The Travel and Transport Arbitration Board registered just over 2025 complaints from consumers who had disputes with travel companies in the first six months of 18.800. This is according to the Arbitration Board's latest half-yearly report.
Although the total number of complaints submitted has decreased slightly compared to the first half of 2024 (around 700 fewer cases), a clear trend is emerging: the vast majority of arbitration requests continue to concern air travel, and this proportion is even increasing slightly. Disputes in rail transport, on the other hand, have become less frequent, which is attributed to the different legal frameworks and the amount of possible compensation in the various modes of transport.
Arbitration Board for Travel and Transport: An important authority for consumer rights
Since its establishment in 2010, the Arbitration Board for Travel and Transport has served as an independent contact point for consumers experiencing problems with air, bus, rail, and ship travel. Its mission is to reach out-of-court settlements in disputes between travelers and transport companies. Around 400 transport companies participate in this arbitration process, which they finance themselves. This underscores the industry's willingness to resolve disputes in the best interests of customers and avoid lengthy legal proceedings. The existence of such an arbitration board is an important pillar of consumer protection in the travel industry. It offers a low-threshold opportunity to obtain justice without having to immediately resort to legal proceedings.
The types of complaints are varied, but most concern compensation for flight and train delays or cancellations . These are the most frequent causes of traveler dissatisfaction and represent a significant burden, whether through missed connections, additional accommodation costs, or lost vacation time. Legal regulations, particularly at the European level, provide a clear framework for passenger rights, which in turn forms the basis for many arbitration claims.
Air travel dominates the list of complaints: High compensation as a motivator
The conciliation board's mid-year report shows a clear dominance of air travel among the submitted conciliation requests. In the first six months of this year, the conciliation board registered approximately 16.000 flight-related cases , representing a slight increase of 0,7 percent compared to the same period last year. This trend is noteworthy, especially since the total number of complaints declined slightly.
The managing director of the arbitration board, Sabine Cofalla, explained the significant difference compared to other modes of transport in an interview with airliners.de: "It's certainly due to the different passenger rights depending on the mode of transport and also to the fact that the amounts spent on a trip are different. A flight for a family of four, for example, can involve a lot of money – so the motivation to file an arbitration request is higher than with a public transport ticket."
In fact, the potential compensation payments in air travel are explicitly and clearly defined by EU Regulation 261/2004. These payments are tiered according to the flight distance and the duration of the delay and can range from €250 to €600 per person . These comparatively high compensation payments provide a strong incentive for passengers to assert their claims in the event of flight cancellations or significant delays, even if this involves some effort. "These high compensation payments often lead to disputes between passengers and airlines," Cofalla continued. Airlines often try to avoid paying compensation by invoking "extraordinary circumstances," which in turn leads to conflicts that then end up before the arbitration board.
Rail travel: fewer conflicts, different compensation logic
In contrast to air travel, there were significantly fewer complaints filed with the arbitration board regarding disputes with railway companies . Around 2.700 cases were recorded in the first half of 2025, representing a decrease of approximately 700 cases compared to the first half of 2024. This difference is significant and can also be explained by the differing passenger rights.
In the rail sector, compensation regulations, primarily based on EU Regulation 1371/2007, are less generous. Compensation for delays is generally only 25 percent of the ticket price for delays of 60 minutes and 50 percent for delays of 120 minutes or more . Given the often lower cost of train tickets, especially for regional services or single journeys, the motivation to file a claim for conciliation is understandably lower. Even with a more expensive long-distance ticket, the maximum compensation amounts are significantly lower than in air travel. This leads to fewer disputes and consequently fewer complaints to the conciliation body. Nevertheless, the conciliation body remains an important point of contact in this sector, particularly when dealing with the complexity of asserting rights or the refusal of refunds by railway companies.
Seasonal patterns and outlook for the full year 2025
The analysis of the submitted claims also reveals clear seasonal patterns . According to the report, most claims were received in January 2025. This is seasonal, as travel activity is particularly high around the turn of the year, i.e., during the Christmas and New Year holidays. It is a known phenomenon that after periods of high travel activity, such as holidays or school breaks, the number of complaints about delays and cancellations increases.
Since travelers must first file their claims with the respective company, it usually takes several weeks for the cases to actually reach the arbitration board. This processing time explains the time lag between the actual incident and the submission of the arbitration request.
Due to the anticipated high volume of travel during the summer, the arbitration board traditionally expects to record more cases in the second half of the year than in the first . The summer months are the peak travel season for many people, leading to an increased number of flights and journeys, and thus also increasing the potential for disruptions and conflicts. For the entire year of 2025, the arbitration board anticipates approximately the same number of new cases as in 2024. This suggests that the number of travel-related disputes will remain at a consistently high level, underscoring the arbitration board's importance for consumer protection.
The dispute resolution body's ability to handle a large number of cases and achieve a high success rate in resolving disputes is crucial to consumer confidence in the system. Its work helps ensure that travelers can effectively enforce their rights without becoming entangled in costly and time-consuming legal disputes.
A stable need for independent conflict resolution
The 2025 half-yearly report of the Arbitration Board for Travel and Transport confirms the continued need for an independent body to resolve disputes in the travel sector. Despite a slight decline in the total number of complaints, air travel remains clearly dominant, due to the amount of potential compensation and the complexity of the underlying passenger rights.
While the aviation industry continues to generate a high number of disputes, rail travel disputes appear to be showing a more stable development, partly due to lower financial incentives. The seasonal patterns and the expectation of a consistently high number of cases for the year as a whole underscore that the arbitration board will continue to play an important role in protecting consumer rights. Travelers are well advised to be aware of their rights and to take advantage of the arbitration options available to achieve a fair resolution to travel-related problems.