The European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations (ECTAA) has identified four critical areas to address as the EU Passenger Package advances, with an emphasis on consumer flexibility, clarity, and fair competition in combined travel arrangements. Adopted in May, the package seeks to streamline rail and mixed-mode transport for European passengers, yet ECTAA insists its effectiveness will hinge on balanced market conditions for intermediaries.
First, the association demands that multimodal regulations be applied consistently across all transport sectors—rail, air, and coach—where operators manage core booking data. ECTAA insists that fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) standards must be enforced to stop operators from limiting access to pricing or inventory. Without such safeguards, the package may fail to provide travelers with the full spectrum of available options.
Second, equal access to transport information is non-negotiable. ECTAA states that intermediaries, including travel agencies, digital platforms, and ticketing services, must receive fair and non-discriminatory access to fares, availability, and additional services. Restricted data access, they argue, could shrink consumer choices by obscuring cheaper or more suitable alternatives.
Ranking transparency and fair placements
Third, the way travel options are ranked must remain transparent. While existing EU consumer protections require explanations for ranking logic, ECTAA supports this but warns against overly rigid display rules. Travelers prioritize different factors, cost, speed, reliability, or convenience, and intermediaries should tailor their tools accordingly. The group also stresses that any paid placements, such as sponsored listings, must be clearly labeled to prevent consumer confusion.
A single dominant rail platform could act as a controlling force, managing not just ticket sales but customer data and distribution channels. ECTAA warns that mandating incumbent rail operators to host competitors’ products might only reinforce their market dominance. Instead, they propose that content sharing occur under fair terms with independent intermediaries and rival transport providers to promote competition without creating monopolies.
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For passengers, the Passenger Package’s potential, expanded choices, improved comparisons, and simpler multimodal journeys, depends entirely on whether these concerns are resolved. Without fair access to data and inventory, intermediaries cannot present the full range of possibilities, leaving consumers with incomplete or disjointed information.
Call for independent distribution rules
ECTAA is calling on the European Parliament and Council to integrate these four principles into current legislative discussions. The group insists that a robust independent distribution network is vital to delivering the choice and transparency European travelers need. Without it, the Passenger Package risks favoring established companies over consumer interests.
Heli Mäki-Fränti, ECTAA’s president, summarized the issue: “For consumers, the real value of the Passenger Package should be simple: more options to compare, greater transparency and an easier way to find the journey that suits them best. But you cannot have genuine comparison without access to the full range of transport content. A strong independent distribution market is essential to delivering the choice and competition European travellers expect.”
The association also highlights that current EU consumer law already mandates clear explanations for how travel options are ranked. ECTAA acknowledges these rules but cautions that overly prescriptive display requirements could stifle innovation in how platforms present results. Travelers weigh different priorities, cost efficiency, travel time, or service quality, and intermediaries should be allowed to adjust their systems to reflect those preferences.
Rail monopolies threaten fair competition
Additionally, the group warns that if rail operators gain exclusive control over data and distribution, they could manipulate the market to their advantage. By contrast, open access under fair conditions would allow smaller players to compete effectively, ensuring that consumers benefit from real diversity in transport choices.