Delayed Flight ? Here's how you can get 600 EUR per passengerPosted by sky on November 4th, 2019 Air travel is convenient but often more complicated than we would like. At one point or another we can experience some type of flight delay. Fortunately, under EU Regulation 261/2004 you can be entitled to delayed flight compensation of up to €600. 1. Was your flight delayed by more than 3 hours? 2. Have you departed from the EU or arrived at an EU airport with an EU registered airline? If your answer to the above questions is “Yes” and your delayed flight was not subject to extraordinary circumstances, then you can claim up to €600 compensation under EU law. Do you have flight details ready? All we need is the date and the flight number so we can check if you are entitled to compensation. At 3FlightDelay, an experienced legal team will take care of all the hassle that you as a traveler would typically come up against. Additionally we have a quick and intuitive tool that takes into consideration the distance and the duration of your delay and calculates the amount of compensation you are entitled to. Am I entitled to compensation?The compensation amount depends primarily on the distance of the journey itself and ranges between €250 and €600 per passenger. There are a few other considerations that are taken into account when determining your eligibility to compensation. We will illustrate all of them in this guide. How much are you owed in the event of a delayed flight?If your flight was shorter than 1500 km, you could receive €250 in EU travel delay compensation from the airline.The amount rises to €400 for flights between 1500 km and 3500 km and up to €600 if the distance exceeds 3500 km. Two important exceptions: If your flight takes off and arrives in the EU, the compensation for your delayed flight cannot exceed €400. This is true even if your trips are longer than 3 500 km. In addition, if your flight is over 3 500 km but your delay lasts between 3 and 4 hours, your reimbursement could be reduced in half. In this case, the amount of your refund would be €300. How to find out my trip's length?In most cases air passengers don’t know the exact distance between their departure and landing point A very simple way to get a rough idea about your trip’s length would be to remember that in most cases flights shorter than 1500km take less than two hours. Flights between 1500km and 3500km are usually with a duration of two to four and a half hours. Flights that last longer than four and a half hours are usually longer than 3500 km. When can you claim compensation for a delayed flight?According to Regulation 261 passed by the European Parliament when passengers have a prolonged flight delay, cancellation or denied boarding they may be entitled to compensation.
Missed a connecting flight due to a flight delay?With global air traffic constantly on the rise and passengers flying farther than ever, the number of connecting flights has increased spectacularly in recent years. Missing your connection even by a few minutes, could lead to a significant overall delay. Under EC 261/2004 you could be entitled to compensation, if you arrived at your final destination more than 3 hours late. A Connecting Flight is required when a single flight would not take the passenger directly to their final destination. That usually means one or more aircraft/airline changes on the way which brings a greater possibility of delays and cancellations. In some cases, a delay in your inbound flight may cause you to miss your next connection. It is the airline’s responsibility to arrange a new flight for you. Additionally, if as a result of your missed connection you got to your final destination with a delay of more than 3 hours, you could submit a compensation claim as this scenario follows the 3-hour rule mentioned above. European Regulation 261/2004 has no special provisions regarding connecting flights. If you, as a passenger experience a disruption such as flight delay, cancellation or denied boarding, you have the right to make a compensation claim. Check below if you are eligible.
To be eligible for compensation, your tickets must be issued under the same booking number. This is a fancier way of saying that they were issued together and are on the same booking. If your flights are on separate bookings, strictly speaking, they count as different trips. Therefore, if your journey involves two flights under different bookings, you would have two separate final destinations. To identify your reservation number, you can simply double check your booking reference number stated on your reservation. Unfortunately, low-cost airlines like easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air do not offer multi-flight trips under the same booking reference. This means that if you have more than one flight with them, they would not be seen on the same booking and passengers affected by a missed connection, would not have a valid claim. But there is good news if you are flying with traditional carriers.
Right to Care: Get Free Food, Refreshment Drinks and Accommodation While WaitingFood and RefreshmentsUnder EU law it is the airlines’ obligation to make the waiting period as comfortable as possible. This is known as a passenger’s “Right to Care”. EC 261 states that the responsible airline must provide you with a meal, refreshments, access to phone calls and emails. Typically, airlines would do this by offering their passengers food vouchers. These would be expected to cover all necessary and urgent expenses. Don’t worry if the voucher cannot cover all your expenses. The airline will have to cover your additional costs, if you exceed its amount. Make sure you hold on to your receipts so that you can prove your purchases later. It is important to remember that receipts are the only acceptable proof of purchase. Bank statements are not accepted and they will not allow you to ask for a refund later. According to EC 261, any meals and drinks you buy must be “in a reasonable relation” to your waiting time. The “Right to Care” applies only to reasonable amounts and purchases.It is expected that in case of a delayed flight, you would need a meal every 2 or 3 hours. AccommodationAs a passenger you are also entitled to accommodation when your delayed or cancelled flight forces you to spend the evening at the point of departure. If the hotel of your choice is some distance away from the airport, your carrier is also required to cover your transportation costs. In case your starting point is your hometown and it is possible for you to spend the night at home, the airline should still cover your transport expenses. We would recommend leaving the airport’s premises only if your flight is cancelled, not delayed. Passengers with cancelled flights are usually given a replacement flight with a fixed departure time. A delayed flight, on the other hand, could start boarding at any time. You have the right to claim reimbursement for accommodation costs when a flight delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances and you have to spend the night at the point of departure. Please remember... Airlines are obliged to inform you about your rights under European Regulation 261/2004. Limitation Period: How far back can I claim for delayed flights?Depending on the airline’s origin, you may be able to claim flight delay compensation for flights as old as 10 years. Regulation 261 does not provide an EU-wide limitation period. Like it? Share it!More by this author |