IF DELAYED. GET PAID.
UP TO €600 PER PASSENGER

Your long-awaited holiday trip can quickly turn sour when you find out that your flight is delayed. Luckily, your air passenger rights are protected under EU Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, so if you experienced a flight delay you may be entitled to up to €600 in compensation or a partial or full refund of your plane ticket, provided that the airline is responsible for the delay. The compensation amount depends on the flight distance and the length of the delay. Basically, you must be at least 3 hours late to your final destination to qualify for compensation.

Sometimes, airlines overbook their flights for optimisation purposes, such as when passengers that bought tickets don’t show up for the flight and there are free seats on the plane as a result. Also, when airlines don’t sell enough tickets on a bigger plane and decide to use a smaller one for that particular flight. If flight attendants ask for volunteers to take another plane, it’s a sign that the flight is overbooked. If all passengers show up for the flight, some might be denied boarding. Airlines may offer travel vouchers, which might sound like a good deal, but the airline may offer you less than you are eligible to receive in compensation under EU Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

If an airline doesn’t allow you to board your flight when you know you’ve done nothing wrong, it’s important to know your air passenger rights. Under EU Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, you have the right to request the airline for an alternative flight, compensation, a partial or full refund of the plane ticket, reimbursement of additional expenses that were a direct consequence of refusing you to board your flight, and hotel accommodation.

A missed connecting flight is an event that no one would want to experience. The good news, however, is that you are protected by EU Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 if your flight was to or from the EU. This piece of EU legislation grants you rights such as receiving up to €600 in compensation for missing a connecting flight as a result of a flight delay, cancellation, or if you are not allowed to board your flight due to overbooking.

When travelling with commercial airlines, you may encounter some unexpected issues such as your check-in baggage getting lost, damaged or delayed. In such an event, an airline is legally responsible for it and you are entitled to compensation under the EU Regulation EC 261. The same also applies to hand luggage. If your hand luggage was damaged, the airline is liable if it was responsible for the damage. Whether it’s your check-in or hand luggage, you should report that they are damaged or missing before leaving the airport. You have the right to file a claim if the contents of your luggage were damaged.

An airline staff strike can seriously affect your travel plans, and not in a positive way. They often result in delays and cancellations and can hurt you financially if you don’t know your rights. If your flight was from or to the EU, and you arrived at your final destination airport more than 3 hours late or your flight was cancelled entirely with less than a 2 weeks’ notice, you can get compensated as your rights are protected by EU Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 which makes the airline responsible for the resulting flight disruption. To qualify for airline strike compensation the striking employees must be under the direct control of the airline. Hence, airport security, baggage handler or air traffic control personnel strikes negate the right to compensation.