Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr

What Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr does

Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr e.V. (SRUV) is a Berlin-based non-profit consumer arbitration body, founded in 2009, that resolves out-of-court disputes between travelers and transport/travel companies across rail, long-distance bus, aviation, ferry, and package holiday sectors. Originally established as 'Schlichtungsstelle für den öffentlichen Personenverkehr e.V.' (söp) by seven rail operators, the organization has progressively expanded its scope — adding airlines from 2013, federal recognition for bus (2013) and flight (2015) sectors, EU notification and UK CAA recognition (2016), travel conciliation (2019), and a 2024 rebrand to reflect its broader remit. SRUV concluded a record 46,000+ cases in 2025 and received 42,000 new applications, achieving an ~88% settlement rate.

The organization operates a digital platform anchored by an online conciliation request portal (portal.sruv.de) and a proprietary case management system called 'Hilex,' introduced at the turn of 2024/2025, which features automated document management and AI assistance to support high case throughput. Case work is conducted by approximately 30 fully qualified lawyers (Volljurist:innen) with judicial qualification (Befähigung zum Richteramt) specialized in passenger and travel law, supported by case administration and dispute resolution staff, totaling over 60 employees. Processes include early settlement (resolving ~50% of cases without full legal review) and legally binding recommendations when both parties accept.

SRUV's business model is association-funded: it operates as a registered non-profit (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) with over 350 transport and travel companies — including Deutsche Bahn, Lufthansa Group, Air France/KLM, and various bus, shipping, and travel operators — paying recurring membership fees that fully cover operating costs. The service is free for consumers with no processing fees, contingency fees, court costs, or deductions from awarded compensation. Case flow is generated via the consumer-facing online portal, member-company referrals, and partnerships with consumer organizations including Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (vzbv), ADAC, Stiftung Warentest, PRO BAHN, ADFC, and Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD), all of which sit on the advisory board.

Name

Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr

Legal name

Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr e.V.

Website

https://schlichtung-reise-und-verkehr.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr e.V. (SRUV) is a Berlin-based non-profit founded in 2009 that resolves out-of-court travel and transport disputes across rail, aviation, bus, shipping, and package holidays. Funded by ~350 member companies, it employs ~30 qualified lawyers and serves consumers free of charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Arbitration Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Other Legal Services (54119), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Valuation & Litigation Support (BPAHABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Litigation & Dispute Valuation (damages, shareholder disputes) (FSAEAHAI)

Keywords

• Consumer arbitration services
• Out-of-court dispute resolution
• Travel dispute conciliation
• Passenger rights mediation
• Transport law arbitration

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees from transport and travel companies: The organization is non-profit and works not for profit. It is supported by averein (association) in which over 350 traffic and travel companies are currently organized. The costs of the conciliation are borne by the participating companies. Companies pay membership fees to the association to fund the operations of the arbitration body.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr (SRUV) provides free out-of-court conciliation (Schlichtungsverfahren) for disputes between individual travelers and transport/travel companies, covering rail, long-distance bus, flight, ship, and package holiday sectors. Qualified jurists review each case and issue a non-binding conciliation recommendation that becomes legally binding when both parties accept it.

Product overview

Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr e.V. operates as a unified consumer arbitration service for out-of-court dispute resolution between travelers and transport/travel companies. The organization offers a single integrated service covering multiple transport sectors (flight, rail, long-distance coach, ship) and package holidays, unified through an online digital portal. The core Schlichtungsverfahren (arbitration/conciliation service) is supplemented by sector-specific subservices for Fluggastrechte (air passenger rights), Fahrgastrechte Bahn (rail passenger rights), Fernbus-Fahrgastrechte (coach passenger rights), Schiffsrechte (ship passenger rights), and Pauschalreise-Schlichtung (package holiday arbitration). All services are free for consumers and are financed by member companies (approximately 350 transport and travel companies).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Schlichtungsverfahren (Arbitration/Conciliation Service)

