Flight refunds: travel agents fight EU booking fee rule

Travel agents could have to return their booking fees as well as the ticket price when a passenger is entitled to a flight refund. In Madrid on 21 October 2026, the Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV) says it will ask Spain’s government to consider challenging the EU rule. The European Parliament approved the text on 20 October, but it still needs formal approval from the Council.

Why agents object

The rule would require agencies that arranged a flight booking to repay both the fare and their fee, CEAV’s legal director Ana Barluenga says. Airlines would not have to cover the cost of refunding that fee when an agent handles the claim.

CEAV says agents have already done the work, while the reason for a refund lies outside their control. It argues that the rule could put agencies at a disadvantage against airlines selling tickets directly. The group says it tried to change the provision in the European Parliament without success.

An exception and a deadline

Independent microbusinesses with fewer than ten workers and annual turnover or a balance sheet no higher than two million euros could keep part of their fee, provided they are not linked to other businesses. They would have to tell passengers clearly and prominently from the start of booking that they will keep it.

The rule is due to apply from 23 October 2027. CEAV wants Spain’s government to consider a case at the Court of Justice of the European Union, arguing that the provision may breach EU rules on proportionality and competition. It would have two months from the regulation’s publication in the Official Journal of the European Union to file a challenge.

Topics: Air travel · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com