Airlines fined for consumer protection violations in Hungary
The National Authority for Consumer Protection and Trade (NKFH) and the government offices under its professional supervision awarded compensation exceeding 15 million forints to air passengers in the first eight months of the year, and imposed nearly 100 million forints in consumer protection fines on offending airlines—according to a statement released on Tuesday by the authority.
Consumer protection authority’s continuous monitoring
The consumer protection authority ensures through continuous monitoring that passengers’ rights are upheld and not violated, they added.
The NKFH and the government offices take a firm stance against the irregular practices of airlines, consistently examining whether airlines uphold passengers’ rights and provide the stipulated compensation and assistance, for example, in the event of flight cancellations or lengthy delays.
By the end of this summer alone, the authority received over 330 consumer complaints, mostly related to flight cancellations, significant delays, and insufficient information provision. As a result of investigations, compensation totalling €38,750, approximately 15.5 million forints, was awarded to passengers.
Fewer flight cancellations and delays
Under NKFH’s professional guidance, government offices also launched inspections proactively, not only based on consumer complaints submitted to the authority. They conducted mystery shopping to detect unfair commercial practices, examined telephone customer service—particularly concerning premium-rate calls—and checked the information provided on airline websites. The mystery shopping revealed that some companies failed to offer the option to make verbal complaints or did not provide adequate fee information.
The authority emphasised that, based both on consumer submissions and ex officio procedures, it imposed a total of 91 million forints in consumer protection fines on airlines.
Compared to last year, this summer saw noticeably fewer flight cancellations and delays, thanks in part to resolute regulatory enforcement. However, the NKFH and government offices are not resting on their laurels; they continue to monitor airlines to ensure every passenger receives the proper information, assistance, and compensation they are entitled to, the NKFH statement concluded.
Read also:
- Mysterious military helicopter crash: Hungarian ministry silent, Croatia speaks out
- Passport handling changes in the EU: what travellers need to know
Featured image: illustration. Source: depositphotos.com.