British tourists receive a warning for new EU rules that will reduce the reimbursement for delayed flights

British tourists have been warned that new EU rules can reduce compensation for delayed flights.

Revised rules would see less protection for holiday makers after the EU transport ministers have agreed that the new rules would reduce compensation for flight delays and the length of the delay before compensation applies.

The new rules, which were agreed earlier this week, influence short and medium -sized migratory flights under 3,500 km Weekly travel Reports.

Proposals include reducing compensation for delays from € 400 to € 300 for flights to 3,500 km, and from € 600 to € 500 for longer flights.

Compensation can now also only be granted if the delay is six or more hours, from just four hours.

Airlines can only refuse claims for ‘extraordinary and inevitable circumstances’ if they do everything they can to reduce a delay or cancellation.

The changes come after airlines lobby for compensation at a short distance, European flights to request only five hours or more delays and for nine hours for long -distance flights.

They argued that airlines canceled more flights than usual in response to delays due to traffic or technical problems.

British tourists have been warned that new EU rules offered compensation for delayed flights will reduce from € 400 to € 300 for flights to 3,500 km, and from € 600 to € 500 for longer flights

Compensation can now also only be granted if the delay is six or more hours, from just four hours

New rules would also rearrange passengers in the event of delays or cancellations and passengers to be asked to travel with other airlines or through a suitable alternative transport method to reach their destination.

If the cancellation is not provided within three hours, passengers can make their own schemes and claim a reimbursement to the value of 400 percent of the original ticket price.

The changes as a rule would also see clarifications about the right of passengers to help with greater transparency to the available help, which they are entitled to include food, drinks and accommodation and to be able to reject during long delays, even if they have already boarded.

Ourania Georgoutsakou, director of the Brussels airlines for Europe (A4E), which represents the most important airlines in Europe, said: ‘Europe has been waiting for transparent and workable passenger rights for 12 years and the Member States have fallen in the last obstacle.

“Instead of offering delay thresholds of five and nine hours that would save up to 70% of the rescuable canceled flights, the Member States have watered the original proposal of the EC and introduced even more complexity.”

The rule changes would also see clarifications about the right of passengers to help with greater transparency on the available help, which are entitled to absorb food, drinks and accommodation

The changes would be the first to be EU Regulation 261 since the introduction in 2004 and following 12 years of stalled negotiations on revisions that were first introduced in 2013, according to the publication.

A statement on behalf of the Council of Ministers after the agreement said: ‘The revision answers a need for simpler and clearer rules, while aimed at finding a better balance between a high level of protection for passengers and the preservation of connectivity and an equal playing field for the aviation sector.

‘The new rules are intended to strengthen and clarify various existing air passenger rights, together with the introduction of some new rights.

“Important rights that were strengthened include the rights to be dealt with, the right to help and the right to information.”