Plane, Train and Bus Journeys: These Are Your Rights as a Traveller

Passenger rights

What are your Rights as a Traveller?

No matter it it’s a business trip, a school outing or a weekend getaway – Brits love to travel. However, although most journeys are trouble-free, you’re never safe of potential disruptions such as delays, cancellations or lost luggage. In these cases it can’t hurt to know your rights and how to claim them.

Passenger Rights: An Overview

On CheckMyBus you’ll find useful information on your rights as a traveller. Not only do we tell you if you’re entitled to a compensation or refund, we also inform you about how to raise a claim.

How do I Make a Claim?

While the EU provides framework conditions, the individual countries are encouraged to add their own rules and regulations. This is the reason why passenger rights are not always the same. In case of the UK, it’s even more tricky – especially so for bus passengers. The UK made use of the right to be exempt from the Regulation (EU) No 181/2011, which came into effect in large parts of Europe in 2013 and defines compensation rights for bus passengers. However, some parts of the EU regulation still apply to the UK as well. One of these is the obligation to nominate an official enforcement body. For bus travel outside London, Bus Users is the authority to contact. If you need to contact someone about a bus journey in London, London TravelWatch is the official contact point.

Make a Claim

Make a Claim for Train Journeys

If you experienced an unsatisfying train journey and you’d like to claim a refund or compensation, then you should contact the railway company in question. Since each train operator has their own rules and regulations with only a few restrictions, it’s better to check the individual terms and conditions before raising a claim. Should you not be happy with the response you get and want to pursue the issue further, you can contact Transport Focus.

Make a Claim for Flights

In contrast to the rights of bus and train travellers in the UK, a general EU regulation and defines air passenger rights much more clearly, and there are no exceptions. Yet again, if you experienced a disruption on your journey it’s necessary to contact the relevant airline first. Should your claim be unsuccessful you can ask the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to review your case.