Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt) held that an airline is liable for the extra expenses a traveller incurred after receiving incorrect information from the carrier’s call centre. In the case cited, passengers booked a flight from Iran via Doha to Frankfurt that had been cancelled days earlier. Because they could not access the cancellation notice, they called the airline’s hotline, were told no replacement was available, and booked a new flight at a cost of about €15,000. The court ruled the airline must cover that cost.
The decisions also confirm that fees paid to online travel agencies or booking portals must be fully refunded when a flight is cancelled. A separate case involving KLM and the Opodo platform showed that the airline must return the €95 intermediary fee alongside the ticket price.
The rulings sit alongside the EU’s passenger‑rights framework, which guarantees compensation of up to €600 for delays of three hours or more, with the current rules expected to remain in force until new regulations take effect in mid‑2027.
Entities
ARAG · Anja Haider‑Wallner · Burgenland Consumer Protection Office · European Union · KLM · Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt · Opodo
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] EU law allows travellers to cancel a package holiday without penalty if the price increases by more than 8% within 20 days before travel. www.prima-magazin.at
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Burgenland consumer‑protection office can assist travellers with enforcing their rights. www.prima-magazin.at
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Passengers are entitled to up to €600 compensation for overbooked or cancelled flights without a reasonable alternative. www.prima-magazin.at
- [● 2 SOURCES] Airlines are liable for false information given by their call‑center staff about cancelled flights. www.presse-board.de · www.pr-neuigkeiten.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] Travelers can claim reimbursement of replacement flight costs when an airline provides incorrect information. www.presse-board.de · www.pr-neuigkeiten.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Airlines are liable for up to €1,600 for damaged, lost or delayed baggage. www.prima-magazin.at
- [● 2 SOURCES] Booking or mediation fees paid through online travel agencies must be fully refunded if the flight is cancelled. www.presse-board.de · www.pr-neuigkeiten.de
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Claims for delayed baggage must be filed within 21 days; claims for loss or damage must be filed within 7 days. www.prima-magazin.at