Traveling has become a part of our lives. Some people travel entirely for the love of exploring the world and some travel for work or other purposes. One way or the other all of our travel and it have become an integral part of our lives. With traveling come a few hassles. There are times when our flights get delayed, and we have to wait for hours to get back on our journey to our required destination. The best part is that you can claim compensation for flight delays officially if your flight has been delayed.
Flight Delay Compensation Rules For Europe
The European Commission that lays out the rules for travel and tourism formed a rule for the flight delay compensation since 2004. The compensation for air passengers that go through the issue of flight delays are compensated with 600 Euros for each delay in flight. The passengers are compensated with the same amount if the flight is canceled due to some issue, or a passenger is denied boarding for some reason. There are some rules and regulations that make a passenger eligible for the compensation fee. The conditions are as follows:
- The passenger should have a flight delay of at least 3 hours on arrival visa
- The departure of the passenger has to be from an EU airport or the landing should be on an EU airport
- The airline the passenger is using should be an EU regulated airline
The arrival and landing time is registered every time a plane lands and the doors open.
However, the airlines have a conflict with this rule, and they believe that when the airplane hits the runway that is considered its arrival time.
Claim Right For Your Flight Delays
You don’t have to be necessarily an EU citizen to claim compensation for flight delays. You can get compensated even if you are a national of some other country. A flight delay can occur many times, and it is not something unusual. It is essential to know your rights for compensation if you experience a delay in a flight. Flight delays occur due to various reasons, and it is not always the airlines that are responsible for the delay. Can airlines be held accountable for flight delay due to storms and bad weather? Of course, they cannot be. But they can take responsibility for technical defaults and any mismanagement. In cases where an airline was able to avoid or prevent a flight delay but it didn’t do so, then that means that you deserve flight delay compensation. The stats show that most of the time, the airlines are responsible for flight delays, so you are a deserving passenger to claim your rights in most cases.
How Much Compensation Can You Claim?
The amount you can demand compensation varies. It depends on the distance of the route and on the length of the time the flight has been delayed. You can use the free flight compensation calculator to have an estimate of your compensation money. You have to fill in your flight number and the date of your travel, and you will get the compensation amount right in front of you. The only condition for the flight delay compensation claim is that you should arrive at your destination 3 hours late from your actual arrival time.
What To Do When A Flight Is Delayed Beyond The Scheduled Departure Time?
If you are travelingair and your flight is delayed for 2-4 hours, and the total distance is at least above 3500 km, then the airlines must provide you with free meals and refreshments while two phone calls, open emails, and fax services should also be given free of cost.
If the flight gets delayed5 hours or more, then again, airlines must provide you with a higher level of free services, which consists of refunding the ticket fee within a week. The individual also gets an opportunity to claim a refund for connecting flights, while another option is to ask for a return flight to your original destination of departure. In some cases, when the flight is delayed for a whole day, then the airlines should be able to provide you with free accommodation in a hotel along with the transport facility which can give pick and drop service between the airport and hotel.
The airlines usually hate to pay for compensations whenever a traveler asks for it, and they come up with many excuses to either delay or not to do anything about it. Sometimes the delay is as long as weeks or even a month, so you need to hire a lawyer for yourself if you want to get back to them. The worst part is that the lawyers don’t like to entertain claims for small values which are a good sign for the airlines. In the end the customer ends up getting tired and leaves the process altogether.
How Can You Claim Flight Delay Compensation?
If you want to claim a compensation for flight delays, it can become an easy task as there are renowned companies who are giving their services to the customers. They need you to provide them with the desired information so they can help you out. As they have access to all the essential information regarding flight delays, they can get the desired compensation in no time.
Once you mention them the exact details about the flight, reasons, and its delayed time, they can calculate the amount of claim. The other essential documents like flight ticket, boarding pass, and contact details need to be informed as well.
The process won’t take more than two minutes, and you even have the option to sign the form digitally to get timely services. If you get the assistance regarding the flight delay compensation, feel assured that they are free of cost. The team of experts is friendly and knowledgeable to send the claim letters to the airlines or court if required.
