Travel booking platforms Expedia and Lastminute.com have pledged to improve refund processes and the transparency of passenger rights in a broader effort to improve customer protections
If you’ve used online booking platforms for the cost-effective prices, only to suffer long delays after a cancelled flight then here is some welcome news. Two of Europe’s largest travel booking sites have promised to make some key improvements to better support inconvenienced customers.
Expedia and Lastminute.com have both pledged to improve their refund process and provide clearer information about passenger rights. The changes will help passengers claim refunds more easily through third-party platforms when their flights are cancelled by airlines.
Both platforms will also provide clear information about what rights passengers have under EU consumer protection laws. It comes after Ryanair passengers band together after staff charge a woman £75 luggage.
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The update follows discussions with the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network—the coalition of national consumer agencies responsible for enforcing EU consumer protection laws.
Moving forward, if an airline cancels a flight you booked through Expedia or Lastminute.com, you will be entitled to a refund within 14 days. This includes a seven-day limit for the airline to return the money to the travel agent and then another seven days for the agent to pass this money on to you.
Up until this point, travellers could be forced to wait multiple months before receiving a refund for a cancelled flight.
Both companies have also pledged to clearly explain passenger rights in the event of a flight cancellation, including the right to choose between being rerouted or refunded under the EU’s air passenger rights rules.
As an Expedia or Lastminute customer, you will now be clearly informed of how buying multiple legs of a flight through different carriers could impact your ability to claim compensation if just one leg is cancelled.
Lastminute.com reportedly began implementing the new measures on July 1, 2025 and with the goal of full implementation by September 1, 2025. Expedia says its current practices already match the commitments it has pledged.
This is part of a broader effort by the EU to improve customer protections in the travel sector, and Lastminute.com and Expedia now join Edreams ODIGEO, Etraveli Group and Kiwi.com in their commitment to best consumer practices.
In 2023, the European Commission proposed new rules for trips that use more than one form of transport, such as a journey using both trains and buses. These new regulations, if adopted, would include the same timeframe for reimbursement via intermediaries for the cancellation of flights. The proposal for these new rules is still being negotiated by EU lawmakers.
Keep in mind, under UK law, airlines may also have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
This depends on what caused the delay, however, and whether or not it was the airline’s fault. Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
The length of your flight determines the amount that you may be entitled to.
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