What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

Removed:Clarification of wording

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 2 b (new): 2 b. Intermediaries shall inform passengers prior to purchase if they have a contractual relationship with the carriers involved in the multimodal journey they are selling.

Removed:Article 8 – paragraph 2: 2. The intermediary and the contracting carrier shall inform the passenger about the reimbursement process as provided for in this Article in a clear, comprehensible and easily accessible manner at the time of booking and on the booking confirmation and when travel disruption occurs that entitles the passenger to the right to a refund and compensation under this Regulation.

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 3: 3. Multimodal hub managers shall also provide publicly accessible and free of charge general guidance on average connecting times between the different types of transport services that operate at the multimodal hub and give additional relevant information to persons with disabilities and reduced mobility. Operating carriers and intermediaries shall make their offer of single multimodal contracts or combined multimodal tickets, taking into account the connecting times suggested by the multimodal hub managers.

Removed:Intermediaries and carriers should inform the passenger about their rights, as soon as as a travel disruption occurs. This increases the enforceability for passenger of their rights under this Regulation.

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 4 – introductory part: 4. Prior to purchase, carriers and intermediaries offering transport contracts on behalf of one or more carriers for the purpose of a multimodal journey shall provide the passenger, with the following information:

Removed:Article 8 – paragraph 4: 4. The carrier shall state publicly, in a clear, comprehensible and easily accessible manner, whether it agrees to process reimbursements through intermediaries, and with which intermediaries it accepts to do so. Intermediaries shall publicly disclose, in a clear, comprehensible, and easily accessible manner, whether they have agreements with carriers to process reimbursements, and list those carriers.

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 4 – point a: (a) general conditions applicable to the contract, including rights to reimbursement, re-routing and compensation in the event of disruptions;

Removed:The obligation to inform passengers about which intermediaries a carrier accepts for processing reimbursements should also extend to the intermediaries themselves.

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 4 – point d: deleted

Removed:Article 9 – paragraph 2: 2. In applying paragraph 1, the operating carrier shall pay particular attention to the needs of unaccompanied children, persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility, as well as to those of any accompanying persons and assistance dogs.

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 4 – point e: deleted

Removed:Unaccompanied children are especially vulnerable in the event of missed connections and should receive special attention.

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 4 a (new): 4 a. Before the multimodal journey, carriers and intermediaries offering transport contracts on behalf of one or more carriers for the purpose of a multimodal journey shall provide the passenger with the following information: (a) general conditions applicable to the contract, including rights to reimbursement, re-routing and compensation in the event of disruptions; (b) disruptions and delays affecting the multimodal journey, planned and in real time; (c) procedures for the submission of the complaints under Article 18.

Removed:Article 9 – paragraph 2 a (new): 2 a. In the event of a delay, service cancellation, or disruption, the operating carrier shall promptly inform passengers of the situation, including the estimated departure and arrival times of the service or any replacement service, as soon as the information becomes available. Intermediaries shall also relay that information to passengers without delay upon receiving it.

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 5 – introductory part: 5. During the journey, carriers offering single multimodal contracts and combined multimodal tickets and, where possible, intermediaries offering combined multimodal tickets shall provide the passenger with the following information:

Removed:Operating carriers and intermediaries should keep consumers informed about further travel arrangements to maintain transparency and ensure clear communication.

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 5 – point a: (a) disruptions and delays (planned and in real time) and on the related reimbursement and re-routing and compensation rights under this Regulation;

Change 6

Changed:Article 115 – paragraph 1:6: 1.6. The Commission shall adopt an implementing act establishing a common form for compensation and reimbursementinformation requestsreferred underto thisin Regulation.paragraphs That1 commonto form5 shall be establishedprovided in accessible formatsthe andmost shallappropriate beformat, publishedincluding inby allusing officialappropriate languages.communication Thattechnologies. implementingThis actinformation shall be adoptedprovided in accordance with thea examinationcomprehensible procedureand referreduser-friendly tolanguage in Articlean 26(2).accessible format.

Change 7

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Change 8

Removed:Clarification of competencies between carriers and intermediaries.

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 8: 8. Where the passenger does not acquire a single multimodal contract directly from the carrier, but via an intermediary, this intermediary shall provide the contact details of the passenger and the booking details to the carriers concerned. The carrier shall only use these contact details to the extent necessary to comply with its obligations under this Regulation to provide information, provision of care, reimbursement, re-routing and compensation, and to fulfil the carrier’s obligations under applicable Union law on safety and security. It shall not use them for marketing purposes. The carrier shall process any personal data in accordance with the applicable Union law.

