Expedia and Lastminute.com commit to faster flight refunds after EU pressure

Expedia and Lastminute.com have agreed to refund consumers within 14 days for cancelled flights, following a dialogue with the European Commission and national consumer protection authorities (CPC Network).

This move aligns their practices with EU passenger rights and growing consumer expectations.

Key Commitments

• Refunds: Consumers will receive refunds within 14 days, with agencies passing on airline reimbursements within 7 days of receipt.
• Transparency: Agencies will clearly display contact details, explain consumer rights, and clarify the impact of service options on refund eligibility.
• Improved Information: Clearer distinctions will be made between standard rights and extra services (e.g. impact of partial cancellations on multi-leg trips).

Implementation:

• Lastminute.com: Begins rolling out changes on 1 July 2025, with full implementation by 1 September 2025.
• Expedia: Already compliant with the commitments.

This agreement follows similar 2023 commitments from Edreams ODIGEO, Etraveli Group, and Kiwi.com, bringing the total to five major OTAs now aligned with the EU standard.

Broader Impact

The move enhances consumer trust, levels the playing field in air travel, and anticipates upcoming EU rules on refunds for multimodal travel, expected to formalize the 14-day deadline.

EU officials welcomed the development as a major win for passengers, particularly during peak travel season. Monitoring will continue to ensure compliance across all platforms.