Flight Delay Rights
You’ve planned out this whole vacation for yourself when suddenly when you’re at the airport, you hear that your flight has been delayed!
Urgh! The agony and the frustration! You have no idea what to do and just sip on your coffee with a bad mood! Little did you know that you have rights that you can avail!
It is a known fact that not many air travelers understand that they have rights that they can use.
Under many circumstances, airlines are supposed to provide accommodation, free food and compensation by law!
Regulation EC 261/2004:
yes it is super boring but it is one of the key piece of EU law that tells about what rights passengers have when flying. If you understand this, then you may be entitled to compensation, a free meal or even accommodation!
If due to any reason, your flight has been delayed by 2 hours or has been cancelled then the airlines are obligated to provide a summary of rules for compensation or/and assistance. BUT this isn’t the case and if your airline fails to oblige then you can go online (via the free internet) to Claim Flights website and would have all the information you need to know about your rights when faced with cancellations and delays.
Right for Assistance:
it all depends on the type of flight you were boarding and the length of delay you are facing. Your rights start when there is a 2 hour delay on short flights (up to 1500 km) and 3 hour delay on long flights (1500 to 3000 km). Airlines are supposed to provide you with various means of communication such as internet and phone calls, a meal and drinks (they are in the form of vouchers usually) and if the delay is for the whole night, then hotel accommodation and transfers!
Note that airlines must provide any sort of assistance in any kind of delay and if your airline doesn’t provide you with any then save up your receipts and call the airline afterwards to get your right!
Cancelled or delayed flight Compensation:
this right is not easy to reimburse because of the many complications! You can get compensation if the flight is 3 hours late and cancelled just because the airline was at fault! The airline will only pay up if the flight wasn’t cancelled due to bad weather, security issues, technical faults and even air traffic control problems.
The amount of delayed flight compensation that a person gets is fixed. It starts from 250€ to 600€ per person. This amount is determined by the time the flight came in late, the type of flight and the circumstances under which it was cancelled.
If not covered by the EU:
if your flight and airline doesn’t fall in the EU, then there is a high chance that you may avail your rights!
But if you are travelling with a reputable airline then you may get free meals or assistance. Your travel insurance may cover any delayed flights but the amount is next to nothing (up to 50 pounds!). For this reason it is better to check your compensation with Claim Flights website. Also make sure that you read up on the regulations and ever changing rules of the EU!
Happy travelling!
Linda Wright Manchaster/UK
Pramod Ram
Digital Marketing Strategist
Pramod Ram heads the Online Marketing and Content Marketing Team at Claim Flights GmbH. He loves to travel, read books, watch movies and do intensive research.
If your flight delays for more than 3 hours, or was cancelled, you may be eligible for compensation up to €600 based on EU 261 rule.
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