Removed:Article 11 – paragraph 3: 3. Carriers and intermediaries shall provide details on their website such as an e-mail address to which requests under paragraph 1 may be sent by electronic means. That requirement shall not apply where other electronic means of communication allowing passengers to request reimbursement or compensation are available, such as a form on a website or mobile applications, provided that such means offer the choice and information set out in the common form and are also available in an official language of the Union and in the language internationally accepted in this field. When using such means, passengers shall not be prevented from providing information in at least the language of the booking and in the language internationally accepted in this field.

Added:Article 5 – paragraph 9 a (new): 9 a. Where an intermediary acquires a ticket on behalf of a passenger, the intermediary shall inform the respective carrier(s) at the time of booking about the fact that it has booked the ticket as an intermediary. The intermediary shall provide the respective carrier with its postal and electronic contact details.

Removed:Allowing passengers to submit information in all EU languages would place an excessive burden on carriers and intermediaries, potentially leading to misunderstandings and disputes. Instead, claims and information should be provided only in the language of the booking or a widely accepted international language in this field.

Added:Article 7 – title: Reimbursement and re-routing for single multimodal contracts

Added:Article 7 – paragraph 2: 2. Where, for the purposes of points (b) and (c) of paragraph 1, comparable re-routing is operated by the same carrier or another carrier is commissioned to perform the re-routing, this shall not generate additional costs to the passenger. That requirement also applies where the re-routing involves the use of transport of a higher service class and alternative modes of transport. Carriers shall make all reasonable efforts to avoid additional connections and to ensure that delay in the total travel time is as short as possible.

Added:Article 7 – paragraph 3: 3. Re-routing transport service providers shall provide persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility with a level of assistance and accessibility comparable to the missed transport service when offering an alternative service. Re-routing transport service providers shall pay particular attention to provide persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility with alternative services which are appropriate to their needs, and which may differ from those offered to other passengers.

Added:Article 7 – paragraph 4: 4. The reimbursement referred to in point (a) of paragraph 1 shall be paid within 14 days after the receipt of the request. Member States may require contracting carriers to accept such requests by particular means of communication, provided that the requirement does not create discriminatory effects. The reimbursement shall take the form of money unless the passenger expressly agrees to be reimbursed in the form of vouchers or the provision of other services as referred to in Article 7a. The reimbursement of the ticket price shall not be reduced by financial transaction costs such as fees, telephone costs or stamps.

Added:Article 7 a (new): Article 7a Common rules on vouchers 1. Vouchers shall correspond at least to the amount of the refund to which the traveller is entitled instead of a refund. 2. Vouchers shall have a validity period of a maximum of 12 months from the day a traveller accepts a voucher. That period may be extended once for up to 12 months subject to the explicit agreement of both parties in written form. 3. Vouchers shall be transferable to another traveller once without any additional cost. 4. Should a passenger not utilise, or only partially utilise, a voucher, they shall retain the right to request a full monetary refund or a refund of the remaining amount at any time before or upon the voucher’s expiration. That refund shall be processed within 30 days of the passenger’s request. 5. When offering the voucher, the carrier or intermediary shall inform the traveller in a clear, unambiguous and comprehensible manner, of the traveller’s rights pursuant to this Article, the value of the voucher and the amount of the traveller’s refund right.

Added:Article 8 – paragraph 1: 1. Where the passenger has bought the single multimodal contract through an intermediary, the contracting carrier may make the reimbursement referred to in Article 7(1) point (a) through that intermediary. In such cases, the intermediary shall be responsible for reimbursing the passenger in accordance with this Article.

Added:Article 8 – paragraph 2: 2. The intermediary and the contracting carrier shall inform the passenger about the reimbursement process as provided for in this Article in a clear, comprehensible and easily accessible manner at the time of booking and on the booking confirmation and when a travel disruption occurs that entitles the passenger to the right to a refund or compensation under this Regulation.

Added:Article 8 – paragraph 3: 3. Reimbursement through the intermediary shall be free of charge for passengers throughout the reimbursement procedure.

Added:Article 8 – paragraph 4: 4. The carrier shall state publicly, in a clear, unambiguous and comprehensible manner, on their website, whether it is in agreement with the intermediary selected to sell its tickets and to process reimbursements through intermediaries, and with which intermediaries it accepts to do so. Intermediaries shall, at the time of the booking and prior to the purchase, inform the passenger in a clear, unambiguous and comprehensible manner as to whether they have entered into agreements with carriers to sell their tickets and process reimbursements and shall provide a list of those carriers.

