Maybe, but I haven’t found that flight prices in the EU are more expensive than in the US. Hell, with ryanair and easyjet, sometimes the flight (if you don’t pick a seat and bring a bag) is cheaper than a taxi to the airport.
The refund program is great, though. There are loopholes and exemptions (like, extreme/unsafe weather isn’t the airline’s fault, etc), but I have gotten refunds. There are services where you can give your info and they’ll handle the paperwork/arguments with the airlines (for a percentage of the refund, but for me, it’s been worth it). I think it’s made the airlines a lot more careful about delays and overbooking, etc.
