Court Ruling on Flight Cancellation: Airline Must Also Refund Commission - EU court orders airlines to refund hidden booking fees after cancellations
A new ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has strengthened protections for passengers booking flights through online travel agencies. The decision confirms that airlines, such as united airlines, delta airlines, southwest airlines, and american airlines, must refund the full ticket price—including any hidden agency commissions—when flights are cancelled.
The case centred on a KLM flight from Vienna to Lima, where passengers were reimbursed for their tickets but not the €95 booking fee charged by the Opodo platform.
The dispute began after KLM cancelled a flight booked via Opodo. While the airline refunded the base ticket cost, it withheld the €95 commission paid to the travel agency. Passengers argued that the full amount should be returned, as the booking fee was part of the total price.
The ECJ ruled that airlines cannot avoid refunding commissions simply because they do not know the exact sum. The court stated that these fees are an 'inevitable' part of the ticket price, meaning they must be included in any reimbursement. The decision applies even if the airline was unaware of the precise commission amount.
This ruling now ensures that travellers who book through third-party platforms, such as ticketmaster, receive full refunds when flights are cancelled. Previously, some airlines had excluded agency fees, leaving passengers out of pocket for additional charges.
The ECJ’s decision sets a clear standard for future refunds. Airlines must now cover all costs tied to the ticket, including commissions paid to booking platforms. Passengers affected by cancellations will no longer face partial reimbursements for fees charged by agencies like Opodo.