Added:Article 8 – paragraph 5 – point a: (a) the contracting carrier shall reimburse the intermediary, the exact full cost of the ticket as it had received for the ticket from the intermediary within seven days, in one transaction through the same payment method which was used at the time of booking, and linking the payment to the original booking reference. The seven-day period shall start on the date of the passenger’s choice of a reimbursement in accordance with Article 7(1), point (a), of this Regulation. The intermediary shall reimburse the passenger the exact full cost of the ticket and the intermediation fees via the original payment method, at the latest within a further seven days, and inform the passenger and the carrier thereof;

Added:Article 8 – paragraph 5 – point b: (b) the intermediary is required to notify the contracting carrier without delay upon paying the reimbursement to the passenger. If the passenger does not receive the reimbursement within 14 days as of the date of choosing a reimbursement in accordance with Article 7(1), point (a)of this Regulation or if the contracting carrier has not received notification regarding the reimbursement status or confirmation of payment fulfilment within 14 days, it shall contact the passenger in accordance with Article 7(5)(b), the contracting carrier shall contact the passenger at the latest on the day following the expiry of the 14-day period in order to receive the payment details for the reimbursement. Upon receipt of these payment details, the contracting carrier shall reimburse the passenger within 14 days and inform the passenger and the intermediary thereof.

Added:Article 8 – paragraph 5 – point b a (new): (b a) Carriers and intermediaries shall provide passengers with the references of the money transfer such as the transaction number.

Added:Article 8 – paragraph 5 a (new): 5 a. Intermediaries shall be liable for duly processing the reimbursement set out in paragraph 5. In the event of a breach of their obligations, intermediaries shall be subject to a penalty regime as defined by Member States in accordance with Article 25.

Added:Article 9 – title: Assistance for single multimodal contracts

Added:Article 9 – paragraph 1 – introductory part: 1. In the case of a delay of 60 minutes or more at the final destination caused by a missed connection of a subsequent transport service during a multimodal journey concluded under a single multimodal contract, which is due to a delay or cancellation of a preceding transport service under that same contract, the contracting carrier shall offer the passengers the following free of charge:

Added:Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point b: (b) hotel or other accommodation, and transport between the terminal and place of accommodation, in cases where a stay of one or more nights or an additional stay becomes necessary, where and when physically possible. In cases where such a stay becomes necessary due to the circumstances referred to in Article 19(10) of Regulation (EU) 2021/782, the carrier may limit the duration of accommodation to a maximum of three nights. The access requirements of persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility and the needs of assistance dogs shall be taken into account.

Added:Article 9 – paragraph 2: 2. In applying paragraph 1, the operating carrier shall pay particular attention to the needs of unaccompanied children, persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility, as well as to those of any accompanying persons and assistance dogs, including by providing, when necessary, alternative services, which may differ from those offered to other passengers.

Added:Article 9 – paragraph 2 a (new): 2 a. In the event of a delay, transport service cancellation, or disruption, the operating carrier shall promptly inform passengers of the situation, including the estimated departure and arrival times of the service or any replacement service, as soon as the information becomes available. Intermediaries shall also provide that information to passengers without delay upon receiving it.

Added:Article 10 – title: Liability for failing to clearly communicate that a ticket is not a single multimodal ticket

Added:Article 10 – paragraph 1: 1. In accordance with Article 5, the intermediary or the carrier selling a combined multimodal ticket or a separate multimodal ticket shall inform the passenger prior to the purchase that such ticket consists of separate transport contracts and does not confer the same rights as a single multimodal ticket. This information shall be explicitly and clearly mentioned on the tickets, or on another document or electronically in such a manner that enables the passenger to reproduce the information for future reference. A carrier or intermediary which fails to clearly provide such information, shall be liable to reimburse the total amount paid for that ticket and, moreover, to pay compensation equivalent to 75 % of that amount if the passenger misses one or more connections. The right to reimbursement or to compensation shall be without prejudice to applicable national law granting passengers further compensation for damage. The burden of proof that the passenger was provided with the information shall lie with the carrier or intermediary that sold the combined multimodal ticket.

Added:Article 11 – paragraph 1: 1. The Commission shall adopt an implementing act establishing a common form for compensation and reimbursement requests under this Regulation. That common form shall be established in easily understandable and accessible formats and shall be published in all official languages. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 26(2).

Added:Article 11 – paragraph 2: 2. Passenger shall have the right to submit, at least in the language of their booking, their requests for compensation or reimbursement, either by using the common form referred to in paragraph 1 or by other means. The carrier or intermediaries in charge of the reimbursement of the passenger shall not reject a request for reimbursement or compensation solely on the grounds that the passenger has not used that form. If a request is not sufficiently precise, the carriers or intermediaries in charge of the reimbursement shall ask the passenger to clarify or complete the request and shall duly motivate the request for additional information and assist the passenger in doing so.

