A European court today handed down a decision that will require airlines in the European Union to compensate passengers of mass delays for which they are responsible. Those who are forced to wait three hours or more will be compensated 600 Euros, the same as if their flight had been cancelled. But the airlines will be required not to cancel the flight unless it fits strict criteria as set down in this historic new law.

Hendrik Noorderhaven EU Claim, FlyersRights.org EU counterpart and Global Partner said: “This is a[n] historic decision for airline passengers in the EU, and in particular, any passengers traveling to the EU who suffer through anything greater than a 3 hour delay. They will now be reimbursed for this suffering with cash.”

Flyersrights.org president Kate Hanni took it a step further, questioning why the United States has not yet taken similar measures to protect its citizens from this kind of corporate abuse, stating: “Sadly, the US is woefully behind in prioritizing the rights of its consumers. Why hasn’t Congress passed the Airline Passengers Bill of Rights, created in bipartisan fashion by Senators Barbara Boxer and Olympia Snowe, inserting it into the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009? Why can I still be held hostage on a tarmac for 9 hours without any rights? The time to sit idly by and allow big airlines to treat their passengers like jet fuel is long past. We deserve nothing less in the Unites States than the very same rights the courts have just granted to consumers living in democracies across the European continent.”