Airport chaos, long wait times, a lack of tickets, high ticket prices, cancelled flights, and significant delays are enough to give you headaches and worries. Newspaper articles about people missing weddings, funerals, vacations, and other everyday events, not to mention delays and long waits at airport security checkpoints.
But don’t worry! There is good news for some.
However, even today, delays and cancellations are unfortunately common. And if that occurs, you may be eligible for compensation.
Compensation under EU261 regulations
The majority of passengers need to be made aware of their consumer rights. Only 1.5% of passengers benefit from this EU legislation regarding airline delays. This law exists to uphold airline responsibility and safeguard your rights as a traveller and consumer. Because they waste your valuable time and are exceedingly inconvenient, flight delays and cancellations should be made up.
How to get compensation for my cancelled or delayed flights?
You can receive compensation in two ways. Once you know all your rights, related court decisions and you can gather all the required documents, mail them to the airline, and maintain contact with them until you receive or do not receive compensation.
The alternative is, of course, to utilize a company or service. The best we refer to is Click2Refund, which is focused on obtaining compensation for passengers; they take care of all the work for you.
You must complete a form for them so they have all the necessary information to determine whether you qualify for flight delay compensation. It goes as follows:
- File the application (After you send the first application, it can take a while to process, but be patient; you’ll reach the second step in the application.)
- They will evaluate your flight compensation claims and let you know whether or not you will be compensated and how much.
- If they believe you have a case, they will gather all the required paperwork and begin talks with the airline.
- If they are fortunate, you get your payment. You will often get your money back within 4-6 weeks.
How much is the compensation for a flight that is cancelled or delayed?
A flight delay, cancellation, or denied boarding may be compensated for between €250 and €600. The sum is subject to change depending on flight distance and delay length. The condition is that you must experience one of the following:
- Your flight should be at most three hours late.
- Your trip has been cancelled.
- Even if your trip is delayed by a few hours, you end up being more than three hours late because you missed your connecting flight.
- You need more open seats to allow you to board (denial of boarding due to overbooking).
Do you know what your rights are as an airplane passenger?
We will examine a few of your rights now. The payment is merely an addition to the relief offered by airlines to travellers on delayed flights. Within reasonable limits, you can request payment for your meals and accommodation. However, there won’t be any alcohol or five-star hotels included.
The requirements must cover the following:
- Refreshments.
- Free meals that are suitable for the delay
- If a hotel stay is necessary, it is complimentary.
- Transfer to the hotel if an overnight stay is necessary.
- Two free calls, faxes, or emails are included.
However, you are ineligible for compensation if:
- The cancellation is announced to you 14 days before the flight.
- The airline has provided you with a different flight on the same route and your delay remains under 3 hours
If a flight is cancelled due to unusual circumstances, the airline must provide one of the following options to its customers:
- Refund of tickets (total price or the unused part of it).
- An alternate method of transportation to your location.
- Rebooking your flight for a later time if it works for both you and the airline.
So, if you experience a flight delay or cancelled, check if you qualify for compensation. Importantly, start the process immediately.
Conclusion
Here are the essential things to remember as a passenger.
You are covered if you book a flight with an EU airline, or a flight operating within the European Union or one that departs from an EU airport even if it is non-EU airline. It is also applicable for Americans, Canadians, and others if they use an EU airline or exit from a European airport with an EU or non-EU airline.
Under the following conditions, you might qualify for EU261 compensation:
-Your flight is running more than three hours late.
-The flight is cancelled less than 14 days before the departure date you had planned
-You miss a connection flight due to a delay of initial flight
-Due to an overbooked aircraft, you are not permitted to board.
