Denmark wants to reduce compensation for passengers whose flights are delayed

The Danish government wants to raise the threshold for compensation for late flights from three to five hours.

Under current rules, passengers are entitled to compensation if their flight is delayed by more than three hours. A Danish parliamentary majority supports the change, which would worsen compensation rights for passengers.

READ ALSO: What are your rights if your flight is delayed or cancelled in Denmark?

“There are aspects of this that could be seen as a step back. But for passengers, the most important thing is getting to their destination,” Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen said.

A government note states that the proposal would provide airlines with “significant” financial relief, newswire Ritzau reports.

Danielsen also said it would encourage carriers to operate delayed flights instead of canceling them outright once they pass the three-hour mark.

Consumer rights group Forbrugerrådet Tænk said it was not certain the move would have such an effect, however.

“I’m not sure raising the compensation threshold would reduce cancellations and I’m fairly certain passengers will face longer delays,” the group’s political consultant Vibeke Myrtue Jensen said.

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“In our view, the government’s mandate [from parliament to advocate for the change at the EU, ed.] will worsen [passenger rights],” she said.

Danielsen said at parliament on Thursday that consumer rights must be balanced with the financial realities facing airlines.

“A five-hour threshold would better reflect the costs airlines face, and it’s important to find that balance,” he said.

The minister added that compensation costs are factored into ticket prices by airlines, but Forbrugerrådet Tænk has disputed this.

Airline SAS backs the government on the question. The airline said during the hearing stage of the proposal that its current compensation amounts range from 1,865 to 4,475 kroner.

“If passengers receive both a refund and compensation, current rates often mean they end up with more money than they originally paid for the ticket, even for minor delays,” SAS wrote.