Preparing for a vacation is so exciting. The planning, the fine tuning, the scheduling, packing the bags just not to leave anything behind…this process could take up weeks. It is understandable that news about your flight being cancelled is a shocker especially after having everything planned ahead so meticulously. How is it possible? There are so called force majeure events or extraordinary circumstances that are outside of the scope of business operation of an airline. Such as inclement weather, strike, terrorist threats or accidents.
On the other hand when your flight gets cancelled due to a technical failure or some cases of operational mishap according to the 261/2004 EC Regulation those events could be the fault of the airline even in case of budget airlines. Should an event like this occur am I eligible for compensation? What are the criteria that I need to pay attention to? In case of a flight cancellation albeit the regulation airlines would go out of their way to avoid payment. It can be a serious and lenghty task to have them compensate you. Although should the flight take off from an airport within the EU or the airline is registered in the EU (Community Carrier) it has to comply with these regulations and might have compensation obligations.
What are the details the passenger has to pay attention to? First and foremost, time! When have you been notified of the cancellation?
- if 14 days or earlier before your scheduled flight departure in this case you are not entitled to compensation. The airline is supposed to find you an alternative flight the closest to your original flight schedule. If you decline they will return your money for the plane ticket of that particular flight;
- if between 7 to 14 days before your scheduled flight departure you are not eligible for compensation if the airline offered re-routing, allowing you to depart no more than two hours before the scheduled time of departure and reach your final destination less than four hours after the scheduled time of arrival;
- if less than 7 days before your scheduled flight departure you are not eligible for compensation if the airline offered re-routing, allowing you to depart no more than one hour before the scheduled time of departure and to reach your final destination less than two hours after the scheduled time of arrival; In these events the airline is not obliged to compensate but to mitigate.
Indemnity claiming You might be entitled to a compensation in all other cases where the amount applicable could vary between EUR250 to EUR600 per passenger depending on the distance of the flight, the location of the take-off (EU or non-EU), where the airline is seated and the length of the delay at the final destination. You are not leaving your money in the pocket of the airline, are you?
Don’t spend time browsing the regulation or fighting for your rights! Register your claim in just a few minutes and save time! Contact us at www.flightrefund.com
