EU Court: Travelers May Get Discounts for Package Trips Affected by Covid-19 Measures

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The European Union’s Court of Justice has ruled that travelers whose package trip was affected by Covid-19 measures may be entitled to discounts and reduced prices.

According to the ruling, travelers will be able to request refunds or reduced package prices for trips and services which were affected in some way as a result of Covid measures. Under the EU’s relevant directive on package travel, travel agents are liable for such cases.

The decision follows a Germany court request for the interpretation of the EU’s directive on package travel in instances when travel has been disrupted due to Covid restrictions or measures.

“By its judgment delivered today, the Court states that a traveler is entitled to a reduction in the price of his or her package where a lack of conformity of the travel services included in the package is due to restrictions that have been imposed at the travel destination to fight the spread of an infectious disease, such as Covid-19,” the EU Court of Justice said.

The European Court of Justice.

Based on this ruling, all services included in the package must be assessed before proceeding with the appropriate price reduction which must correspond to the value of services that travelers were not able to use.

“The organizer’s obligations arising from the package travel contract include not only those explicitly stipulated in the contract but also those linked to it as a result of the purpose of that contract,” said the EU Court.

Organizers or agents are “exempt from that liability only where the failure to perform or the improper performance of the travel services are attributable to the traveler”.

 The decision made by the Luxembourg-based court will go into effect in all EU member states. National courts will decide on appropriate price reduction.