Be aware of your rights as passengers!

Passenger have rights when using all modes of transport (air, rail, waterborne and road), whether the journey takes place within a single Member State of the European Union, across several of them, or departs from one of them. Passenger rights also provide protection for people with reduced mobility or disabilities, this includes people with age related impairments but also family with young children.

In order to raise awareness of passengers on their rights when they experience delays, cancellations, damaged luggage or have special mobility needs, the European Commission is providing new material in different format and languages.

AGE Platform Europe has accepted to become a Campaign’s Active Supporter to further promote the rights to which older passengers are entitled to.

Moreover AGE is also involved, together with the European Disability Forum (EDF) in different stakeholders’ meetings with the European Commission on this matter, which allow us to share our members’ views and experience in relation to the implementation of passenger rights when travelling within the European Union.

For example, in early February 2017 AGE was invited to a meeting on the rights of people with reduced mobility (PRM) when travelling by air, organized by the European Commission with National Enforcement Bodies. It was made clear during the discussions that the demographic ageing has an impact on the way airports and companies have to deal with their passengers, notably with the rising number of people with dementia or other type of cognitive impairments. In that respect, the British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) shared its new guidelines to make air travel more accessible for passengers with hidden disabilities, including dementia, autism, mental health problems and sensory impairments.

Another key issue was about the way the needs of passengers are notified in advance to allow staff in airports to better address the different situations.

For more information:

• Any actor interested or involved without commercial interest in the promotion of passenger rights in all modes of transport can join the campaign as Active Supporter, contact: move-infocampaignmaterial@ec.europa.eu
• Leaflets, posters and videos in available in all EU languages: Video: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/passengers/campaign_en
• CAA guidelines for passengers with hidden disabilities

Contact at AGE Platform Europe: Julia Wadoux, Julia.wadoux@age-platform.eu