In 2024, more consumers than ever before turned to the Travel and Transport Arbitration Board to seek support in travel-related disputes. With over 45.600 applications received, last year marked a new high. This increase of 14,5 percent compared to the previous year even exceeded the previous record from 2020, when pandemic-related travel cancellations dominated the process. A large proportion of the complaints were due to external disruptions in travel. According to the arbitration board, numerous strikes, extreme weather events and IT outages in particular contributed to the significant restrictions. These events led to around 38.000 applications being submitted in air transport alone. Air travel thus accounted for 84 percent of all arbitration cases and, as in previous years, remained by far the most common point of dispute. "The large number of strikes and weather-related cancellations have overwhelmed the capacities of many travel companies. This is reflected in the high number of applications," explained a spokesperson for the organization. Rail travel: Significant increase in complaints Rail transport was also affected by an increase in conflicts. The number of complaints rose by a fifth to 6.500 applications, which is due to the problems of the rail infrastructure in Germany. Train cancellations and delays in particular were the focus of the complaints. As a result of these problems, Deutsche Bahn was forced to pay out a mid-three-digit million amount in reimbursements. This illustrates the extent of the dissatisfaction of rail customers in 2024. Background and development of the arbitration board The Arbitration Board for Travel and Transport, which was renamed from its original name Arbitration Board for Public Passenger Transport (SÖP) in 2024, has been dealing with