What are the EU laws on unused plane ticket and airport tax refund?
I bought a plane ticket from TAP Air, which goes Frankfurt -> Lisbon -> Toronto (one way), and the taxes applied to this ticket are pretty high. Sadly, I can't make this flight due to personal reasons, so I thought I'd ask for a refund of the airport tax.
I'm unsure how to proceed on this. Numerous articles around the internet say that I can ask for the money back, but I never found any EU law that states this.
Are airlines indeed required to refund this money? If so, how do I proceed with asking about it? The flight is tomorrow... Do I even have time?
Best Answer
There is no law or regulation that explicitly states that you are entitled to a refund of those taxes (i.e. explicitly stating "if you don't fly you can get a refund of those taxes"). However those taxes are imposed by various authorities on the basis that you will be flying, and if you are not, most of those taxes no longer have a basis, and you are entitled to claim a refund, so it's more an indirect thing.
Some airlines explicitly state you can claim a refund on their site or in their conditions of carriage, which is often used to set limits on your claims (such as claiming within 7 days or having to use a specific form), or provide a way to make the claim online. See for instance:
- Norwegian: online claim form
- Air France: very vague FAQ
- Ryanair: FAQ + online form + administrative fee!
It does not seem to be the case for TAP, so you will just have to contact them.
Note that you can reference Article 4.2 of their Conditions of Carriage, which covers this, even though not explicitly:
Similarly, in the event any tax and/or fee and/or charge which you have paid to us is abolished or reduced such that it no longer applies to you or a lesser amount is due, you will be entitled to claim a refund.
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Can I get a refund on an unused plane ticket?
If you are booking a ticket for travel within, from, or to the United States, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations state that you are entitled to a full refund on non-refundable tickets within 24 hours of booking as long as your flight is at least 7 days away\u2014with no cancellation fee.Can you claim back airport tax?
Airline taxes all come under the same name of Air Passenger Duty which is paid upon booking but not actually collected by the Government until travellers fly. This means if a passenger misses their flight or cancels their flight, they are well within their rights to claim back the APD.Airline Refunds - Flight Cancelled? Know Your Rights!
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Answer 2
Conditions for refund or change of flight dates due to the flight cancellation through a pandemic: https://youtu.be/eV11yGNpe0M and The European Commission has obliged airlines to refund for the tickets on canceled flights! https://youtu.be/XW7uceS_H3U
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