Added:Article 11 – paragraph 3: 3. Carriers or intermediaries shall provide the passenger with the common form as soon as the passenger is entitled to a refund or compensation under this Regulation. Carriers and intermediaries shall provide details on their website including at least an e-mail to which requests under paragraph 1 may be sent by electronic means and a postal address. Additionally, the reimbursement requests may also be submitted through other electronic means of communication such as a form on a website or mobile applications, allowing passengers to request reimbursement or compensation provided that such means offer the choice and information set out in the common form and are also available in an official language of the Union and in the language internationally accepted in this field. When using such means, passengers shall not be prevented from providing information in at least the language of the booking and in the language internationally accepted in this field.

Added:Article 11 – paragraph 3 a (new): 3 a. Carriers and intermediaries shall provide passengers with an acknowledgement of receipt, regardless of the means of communication used. Upon request, passengers shall also be provided with a complete copy of the communication sent to carriers and intermediaries, including the date and key information allowing consumers to assert their rights under this Regulation.

Added:Article 12 – paragraph 2: 2. Reservations and tickets for multimodal journeys, whether in the form of a single multimodal contract, a combined multimodal ticket or separate multimodal tickets, shall be offered to persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility at no additional cost. A carrier or intermediary may not refuse to accept a reservation from, or to issue a ticket to, a person with disabilities or a person with reduced mobility or require that such person be accompanied by another person, unless this is strictly necessary in order to comply with the access rules referred to in paragraph 1 including to meet applicable safety requirements.

Added:Article 12 – paragraph 4: 4. Carriers offering single multimodal contracts and multimodal hub managers shall publish the access rules referred to in paragraph 1 and provide them, upon request, in a comprehensible and user-friendly language in an accessible format.

Article 12 – paragraph 5: 5. Where a carrier requires that a person with disabilities or a person with reduced mobility be accompanied by another person who is capable of providing the assistance required in accordance with paragraph 2, the accompanying person shall be entitled to travel free of charge and to be seated, where practicable, next to the person with disabilities or to the person with reduced mobility.

Change 9

Removed:Clarification of wording.

Added:Article 12 – paragraph 6: 6. When a carrier or intermediary makes use of the derogation provided for in Article 12 (2), it shall inform in writing or, where necessary, in any accessible format the person with disabilities or person with reduced mobility concerned of the reasons for making use of that derogation within five working days of the refusal to accept the reservation or to issue the ticket or of the imposition of the condition of being accompanied. The carrier or intermediary shall make all reasonable efforts to propose acceptable alternative transport to the person in question and, if applicable, to their accompanying person or assistance dog taking into account his or her accessibility needs.

Added:Article 13 – paragraph 1: Carriers and intermediaries offering transport contracts on behalf of one or more carriers, and multimodal hub managers, shall provide persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility with information on the accessibility of the multimodal hub and associated facilities and of services. This information shall be provided in a comprehensible and user-friendly language.

Added:Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point a: (a) assistance shall be provided where the carrier, the intermediary with which the single multimodal contract was purchased, the terminal manager or the Single Point of Contact referred to in Article 15, where applicable, is notified of the passenger’s need for such assistance at the time of booking or at least 24 hours, where compatible with sectoral passenger rights legislation, before the assistance is needed; a single notification per journey shall be required the notification shall be forwarded to all carriers, terminal managers and Single Points of Contact involved in the journey. Carriers and intermediaries shall provide at the time of the booking of the transport contract the possibility of notifying the need for assistance to persons with disabilities or reduced mobility.

Added:Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point f: (f) an assistance dog or an accompanying person shall be permitted to accompany a person with disability or person with reduced mobility in accordance with any relevant Union2 or national law. / 2 Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals and repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 Text with EEA relevance (OJ L 178, 28.6.2013, p. 1.

Added:Article 15 – paragraph 1 – introductory part: 1. Member States shall ensure that terminal managers and carriers on their territory cooperate to establish and to operate single points of contact for persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility at multimodal passenger hubs in the urban nodes referred to in Annex I. Such physical single points of contact may be complemented with digital or telephone contact solutions. The terms for the operation of the single points of contact shall be established in the access rules referred to in Article 12(1). Those single points of contact shall have the responsibility to:

Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new): (b a) provide information on accessibility.

Change 10

Removed:Terminal managers and carriers shall inform persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility about accessibility of the hub, when necessary, in order to ensure a smooth travelling experience.