The European Court of Auditors (ECA) argues that the lack of compensation for canceled trips owing to COVID-19 caused traveler complaints to "explode." The ECA further criticizes governments and airlines for making little effort. When the COVID-19 pandemic led airlines to cancel practically all of their flights for a period of time in 2020, millions of travelers lost money. Airlines are required by EU law to refund passengers in the event of cancellations, particularly of flights.

Annemie Turtelboom, a member of the ECA, stated that the number of people complaining about their flights not being refunded has "literally exploded" since March 2020, affecting "hundreds of millions, if not millions" across Europe.

She also stated that no airlines had provided specific data, emphasizing that no one in Europe, including the European Commission and EU nations, knew how many individuals were affected by the refund shortage. Airlines, she claims, consider these figures to be extremely sensitive from a commercial and financial standpoint.

“We've arrived at a point where everyone is aware that there are victims, but no one wants to know who they are. In the meantime, we believe that at least 50 million canceled tickets were not refunded by the firms, according to the ECA,” Turtelboom stated.

Several airlines declined to issue refunds during the peak of the pandemic, instead requesting the passengers take exchange bouncers. Many businesses have even taken down their refund websites.

Turtelboom further stated that this move is in opposition to the companies' mandate that they give a "electronic form in the passenger's language that allows immediate refunds if you present a valid cause."

“However, too often, the client is caught in a ping-pong match between the airline and the travel agent, with one side claiming responsibility for the other,” Turtelboom added.

Simultaneously, due to the COVID crisis, airline service providers got historic government aid of about €35 billion.

Governments should have insisted on the public grant being linked to passenger refunds, according to Turtelboom. Passengers became "bankers" for airline service providers during the pandemic, she added, and governments came to terms with the situation.

“Worse, they approved of it, despite the fact that it is a violation of European law. “In France, a recently passed rule permitted agencies to give vouchers without providing refunds,” Turtelboom explained.

During the first months of the COVID-19 crisis, some 15 EU member states, including France, allowed airlines to waive their need to give refunds.

The European Union Commission had previously provided €300 million to Austrian package travel planners in charge of travel services in order to compensate consumers whose flights were canceled due to the epidemic.