Quantifiable outcome

• ~88% of cases result in amicable settlement
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TRAVEL_NETcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2017European network of dispute resolution bodies in travel and transport, founded in November 2017 on the initiative of SRUV. Currently comprises 28 member bodies from 18 countries. Members regularly exchange information on Europe-wide trends in out-of-court dispute resolution and conciliation practices. More information at https://travelnet-adr.eu/
• Informationskreis SchlichtungminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012German working group of arbitration bodies operating in Germany. Since 2012, member arbitration bodies meet at least once per year for practical exchange of experience on out-of-court dispute resolution.
• Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity cooperation to promote scientific knowledge about out-of-court dispute resolution, support practice-oriented teaching, offer internships for students, and raise awareness of SRUV as an employer.
• Fachhochschule Kempten, Fakultät TourismusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity cooperation to promote scientific knowledge about out-of-court dispute resolution, support practice-oriented teaching, offer internships for students, and raise awareness of SRUV as an employer.
• Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Juristische FakultätminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity cooperation to promote scientific knowledge about out-of-court dispute resolution, support practice-oriented teaching, offer internships for students, and raise awareness of SRUV as an employer.
• Technische Hochschule WildauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity cooperation to promote scientific knowledge about out-of-court dispute resolution, support practice-oriented teaching, offer internships for students, and raise awareness of SRUV as an employer.
• Verband Internet Reisevertrieb (VIR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVIR was the first member in the new travel conciliation segment, supported by the Federal Ministry of Justice starting September 2019.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schlichtungsstelle Energie e.V. German consumer arbitration body for energy sector disputes, recognized under VSBG. Operates on the same non-profit association model funded by member utilities, with a comparable legal-staff structure and similar EU notification status. Most direct structural parallel to SRUV in a different industry vertical.
• Schlichtungsstelle der Rechtsanwaltschaft: Arbitration body of the German Bar Association resolving fee disputes between lawyers and clients. Operates the same VSBG-recognized non-profit arbitrational model with qualified jurists; a structural template for SRUV's operations, though at smaller scale and a different dispute type.
• Schlichtungsstelle der Deutschen Bundesbank: German central bank's arbitration body for banking disputes between consumers and financial institutions. Government-affiliated, VSBG-recognized, and provides free consumer conciliation — directly analogous to SRUV's mandate and structural setup, but in the banking vertical.
• Versicherungsombudsmann e.V. Germany's insurance ombudsman, the largest consumer arbitration body in the country, operating as a non-profit association funded by insurance company members. Highly comparable to SRUV in funding model, jurisdictional recognition, and out-of-court dispute resolution mandate, though serving insurance rather than travel disputes.
• European Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Platform: EU Commission's official platform for resolving consumer disputes online, including travel-related complaints. Connects consumers to national ADR bodies like SRUV; functionally overlapping in cross-border e-commerce/travel disputes, though it routes cases rather than adjudicating them directly.
• Schlichtungsstelle Telekommunikation der Bundesnetzagentur: Federal Network Agency's telecommunications arbitration body. Conducts VSBG-recognized out-of-court consumer dispute resolution for telecom customers, closely paralleling SRUV's consumer arbitration mandate in a different regulated sector.

Broad incumbents

• Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR): UK-based ADR services provider operating across multiple sectors including aviation and travel. Comparable to SRUV in offering mediation and arbitration services, but operates as a commercial consultancy model rather than a non-profit consumer arbitration body. Wider portfolio scope makes it a broader industry incumbent.

Others

• Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (vzbv): Federation of German consumer organizations, represented on SRUV's advisory board and routinely referring cases to SRUV. Comparable in the consumer-protection value chain, but operates as a policy/advocacy body rather than a case-adjudicating arbitration service. A key ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.

Emerging players

• Flightright: German technology-led air passenger claims company pursuing EC 261 compensation cases. Operates a software-driven, commercial alternative to SRUV's free conciliation model in the same flight rights dispute category, with direct overlap in customer base and service scope.
• AirHelp: Commercial air passenger rights claim service that pursues EC 261 compensation on behalf of consumers. Addresses the same core dispute category SRUV handles (flight delays, cancellations, denied boarding), but on a no-win-no-fee commercial model with aggressive consumer marketing — competing for the same customer pool through a different distribution mechanism.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schlichtungsstelle-reise-und-verkehr

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schlichtungsstelle Reise & Verkehr