TRAVEL TIPS: How to receive up to €600 for delayed and cancelled flights

ACCORDING to the EU regulation 261/2004 passengers are eligible to claim up to €600 for flights delayed by at least three hours or cancelled.

The compensation received for delayed, cancelled or denied boarding due to overbooking, can differ depending on the length of the delay, the distance to destination and if the final destination is in the European Union.

Also, some airlines will attempt to make it harder than others to claim the compensation.

Nevertheless, passengers are entitled to receive compensation.

Here is all the information you need on if, when and how to claim flight compensation.

DELAYS

• Flights must either depart from an EU airport (despite the airline, EU or non-EU) or the airline must be European with final destination in those countries.
• *Passengers are eligible to claim if the flight was delayed by at least three hours and it was the airline’s fault.

*Regulations do not apply for ‘extraordinary circumstances’ such as political unrest, extreme weather, security risks, strikes, and unexpected safety issues that could not have been avoided. Everything else, is a valid cause to claim compensation, i.e. operational delays, staffing, general mechanical issues, etc.

According to the EU law, there is a fixed amount of money eligible passengers can claim if any of the above situations occur, see below.

• €250 for all flights of 1,500 km or less
• €400 for flights between EU destinations greater than 1,500km, and for all other flights between 1,500km and 3,500 km
• €600 for all flights of a distance greater than 3,500 km

CANCELATIONS

• If a flight that was scheduled to depart from an EU airport, regardless of the airline, and passengers were not informed at least 14 days prior to the departure.
• If the flight is an EU regulated airline, passengers have the right to claim at either end of their journey.

Compensation:

• Short haul (under 1,500km):

Alternative flight with maximum two-hour delay: €125
Otherwise: €250

• Medium haul (1,500km – 3,500km):

Alternative flight with max three-hour delay: €200
Otherwise: €400

• Long haul (over 3,500km):

Alternative flight with max four-hour delay: €300
Otherwise: €600

DENIED BOARDING

• If passengers are denied boarding involuntarily due to overbooking of the seats.
• The airline should be EU regulated or the departure airport must be in the EU.

If you are bumped without your agreement, you are entitled to compensation, as long as you checked-in for your flight on time.

The compensation is the same as if a flight is cancelled.

MISSED FLIGHT CONNECTION

• The connecting flights must be booked with the same airline
• The delay must be a minimum of three hours in order to claim compensation

In some circumstances you may be able to claim compensation for your missed connection. The rules about compensation when you miss a connection are the same as for any other flight delay.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recommends passengers claiming compensation to keep as much evidence and documented ‘proof’ as possible, such as boarding passes and receipts.

If an airline staff member were to ask the affected passenger to organise their own arrangements, i.e. food, hotels, transfers, etc, a note should be made and the responsible airline should be asked to add this note to the booking.

Many airlines have their own company claims procedure where passengers can fill in a form at the airline customer service desk at the airport or make the report online that can usually be tracked once processed.

Nevertheless, if no standard claims procedure is available to the passenger, all communications, whether it be via email, phone or in person, should be recorded in order to take the claim to the next stage.

If passengers are unhappy with the solution given by the airline, the CAA can be contacted.

According to the government, the EU regulation 261/2004 surrounding flight compensation will not be modified despite the current Brexit uncertainties.

Here is a list of airlines from which you allegedly can claim compensation under the EU regulation:

Aeroflot Airline, Aitalia, Air Baltic, Aer Lingus, Air Serbia, Air China, Air Europa, Air Algerie, Air Berlin, Aegean Airlines, AIR India, Air Nostrum, Air France, Adria Airways, Atlas Global Airlines, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Belavia Airlines, Brussels Airlines, British Airways, Blue Air, bulgaria-air, China Southern Airlines, Condor, Croatia Airlines, Czech Airline, Delta Airlines, EasyJet, Emirates, Eithad Airways, , ENTER AIR, Eurowings, Iberia, Finnair, Flybe, Germanwings Airlines, Icelandair, Jet2, jetairfly, KLM, Korean Air, Lufthansa Airlines, luxair, Lufthansa Regional, Malta Airlines, Meridiana Fly, Monarch Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Norwegian Airlines, Onur Air, Pegasus Airlines, Ryanair, Royal Air Maroc, Scandinavian Airlines, Swiss European Airlines, SunExpress Airline (EU), TAP Portugal, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways, TAROM, TUIFly, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Ukraine International Airlines, UTair Aviation, Virgin Atlantic, Vueling Airlines, Wizz Air, Qatar, S7 Airlines, Ural Airlines, Volotea,

For more information visit: https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Resolving-Travel-Problems/Delays-and-cancellations/