This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by psa188@xxxxxxxxx /-------------------- advertisement -----------------------\ IN AMERICA - NOMINATED FOR 6 INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS IN AMERICA has audiences across the country moved by its emotional power. This Holiday season, share the experience of this extraordinary film with everyone you are thankful to have in your life. Ebert & Roeper give IN AMERICA "Two Thumbs Way Up!" Watch the trailer at: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/inamerica \----------------------------------------------------------/ European Union Votes to Tighten Airline Rules December 19, 2003 By REUTERS BRUSSELS, Dec. 18 - European airlines will be forced to double the compensation for passengers bumped from flights and will face tough rules on how to treat people whose flights are delayed or canceled under a European Union law passed on Thursday. Members of the Union's Parliament and European Commission officials said the bill was needed to stop airlines riding roughshod over passengers' rights. Airlines, still recovering from an unprecedented industry slump, said they were being unfairly treated. "For too long some airlines have forced passengers to suffer when they cancel or delay flights for purely commercial reasons," said Mark Watts, a transport spokesman for the British Labor Party in the European Parliament. "At last airlines will be forced to treat their passengers with dignity and respect," he added after the Parliament overwhelmingly supported the bill. About 250,000 passengers a year get a rude surprise when they check in for flights at European airports and are told their flight has been overbooked and they must take a later one, the European Commission said in a statement. Airlines said the rules, which cover both scheduled and nonscheduled flights, would raise costs and were unfair because other types of transport were spared such a burden. The proposal, which must now be adopted by the European Council of Ministers - usually a formality - is scheduled to take effect in 2005. "If it gets voted by the Council as it stands now we are not happy at all," said a spokeswoman for the European Regions Airline Association, which includes subsidiaries of major carriers, including Lufthansa, Air France and British Airways. Calling the bill excessive in parts, she said the new rules were harsh for regional companies. For instance, someone coming from Tokyo to fly between Milan and Palermo would get a refund to go back to Tokyo if the Italian flight was canceled because of bad weather. Compensation for denied boarding and cancellations was set at $740 for long flights and proportionately lower amounts for shorter trips. The law also says that before denying a passenger a flight, an airline must ask for volunteers to give up their seats. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/19/international/europe/19EURO.html?ex=1072842123&ei=1&en=603a8914502b983c --------------------------------- Get Home Delivery of The New York Times Newspaper. Imagine reading The New York Times any time & anywhere you like! Leisurely catch up on events & expand your horizons. Enjoy now for 50% off Home Delivery! Click here: http://www.nytimes.com/ads/nytcirc/index.html HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact onlinesales@xxxxxxxxxxx or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@xxxxxxxxxxxx Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company